Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-08-28

their true value to your eyes, and q
career will seem mere artifciality
that has nothing to do with what is
best and sweetest in life."
The words had passed her by as an
idle phrase, evoked from disappoint-
ment. And she and Richard Allen had
parted, he going to his post on the line
in Arizona, and she to Italy to study.
And yet nothing passes from us en-
tirely. Here, without warming, with
out her intention, the little scene came
up before her eyes; and she saw again
the apple orchard in blossom, the red
br-ch chimney of the school-house
across the way looming up in the moon
light, the hills in the distance, .the
strong, proudly carried figure at her
side. And then scene after scene came
up before her, always with the two
figures present: the manly, devoted
lover, the self-absorbed girl.
A jar, shock, sudden stop, as if
the train had run against wall of rock,
and Margaret started up and drew the
curtain aside instinctively. A fall
through space-what was it, oh, where
was she. Had the train fallen down
an embankment?
After minute she realized that she
had been thrown from her berth across
the car, that other persons lay alb out,
some groaning, some hastily picking
themselves up. She shut her eyes:
there was sharp pain in her left arm and
n weight upon her side. A falling lamp
had struck her, and from some cause
she could not rise, There was terri
BILE confusion, much talking, and half
q dozen people bending over her pity
ingly and asking her questions.
"What has happened? Is anybody
killed?" she asked.
Several persons answered at once.
They had run into freight. The en-
gineer on their own train was killed !;
ne one else. Many were hurt. Could
she bear to be moved?
81 must" she returned, setting her
lips, for agonizing pains began to
shoot through her foot, and the
thought of being touched was suffer-
ing.
fortunately we are just ON the
outskirts of Frithville-there are
houses near" 1t was the conductor
who spoke now, and he at once took
charge. She WAS lifted carefully.
wrapped in blankets and carried out.
Their car had sustained less damage
than any other, being in the rear, and
there was no difficulty in getting out.
eff she could stand it to be taken
over yonder," said some one, pointing
to a house some distance away, ''she'd
be more comfortable, reckon"
"Where are we?" asked Margaret,
bravely suppressing her pain.
Somewhere in southern Indiana
little town called Frithville," man
answered her.
eff she could stand it to be taken
over to the doctors house"-said the
persistent first speaker.
'I can stand it," she interposed !;
"take me there quickly.
They improvised sort of rough lit
ter of mattresses, and carried her
across field in the open country.
The dawn was just breaking, and the
pale moon was slowly fading out of
view before the great coming light.
The air was clear, cold, crisp; and
though there had evidently been q
heavy storm during the night, it had
cleared completely, and the first ray of
sunlight glittered upon banks of frozen
snow. The house before which they
stopped was plain, two-storied
wooden structure, which seemed
at first sight peculiarly barren
looking. Clean white curtains
hung in straight, scant folds ut
the windows. The door had been
drab in color, but the paint had been
SO assiduously scrubbed that one
now took it's presence on trust. There
was a brass knocker and rush door
mat on which lay large black cat
with bristling white whiskers.
The door was opened by severe
Swedish girl, whose starched cap and
apron suggested careful housekeeping,
as her suspicious countenance sug-
gested inhospitality. She made no
objections to admitting them, how
ever, and Margaret was carefully de-
posted upon a couch in the sitting
room to wait the coming of the doctor,
who, the maid said, had just left the
house to go to the scene of the wreck.
"We'll send him back to you,
ma'am, right off" one of the men as
sured her. "You ought to be tended
to first
"Notif others are suffering and need
him MORE" said Margaret family.
The ungenial-looking Swede proved
herself to be not deficient in skill,
even though sympathy was in meas
ure lacking. She made her guest as
comfortable rs she could. The shoe
was cut from the swollen ankle, which
was bathed and handaged, and the
hurts upon the shoulder and side were
pronounced to be only bruises which
''Herr doctor would make right"
And then Margaret was left to herself
while the girl went to make the newt
able coup of tea," which was to set
everything straight.
After awhile her eyes began to
wander idly around the room. 1t
seemed half parlor, half study. Fold