The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-05-26


heart seemed 10 turn oy,r with the vie
lence Of the great leap it took. 1t was
Albert Fofrest-older. eraver, thinner
wonderfully changed but himself. II
WAS the same beloved face-the face of
him who MAS 10 her the man of men,
When he entered the car in which She
was seated, Grace turned 10 the window
with an instinct to keep him from recoS
MIXING her: but the bass of this instinct
was q longing desire Ia put her hand in
his and tell him, now at last that they
We're face t. face, that her heart had
never falterel one instant from its low
ing allegiance to him. He passed by
SO near she might have touched him
her blood ran hot and quick at the sense
of his nearilcss, aud it seemed strange To
her that no one looked at her oddly.
How could people fail la realize the tu-
mutt within her that WAS making her as
unlike Ia themselves, i'll their tranquil
state. rs if She had been inanaic turned
loosc among them.
Albert Forrest passed within a few
inches of the wosnall he had loved. with
uoselsc of hcr presence and without even
glance toward her. He took his seat
some distance ahead of her, and opening
"A newspaper began to read. For some
miles Grace kept her eyes fixed on the
landscape outside; the Whirliug blue WAS
lis meaningless to her Is absolute dark
ue>s. She was afraid even TO look to
ward the tail figure which She knew was
seated before her. Al last she shot one
frightened agitated glance toward it.
and its serene tranquility composed her
in measure. She could see only his
back and one band that held the paper.
That hand, How familiar WAS its every
line and contour! The sight thrilled her
like Il touch. And. oh. those dear, dear
curls With which her fingers used to
play what had turned them gray be
fore their time: 1t was unnatural that
his bonny eurls should have silver in
them Ii iaade him seem not the same.
And yet i'll the big, true SENSE how abso-
lutcly the same he Was!
Mile after mile they sped along, the
cbb and flow i'll tiracos heart agitating
her cruelty. She wished he would turn
and recognize her-but She dreaded il
while She wished it. II only something
voHld happen This forced calm WAS
Sitting her
Presently the paper Was lowered the
strong. Slim hand was lifted with an
aeaiclN familiar JestHre, and passed once
or twice in Il mcdtaive way acruSs The
clos reppea curlS Graecfelt her heart
begin L. tlrob more SuilucainglV still
rs the man rose to hi, feet and with the
paper sill III his hand turned and came
down the aisle of the ear toward her.
She fen suddenly wild wish that She
might not bc recognized, and She turned
her face back 10 the window He passed.
\ moment more the door of the car had
shut behind him and he was gone Had
he seen her: And now all her feeling
was Il great fear that he had not. and
would go away without having known!
Forrest stepped from one car to the
other and threw himself into Il seat He
had come here 10 finish his paper and Il
cigar. but the hand that held the paper
fell lisllessly on his knee, and he didn't
remember 10 smoke. No one noticed
him, and he noticed no one rs hi, eyes
WERE Turned upon the prospect outside
He had both seen and recognized Grace
Lea, and he WIS lighting his longing to
go Ia her. Even above that arose the
imperative bohcsl. that came from mind
and conscience alike, that he WAS bound
in honor not to take advantage of her
unprotected position to force upon her IL
presence thai must he unwclcOmc and
dstasteful to her, 1t was still plain to
his mind as we'll Il, 10 hers that the sa-
cred graves that stood between them
must forever keep them apart. AT length
he could bear this physical inertia no
longer. He rose 10 his feet and walked
forward. not knowing whittier, when
suddenly it occurred to him that he
would like to go To the engine and sur
round himself with the sense of power
and active force that ii always gave
him He had had since childhood "A turn
for machinery and was very fond Of
making friends with the engineers and
Watching the working of the great ma
chine. He felt that it would soothe him
nON anu III IL ltN minutes llt W as dDptIu
the great monster talking to the engineer
and watching his manipulation of the
mighty mechanism. which he under
stood himself as well as if lac had been
trained to such service.
They were going up grade with IA
strong force of steam on, and it gave
him Il SENSE of tremendous vigor to see
the huge engine grandly rushing on its
way, with steep grade i'll front of it
and a long train Of heavy cars behind it.
The roadbed just here WAS made one
and in front Of them was good deal OF
trestle work that gave sense of dan
ger that was an added zest. As the road
ahead grew sleeper The engineer put on
more steam, and tley were plunging
superbly along when FORESTS quick eye
detected something Il long distance off
that looked like Il train on the track.
He said so eXcitedly to the engineer,
who smiled las if at the perturbations
VI neophyte-and said it was impossi-
BILE. But panic seized Forrest His
eyes were very keen and he knew he
was not mistaken. Without one thought
of appearances he passed swiftly and
silently back to the car where Grace
was sitting as he left her, and with no
word by way of preliminary bent over
her and said in low excited whisper:
We are in great danger. Come with
me, GIace--instantlv and without noise.
And lac laid his hand upon her arm.
She had be, II the Slave of that touch
and voice in times long past, and she
obcyed it now unqucstoningly. Its con
.rollcd excitement Gained her, with his