Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-12-05
For the Last Time.
BY JUDITH SPENCER.


ly. That is to be my life work, and
l shall hardly find time or inclination
to think of anything else"
And now the moment for their part
ing had come. The train was at the
station, and Geoffrey, who had been
standing by the phaeton chatting with
Alice, extended his hand and said
''Goodby." And as his eyes met hers
SO friendly, but unembarrassed-he
suddenly added almost mechanically,
For the last time"
mo, don't say that" Alice said has
tily. my friends are always well
come. Run down any time-if you
can stand the chance of seeing half
dozen working girls enjoying their va
cation, for l expect to keep the house
full of them all summer"
A word of thanks as he lifted his hat,
then he jumped aboard the already
| moving train and soon settled him
self for the hours ride back to town.
Godfrey had been in his Office less
than an hour when the door burst
open and Dick Williams, who lived in
the little town from which Godfrey
had just come, came hurrying in. He
was evidently very much excited.
Say, old man, you haven't heard
c1ything yet, have you?" Williams
questioned breathlessly.
"Anything-about what?" Godfrey
| asked calmly. "Oh, you poor fellow,
see you haven't How shall l tell
you. Maitland, old man, you must
brace up and prepare yourself for-the
worst"
Hang it all, what are you driving
| at?" asked Godfrey.
Il have just come in from Elmcourt,'
| Williams said significantly.
Have you?" said Godfrey pleasant
| ly. $50 have I-only l took the S.10
| train"
You did? l hadn't heard of that
| though l remember now they did say
| she had driven some one over to the
| station and was on her way home. 1t
must have happened almost directly
afterwards"
"She?" cried Godfrey, now beginning
| to feel a strange alarm. What has
happened? Tell me quick"
THE very worst; prepare yourself
my dear fellow. 1t was over instantly
she was killed"
"Who?" gasped Geoffrey in a strange
choked voice, grasping at the frail
| straw of some possible mistake.
Your own Miss Wright" said Will
| liams pityingly. Il knew you'd be
| dreadfully cut up, you were so fond
| of one another and had been engaged
| so long"
The little ring in Geoffrey's breast
| nocket seemed suddenly to pierce him
like knife. Oh, that it had never left
her hand.
What happened?" he asked again
hoarsely.
| 'She was driving home, they told
me, and on the road she was overtaken
| by one of those Internal locomobies.
Her horse tool, fright and bolted, she
was thrown out-neck broken-picked
up-dead.'
| Godfrey sprang up and the express
| sion on his face made the other man
| suddenly fear that he was going mad
| He stood staring blankly at the office
clock.
'If you want to go out there on the
noon train I'll arrange to go with you"
| Williams said kindly.
I'm goin-on the 1895"
But, my dear fellow, you can't pos
sibly-you've only seven minutes"
| He ended abruptly when he found
himself talking to the empty air, for
| Godfrey had seized his hat and was
gone.
| Out into the crowded street rushed
| Godfrey and never in old college days
when he was in training did he run as
| he ran now. Broadway was at its
worst-a confusion of rapidly moving
| cars, carts and carriages--but Godfrey
| stopped for none of them. He dashed
| under the heads of horses and ran be-
| tween cable cars. escaping so narrow
| ly that the gripman yelled at him in
a sudden chill, but he plunged on and
| gained the opposite side unscathed.
| Some one humorously raised the criy
Stop thief" but no one attempted to
| follow and none could have caught or
held him had they tried. On and on
he ran until the ferry house was
reached, but just the fraction of sec
| ond late.
| The gates were already closed and
the boat was just starting from the
| slip. Godfrey dashed past the man
who was closing the wagon entrance
and rushed out to the end of the dock.
| Two working girls in the waiting
room. who-on their way to Miss
| Wright's-had just lost the boat, took
him for would-be suicide and
| shrieked aloud.
| Godfrey gathered himself for a
spring and shot far out in a wild en-
deavor yet to catch the boat. But he
was breathless now, and the space was
| widening with every instant. He felt
himself falling short, but with des-
| perate effort he clutched at the boats
deck and clung there until two men
dragged him up, swearing roundly at
| him the while