The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-03-02

T. PALATABLE -
81 CALI
h VAL BLATZ !
I'd "sTAR'' Nallv
whole front end shivered to pieces,
and the mail car pushed itself into
the rear end of the baggage car.
Every mail clerk was hurled violently
to the front. John Stout struck his
head against sharp corner of the
stove, a great bloody cash cut in it,
rendering him entirely insensible for
a time. AS it proved, his skull was
fractured. The engineer and fireman
escaped by jumping as soon as they
saw the immenent danger. None of
the passengers were seriously hurt
some, like Bud Means in the "Hoosier
School Master" were "considerabl
shuck up like" and they thanked their
lucky stars that it was no worse.
| Walter Crook was on the train, on
his long journey back home, fully re-
stored to health; No one knew of his
coming. Travel had polished him
very much, but had deprived him of
none of his humanity nor sullied him
by making him cold and formal. Some
who did not recognize the fine look
ing young man at first, wondered who
it was, that was so attentive to John
|Stout and brought water to battle his
head. -
When John recovered partial con-
seriousness, his first stammered words
lWere: = -
81 wrote the. letter.. Mamie u:
i Walter understood not what he
meant. It was not jealousy that
made him stare, for he knew that
Mamie was free to write to whom she
pleased, but it was the discovery that
Mamie had given him up for John.
Here, then, was the secret of it all
John had come between them and
parted them forever.
ooh, lost Mamie" he breathed sadly
!, to- himself.
Mamie, from her Oriel office window
beheld the great commotion, saw men
, running, and was shocked at the re-
' sounding crash of the colliding cars
{ To her it was terrible moment. Hel
lfine-strung nerves were quivering, and
: Is she wondered how bad it was and how
{ Imany were killed. 1870 ,siias9
: A moment afterwards, Luther Odel
!, rushed into the office, excited1y gave
2 her few snatches of the disaster
: said no one was killed. wrote out ;
:. brief telegram giving the facts in thu
: case, and requested her to send it tt
r headquarters "rush." He was ava,
e|again as hastily as he came, and thu
: busiest man on the stirring scene. 4
little later he and Walter and Fire
i man OF Herndon bore John Stou
= down the road, and carried him int
the white depot. Luther asked Mamie
l whether they could lay him on he1
S lounge for a short time.
; OF course they could.
n The poor fellow groaned in great
!. pain. He was not constituted to bea
!. pain silently or patiently. The docto
e said his skull was fractured just owe
n the left eye at the edge of the hair
e and would doubtless need to be ire
/ PANIED.
81 When they laid the wounded maj
Il down, Walter spoke hesitatingly t.
j. Mamie, and she looked at him in pain
e full wonderment.- 1t was clear tina
r her look was not one of anger and &C
}, cusation, but more of appeal and sur
+ prise. He certainly expected repul
ton, but instead he saw look of low
and request for an explanation. H
l. Iventured to take her hand in greetin!
/ and her eyes and head dropped t.
lconceal a truant tear.
e Luther walked out and Oh closel,
s followed him, and Walter and Mani
& were alone with the grooming man
l. Mamie's lover, Walter was absolutel,
e sure. And yet she seemed more sur
It prised and glad to see him than cor
= lcerned about John or his injuries
a That was what he could not divine
o shrewd as he was to read human me
II tives.
eI He simply said "Mamie.' 49,.
/; Her lips moved, but she could no
a Ispeak.
She would have uttered walter i
dI-like Jerusalem the Golden nam
t lever dear" -. . = =. Fl.
: Then he almost groaned. =
why uIu yOu "I1CC CAAtlG VI uCA lcl
S ter?" -tr..
d In sudden surprise, as if stung III
: to titful response, she inquired:
''What letter?'' s -
Y He took the worn crumbled let
ter from his inner pocket, where j
had burned him ever since it's re
& Iceipt, and haltingly put it in. he
hand. She quickly read It, and in fu
$ tile establishment declared:
81 did not write it,
Howl" doubling his ears.
mo, it is a base forgery til,
e crimson of retributive anger man tin.
, her cheeks.
j, II received it at the City of Mexico
! where asked you to address me-
still struggling with his hatefu
r doubts.
But I did not write it," sharply
: firmly. Il never could nor would have
!: Isaid that. tits, I repeat, and ever viii
! repeat "a cold, base, bungling for
$ gerry. 5:s
> And you do not mean that q
2