Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-11-18

The old engine was coupled to the
car. and then Denton went for
! Frances.
''The train is ready" he said.
''The train. What train?"
''The train that Is to carry you to the
Obi, where you will join your father
But there Is no train"
"There Is q train, and as the steam
is up and the track clear l suggest
haste. Your father is probably anx
ious."
She went with him. At the sight OF
the engine she understood.
"You are wonderful-you are doing
this for me" she said.
"Yes. but Neslerov will be passen'
ger"
"And you"
Engineer. conductor, guard-al."
He took her to the car and made her
comfortable.
Neslerov was carried to the car by
the villagers. The backs Of two seats
were turned down, a bed was made fol-
him, and he lay there quiet and seem
ingly content.
"Of course, know that you are seri.
ously wounded" said Denton to him,
"and the possibility Of your doing any
mischief Is small. but l want to tell
you before we start that II catch you
at any tricks l will kill you as | would
dog"
Neslerov nodded. and Denton went
on the engine.
1t was an exciting start. though the
audience was small The villagers
stared, then laughed as the little old
engine puffed and screeched and scrap
ed as 1t got under way.
But it had man in charge of 1t who
was accustomed to overcoming difficult
ties. And the way he made it groan
and work would have made glad the
heart Of the man who had abandoned
1t on the siding six months before.
In the car was silence. Neslerov
was too weak to talk; Frances would
not talk to him II he wished. She re,
mained at her end Of the car, save to
20 in mercy to him and offer him wa
ter at intervals. At such times ne
would look up at her with an earnest
inscrutable expression on his face. She
would not speak. nor he.
Suddenly at siding toward which
he had been aiming Denton turned the
engine to the right and brought the lit
tie train to a standstill. They had been
on the road sixteen hours and had trav-
eled 210 miles.
Frances and Neserov both looked up
as the train stopped and saw the grimy
engineer enter the car.
"There is village near here he
said. "and just beyond this siding there
is a small signal box. have just WIS.,
tied It, and there is train coming this
way from Tomsk Undoubtedly. as
there is no regular train due. this is a
searching party out after Frances Cor
don. Now. have no wish TO start an
international controversy. What story
shall we tell"
Tell the truth" said Frances. 1t
does not, as a rule. harm any person
who is innocent"
NO" said Neslerov: mot as rule,
But we are in a part of the world
where customs are different from yours.
If you tell the truth. you will never
make the world believe you. Hut you
will not understands: ! cannot tell you.
81 know what you mean" said Fran
ces scornfully. You mean that your
reputation is so bad that If ii were
known that you had that car left ne
hind to compel me to marry you every
body will be sure am your wife. Is
that it?"
"Yes: something like that.
But. then. there is my word" said
Denton.
Your story will be believed by your
people, my story by mine" said Nesle
row. LET us each tell what We please
do not care"
Denton nodded and went back TO lis
engine. But he did not start. The
whistle Of a speeding locomotive was
borne to him by the breeze. 1t came
one engine and car. the same as that
he was on, but modern locomotive Of
American make. Gordon was in the
car with.some officials from TomSk.
"Hey, That you, Denton?' he gasp
ed as the grimy bridgebuilder stepped
into the car. which was stopped at the
side Of the construction engine. MY
girl and the governor of Tomsk got
left behind IN a car. Seem
"I'm all right" said Frances as she
emerged from her car and flew to her
fathers arms.
did Denton save you? What was
Il? Where Is Neslerov?' asked Gordon.
"Oh. he is in there" said Frances
coolly. We've had lively experience.
I thought at one time we'd be killed by
some savages But Mr.. Denton and tE2
prince-oh. let's get on; I'm tired ort
and hungry
Denton heard and wondered.
In every new experience he had had
with Frances Gordon he had been made
more and more astonished by the un'
certain moods, the whims. the strange
turns her caprice would take.
"HItch on to this train and haul her
back to the Obi" said Denton. "If the
road doesn't want this engine. can
use it at the Obi bridge
This attachment was soon made. and
Mr.. Gordon, after visiting the prince
and congratulating him upon his es-
cape from the savages, assisted In
G'EW >l;.s,