Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-16

Though it has not occurred to you
it might to him. And you are such a
fool that you cannot see the man in
him! You make me impatient, Anna
Flirt with Gerald Maxwell by all
means; it is all you are fit for"
"Why are you cross, Lu? Mr..
Royce is clever and I like him; he is
very kind. Poor little scrapl 1 like
him very much. But he is In love
with his Academy picture, not with
me-"
So, through the glorious September
days Anna golfed, hunted and cycled
with Gerald, and the artist painted
trying to forget the pain which held
him in its grasp. He sought in his
bruised soul to rejoice that the man
on whom her choice would probably
fall was at least healthy-minded,
honest country gentleman; he only
asked humbly that she might be hap
Ply. He stuck doggedly to his picture
he said he was too busy to play
and he kept his pain, he believed,
locked in his own breast; but the
queer, upright furrows were on his
forehead rs on Louisa's, and they
deepened as the days went by.
He had been painting hard down by
the wood until the afternoon sun was
low. At last he put up his brushes
and started on his two-nile walk back
to the Manor. Gerald Maxwell over
took him and the two men went on
together. The stopped at the foot of
the railway embankment, lounging
against the rail, to watch the express
pass. They could hear her thunder
ing in the distance and waited to see
her sweep round the bend to the left,
dash across the straight piece of line
before them and then take the curve
to the right. Gerald was in high spir-
its, whistling carelessly in the pauses
CT his talk. The artist stood silent,
content to listen. Then, to their
right, along the line, came the beat
of flying hoofs; both. men turned to
see and both gave simultaneous ex-
clamation of horror, as round the bend,
out of all control, galloped headlong
beside the metals Annals bay mare,
tearing furiously on toward the rush
ing train, then rounding the opposite
curve. Anna sat back in her saddle,
white as death, trying to stay the run
away, but powerless against the crea-
ture's mad fright.
"She may pass safely on one side, :"
gasped Gerald.
Even as he spoke the mad brute
| plunged into the centre of the iron
road. She seemed for the first time
to sight the train whistling and scream
ing out its warning, but powerless to
check in time. She reared straight
up, and then stood planted and i'm
movable in the centre of the metals,
staring paralyzed with terror, at the
advancing monster. 1t had all hap
pened in a second or so, leaving but
scant time for thought or action. Both
men shouted to the girl to fling herself
of, but she, too, seemed turned to
stone. She sat dumb, looking before
her with agonized eyes, though her
trembling hands yet mechanically
strove to turn the horse. In half a
minute it would be too late. Gerald
flung up his arms, shouting his warn
ing. He stood there alone, the artist
was gone; he had scaled the steep en-
bankment, his small, 1.-the figure
springing up it like cat one hand,
strong as steel with dumb-bell exer-
else, was on the horses bride, back
ing her a step to the side, the other
was on the girl, pressing her from the
saddle, telling her to fall-to trust him
and fall. Thank heavenl She under
stood and obeyed. Amid the thunder
and crash of the train he knew that she
had swung clear of the metals. There
was blow and he was down, and all
was dark.
1t was q miraculous escape. Max
well wiped the moisture from his
brow as he told the story; Royce had
rushed in with the train almost on
him, when it seemed that horse, man
and girl must all be cut to pieces;
nothing but his wonderful quickness
had saved Anna, who, bruised and
shaken, had yet fallen clear of worse
harm. Poor "Black Bess" was cut to
bits. Royce's face was terribly cut by
the blow which had felled him, YET,
mercifully, he had fallen, stunned, in
the hollow between the rails, and so
had escaped with his life; but he
would never paint more, his right arm
had been frightfully crushed; amputa-
ton had had to follow as his only hope
of life.
The Manor people nursed him de-
votedly through his illness; nothing
| they conll do cnnld thav felt ranau