Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-08-16

ones hurrylng southwark to kinder
climes. The others could not we'll be
spared from the busy round of social
life, so Ted went with his mother and
Nadine. The world lay shrouded in
white vestments through which the
train plowed a narrow track bearing
them farther and farther from their ac--
customed scenes. Tatters sat in Ma
dimes window looking wistfully out OF
the window at the flying panorama OF
skeleton trees and hedges till the train
stopped at wayside station. Ted took
him out for a little walk, and he
scudded along the narrow path shifting
the frosty air delightedly, and present
ly disappeared under the car wheels, to
be caught up by someone on the OPP
posite side.
Ted heard mans coaxing voice say;
Hello, my beauty! Look, Tess, isn't
that a perfect little beautyT The an
swer was delighted little feminine
exclamation, then a lady stepped out
of the coach and confronted him, fol
lowed by Dion, who looked very wan
and weary beside that radiant vision.
Ted looked into her face and forgot
everything but the thought that Ma
dine mukt not see them. He got pos
session of Tatters and walked the
length of the train and back before he
dared to confront Nadine, andlthe train
pulled off witha few preliminary shocks
when he swung aboard the smoking
car. He sat staring duly before him,
until he was recalled to a realization OF
things tangible by keen sense of i'm
pending danger.
There was shrek of escaping steam,
a sickening crunch of wheels, an eXplo-
sive crash, then he was seized by some
blind force and flung down amid the
debris of wreck. Tatter's doleful lit
tie whine recalled Ted's scattered
senses. He woke to find himself lying
in a poor little roadside hut, where
they had carried the dead and wound
ed. Dion's wife lay not an arms
length from his couch, and beside him
sat Nadine unhurt.
"It is not fatal?" Dion asked in a
husky whisper.
The doctor moved away very softly,
but the dying woman read the bitter
truth in his eyes, and shivered with
mortal terror.
"Dyingl" she cried, incredulously'
ooh, no. 1t simply isn't possible! 1t
can't be; why should ] be chosen when
so many others don't care to live! Oh.
no, not l; life is far too sweet to die"
Tatters whined and thrust his nose
close to Ted's face, and he opened his
ewes and smiled Understandings, then
the clear, tuneful voice broke the
deathly silence again. Dion, if 1t
should be truel l am afraid TO die with
an unconfessed lie on my soul. 1t was
all my fault that she left you. l want
ed YOU to believe Nadine unfaithful'
You'll forgive me, Dion, won't you. 1t
was because 1 loved you so-and she
couldn't have cared one hundredth part
as much as do. You loved her, dldD t
YOU. Dion? Yes, knew, but tried to
forget. If should die you will marry
her. Dion, 1 love you so that l wish
only for your happiness.
"But will not die, Dion, 1 will not!
the young voice trailed off in half = SOD
then woke again very faint and tremu-
lous. like the echo of distant music
"How dark IT has grown!" it muir
INJURED. "Have they left us alone al
last. Dion? Come closer, 1 cannot see
you"
There was no more sound or motion
from the darkened pallet; the long
lashes futtered down and lay like rays
of darkness on driven snow, and the
,ychildish lips parted in faint SWEEP
smile upon which death had set his
holy seal as if God had forgiven hel
guilty soul.