The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1895-04-26

began to move. He listened to the part
ing directions of the two women and
threw back the silver half dollar one
OF them tried to slip into his hand
with toss of his head, as he shouted
Il amt no porter, and I'm ADDING this
to 'blige you"
Then he held the child tightly while
| she waved her tiny handkerchief till
the station was mere speck in the
distance.
Then he took her into the car and
| LETT her to amuse herself with the rolls
of lozenges while he made trip
through the other cars. BY the time
he got back she had made friends with
lady across the aisle, who offered to
share her berth with the child, and be-
| fore the afternoon was over she was
| playing games all over the car, and to
Dan S intense amusement she insisted
on eating supper with the man who
had made the greatest fuss over his
berth, but who, Bessie insisted, looked
lust like grandpa"
| So Dan kept only general oversight
OF the child, and finally when she dis
| appeared behind the heavy curtains Of
the berth, with a good night, every
| body" that included the whole car, he
went back to the day coach and curled
up on hard seat to sleep.
He slept soundly, for the day had
been tiresome one, but after awhile
he began to dream. He thought that
Bessie had chewed gum till she grew
smaller and smaller and finally was
nothing but one of the prizes in the
bags OF popcorn, little sugar image
which he was about to eat when
| Crash!
Dan was awake now. In an instant
he was rushing toward the sleeper.
Something dreadful had happened.
The train shook and shivered and
swayed.
There was second crash and tear
ing sound, and the end of the car was
torn off and cloud of steam rushed in
and about him.
The shock threw him to hls feet, but
he crawled on. There was Bessie, he
had promised to take care of her.
What would he say to the mother if
she were killed?
Yet it really wasn't his fault.
Would he never get to the end of the
car?
1t seemed ages before he reached the
platform, and his hand grasped the
twisted brakes. Overturned on the
track before him was the sleeper. The
dim gray light of the early morning
just showed its outlines. Farther than
that he could not see.
He jumped from the platform and
landed on the upturned side of the car.
He could hear cries inside and
through one of the windows head
was thrust. With his heels he broke
the glass of the window nearest him,
then he crawled on to the next, and
he reached the fourth.
This was where Bessie was.
Here he crawled in, but there was no
one in the berth.
1t was lighter now. The sun must
have come up very quickly.
Then smell of smoke revealed the
cause. The broken lamp at the end of
the car had set the bedding on fire.
The flames were spreading fast.
L
were rushing, men and women, and
there were groans and shrieks on all
sides.
But he could see nothing of Bessie
Could he have been mistaken in the
carl
Suddenly from beneath pile of
clothing he saw a tiny hand thrust out,
and he heard stified cry.
Eagerly he pushed aside the heavy
blankets and pulled the child out. By
the light of the flames now rapidly
nearing them he could see how white
she looked, and her eyes were closed.
Could he be too late?
He tried to climb out of the window,
but the seat on which he stood, broken
by the crash, fell beneath his weight,
and he was thrown back into the car
He struck heavily, and then there was
sharp pain in his head and little Bes-
sic almost fell from his arms.
He seized the broken bell rope that
hung from its rings, and, placing the
child on his back, bound the cord
around and around, thus binding her
tightly to him.
Then he tried second time to gain
the window. This time there was a
hand held down to help him, and in a
moment he felt the soft grass beneath
him and there was sudden movement
of the little body pressed close to him.
Then there was terrible whirring
sound in his ears and the blackest
night seemed to settle over everything
and he became unconscious.
News Of the disaster travelled fast,
and when the train bearing the
wrecked passengers drew into Detroit