The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-11-22
A.. WISH :. FULFILLED.

BY LAURA ELLEN eeALe.

! heuu Oh lne young man, who had also
stopped to recover the volume.
Bessie exclaimed "Ohw and the
| young mans beg pardonw sounded
explosive TO mean something else.
Both looked uneasily at the passen-
/ gers In the opposite berth. who had
seen and heard the collision, and The
look of polite amusement on their faces
cnused the young people 10 glance
| quickly AZ each other. when with one
accord they all burst into hearty
| laugh.
| The acquaintance thus begun pro.
gressed rapidly. and by the middle of
| the afternoon the two were chatting
like old friends.
Bessie learned that the young man
was Frank Preston. who owned a
stock farm near Denver, int spent
only part of each year on The ranch,
the rest o. the time being devoted to
| travel.
The time passed all TO swiftly. Bes-
! Sic declared mentally that she had
never spent two happier days in her
life.
What a pleasant young man Frank
was. He was so different from Harry.
OF course Harry was jolly, and the
litc of every gathering in Potosl, but
he was not like this man, who had
been everywhere, 1t seemed. and who
knew so much OF the world.
Then, too, he was not At all back
ward in showing his admiration for
| the girls beauty. ana she thrilled with
| pleasure at this new experience. as she
was unaccustOmed TO such open ad-
miration as shonc from the young
mans eyes.
His eyes were lighter than Harry's;
| she hardly knew what color to call
them; while HarryS were the deepest
blue, fearless and steady. the strang.
ers often shifted uneaslly
| As the time drew near for Frank
| Preston 10 leave the train q Arco. the
station nearest his ranch Bessie was
| conscious Of j peculiar sinking of her
heart. In trying To analyze the sensa-
ton, she blushingly wondered if It
could be caused by love. She was not
certain. but ut least she had not eX-
perienced anything like it at leaving
Harry. \ mOmentary silence which
had settled upon the new friends was
rudely broken by the conductor
"Arco. Arco station, All out for
Arcor
In saying good.bye moment later,
Frank held Bessie's hand clasped
tightly in his and when he asked per-
mission to call upon her In Denver,
she gladly gave it.
He came even sooner than she had
hoped. In fact, he came many times
during the next few weeks, and two
months gllded swiftly on in a constant
round of pleasure, the young people,
with Bessles aunt and uncle, taking
many delightful trips to Manltou,
! Colorado Springs. Pixies Peak and
other places Of interest in The vicinity.
Into the midst Of this enjoyment
there came one day telegram calling
| Bessie to the bedside of her mother,
| who had become suddenly very i'll, SO
all else was forgotten as hasty prep
! arationS were made for the departure
| of Bessie and her aunt that same even
! ing.
| 1t was not until the very moment of
| boarding the train that Bessie thought
of sending Il telegram to Frank Pres
| ton TO meet them at Arco station to say
| goodbye, but 1t was then too late TO
do so. Sleep thar night was lmpossl-
BILE. She was continually thinking of
how happy she was on her other trip
over that same road. What jolly
| time they had after their acquaintance
began "head first" Frank had said
and she smiled at the recollection.
| Suddenly there seemed to be com
motion in the car. For an instant the
| girl lay still. wondering what those
rude voices meant. She was brought
TO an uncomfortable realization OF the
cause Of the disturbance when some
one exclaimed In no gentle tone:
Yes, dig up your money ana watch
and get move on you, too"
rh car was in the hands of train
robbers!
Bessie was almost petrilled with
fear, but she put out her hand to
arouse her aunt just as some one said;
None Of that! Kindly hand it all
over"
The voice sounded strangely familiar;
where had she heard It? She had no
time 10 determine, for at that instant
the curtain was pulled roughly back,
and lantern (held by the conductor,
who was compelled by the robbers to
go ahead and wake up the passen.
gers. flashed in the face of the girl
and her astonlshed aunt who had no
Idea what was occurring.
Bessie mechanically reached under
the pillow for her watch; as she did
so the robber. who held revolver In
one hand, lmpatlently put up his other
to adjust the black calico mask which
had slipped down little and Bessie
caught glimpse of his face. What
she saw caused her to cry
why, Fran" She did not finish
the sentence; she had tainted
The man had snatcned the watch
from the girls hand, at the same time
demanding her purse; when she spoke
he hastily held the tlmeplece close to
the lantern, then, with one quick
glance at the girl, who lay in IA swoon,
he half threw II upon the bed and was
turning away when the sharp report
Of a pistol rang out