Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-05

IoIue tedA1uS up tue Ndlh at the pro-
verbal break-neck speed.
Harry she cried. what in the
world is the matter:''
Big wreck he shouted, leaping up
the steps three at a time engine
smashed to fiinder-lotS killed-wreck
on fire his voice was lost as he en-
tered the house and she fastened after
him.
What train was it," she inquired.
as she hurried into the sitting-room
Through mail from Boston" ans
wered the boy, tersely. THE awful
est mess You ever. saw" The through
mail from Boston, Could it be
The names" she said, eNcitedly
Have You the list of the dead found?"
, Yep" he responded, laconically
! Fellow give 'em to me- Here they
are. Hurry up. I want to copy them"
, She ran her eye over the list, her
heart beating rapidly. her face blanch-
Ing. Carl Adams, unknown man, Mrs
Winsley and child, Mary Thorne, -
Davenport"
! A mist came before her eyes in which
! the characters on the paper danced
uncertainty.
IFS right down below the station"
Harry ratified on. ran into the way
+; freight; you just ought to see-''
''She waited to hear no more, but
turned and hurried through the garden
into the lane that ran to the station
Her mind was confused and dazed;
one thing only asserted itself to her.
She must get to the wreck at once
and before her, like the figure of some
horrid nightmare, stood out that name.
- Davenport
The twilight had fallen and the
moon was shining softly. Cropping on
for Il moment blindly she stumbled
and fell, half crouching under a low
bending tree.
ooh. God!' she cried covering her
face with her hands ooh, God! let
him not be dead! Let him not be
deadr'
How long she lay there with that
prayer rising again and again to her
lips, her mind dazed and confused,
she did not know. but at last, strug-
Cling to her feet, she tried to collect
ner thoughts.
In a moment, whether the figure
which had shaped itself out of dusk
or not she could not tell, but someone
Twas standing before her; some one
who bent over her and said tenderly:
Helen, my darling, what is it?' She
looked up with little inarticulate cry.
"Ycu are safe-yOu-"
She stopped suddenly. 1t was not
Will, this tall manly figure; the hand
some face looking into hers was not
his. 1t was Harvey Thomas.
"OhH' she cried. chow dare you come
to me now? I thought it was he; don't
you understand? I must go to look
for him."
In the soft half light the face which
was so near hers grew suddenly white
and set as its owner drew back quietly
IF you mean Davenport" he said.
slowly, Il think / can show you where
he is"
Isis he dead?' she asked in low,
tense tone
NO" he answered quietly, "he is
mot" and with a dull strange pain at
his heart as he saw the white eager
face light up with sudden passionate
10y at his words, they hurried togeth-
er down the lane. With no word of
himself and his pain, which he knew
was far stronger than Wills physical
one, he told her how beam had
fallen on his right arm and rendered
it useless for long weeks to come: but
he was not dead.
In moment they reached the spot
where he lay at the end of the lane
He was alone for he had insisted that
they leave him and look after the
others.
And Harvey Thomas turned and left
them silently with a world of pain
in the frank brown eyes as with a
little low Cry Helen bent over the
figure on the ground.
Billy" she whispered, and at the
low, tender tone the dark eyes I'M
closed suddenly. Straight into those
above his he looked; it was only for
a moment, but what he read there
was enough.
| -Zona Gale.