The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-09-21

acrisis before night. The girl from the
east liked the imperturbable manner
in which the civilian accepted the de-
feat which was inevitable. At was the
way of the Anglo-Saxon, and good
way too, she told herself. She want
ed to tell him that some day he would
find good woman to appreciate him.
but she reflected that it would be inn
pertinent and refrained.
1t was on the way down that chance
interviewed. The lieutenant and Jessie
Cochrane were little quiet, and when
their shy eyes met they did not hold
each other long. 1t was Miss Danton
and Warren on the seat behind them
who kept the conversational ball roll
ing as the train moved slowly round
the curves of the steep mountain edge.
Presently the pace quickened percep-
tibly. Mansfield. looking for moment
far out of the big windows, drew in his
head to say:
"we're going pretty fast. I don't
know what the engineer can be think
ing of. We are right at the steepest
part of the grade, and he ought to go
easy instead of sending her along like
this"
Still the rate of speed increased
ominously. The car swept round
curve at a pace which threatened to
hurl it from the track over the precip-
itous edge of the mountain. The driv-
ing rod of the engine had broken by
one of those mischances which hap
pen once in thousand years. Wom-
en- began to cry out Historically,
wringing their hands and moaning.
Men looked at each other with white,
frightened faces, then made for the
doors and the big windows in panic
terror, everything forgotten except
the horrible fear of death which was
|clutching at their hearts. The tradi-
tions of the Anglo-Saxon race were
| ignored, and they were bent on saving
themselves, no matter whom they
trampled down in their wild rush for
safety.
Kate Danton was conscious of no
fear, only anger and disgust at the
selfishness and cowardice of the men
who were intent on getting out at any
cost. She saw Jessie Cochrane clutch
at the arm of the lieutenant instinct
lively, and noticed that young Mans
| field turned on his sweetheart face
sick with horror. Terror was knock
| ing at his heart and sponging clean
| the slate of those things man must
remember. Another instant, and he
had flung himself out of the window
to the mountain slope outside.
James Warren looked into the angry
eyes of the young woman beside him,
then at the white-faced girl huddled
on the seat in front. The one to whom
his heart went out in that moment
when life and death hung in the bal
ance was the one who needed him
most. He rose in the swaying. pitch
| ing car, and stumbled forward to the
place beside her. Conventions were
all forgotten. He remembered only
| that the woman he loved was close to
eternity, and his arm encircled her to
ward of harm if might be.
| All this was matter of seconds
only. Presently the air brakes
caught, the wheels ground into the
iron of the tracks, gradually the speed
slackened and the train jolted to .
halt. There was plenty of excitement.
Everybody was talking at once, ex-
planning and questioning. The men
who had played the lesser part were
showing speciously just why they had
jumped. 1t appeared that they had
intended to get at the brakes some
how and that their minds had been
full of saving the women, though
when it came to details their explains
tions halted little. Warren ex-
changed grim and cynical smile with
Miss Danton at all this voluble talk.
One might have noticed that the men
were really feeling sheepish and that
their eyes met each other only fur
lively.
As for Lieutenant Mansfield. he of.
fered no defense, but chose the man
lier part of bearing his shame in 81
lence. He was white to the lips with
his disgrace, and he hated himself
with loathing that was exceeding
bitter. He dropped into the seat be-
side Miss Danton and rode the rest OF
the way in silence. By tacit conEent
/ the accident was tabooed topic. The
young army officer had shown the
white feather, and all of them under
stood that he was prepared to accept
as his punishment the loss of his place
in the regard of his sweetheart. He
was quite out of the running, and he
knew it. The day was one long agony
of shame to him. 1t was scared into
his consciousness beyond the chance
of healing that after he had won his
love he had lost by reason of his own
cowardice. 1t did not help matters
that he had only done what four
fffths of the rest of the men in the