Mexico Missouri message., 1902-08-28
The Moment Of Vision.
by WILLIAM MLEOD RAINE.

by WILLIAM MLEOD RAINE.
tCopyright 1902, by Daily story pub Coz
She held out the ring to him, smil-
ing in rather uncertain fashion, but
Esterley noticed that she was very
white. He was sayagcly glad of 1t,
for at the time he was cold as ice and
hard as iron.
"Has the last word been sald?" he !
asked without a trace of emotion in
his voice. Are you going to turn me
away on account of little thing like |
this?"
"You may call it little thing if you |
like. don't. When one finds the |
man she is engaged to marry flirting |
with"
81 wasn't flirting. ] have told you |
that before" he answered doggedly. |
But of one thing you may be sure,
Elise If you send me away now |
shall not return to you"
you fiatter yourself, sir, in think
ing shall want you back" she re-
torted. Shall lay the ring on the
table, or will you take it,
He dropped the ring into his vest
pocket, bowed coldly, and turned on
his heel. Next moment the street
door had changed behind him. The girl
sank into a chair and covered her race
with her hands. Presently deep so0S
began to shake her. Meanwhile Ned
Esterley, in moody, frowning silence,
strobe down to the Union Depot with
his suitcase in his hand. Fifteen min
utes later he was on train bound Tor
Cripple Creek. He Eazed out or the
window without seeing any OF the
glory of the winter sunshine, when
fell in n sheen OF splcndor on the
white-blue range of peaks in the dis
lance, He was sick at heart, and bit
ter against the girl who had misiudged
him. What right had she to SEN
tence him before she had heard his
vindicaton? What right to vote him
guilty of dlsloyalty because she had
| found him with Kate SanfOrds hand
In his, her eyes swimming in tears?
An hour passed, two hours; but
Esterley took no thought of the flight
of time. 1t might be five minutes
since he had entered the train, or
| 1t might be five hours. He neither
knew nor cared. His personal problem
drove from his mind other considera-
| lions.
If Elise were going to believe
There came n sudden jar, which
| threw Estercy forward against the
seat in front Of him. He did not need
| to be told that the engine had been
reversed, and the airbrakCs set. There
came to him the sharp grinding of
wheels on the track, and with 1t tho
gradual lcsscninG of speed. A moment
later there was a horrible crash. The
floor of the car rose to meet the roof.
The last that Estcrlcy remembered
was plunGing forward through the air.
When he came to himself, he found
about him a great pile of debris. He
was deep hidden in what remained of
the cara mass of broken timbcrs, of
torn iron and of wrenchCd steel rods
and some ten feet above him was the
open air. A white dead face stared at
him through the broken wreckage.
Gingerly Estcrley moved first one arm
and thon the other. They were free,
and he went over himself COolly to cs-
innate the damage. Except for cut
in the head he was quite unhurt, but
his legs were pinned down between two
great timbcrs beyond the hope of OK
trication. He tied a handkerchief
around his cut head. and began his
attempt to free himself. Had tho
timbers come two inches nearer to-
gether, his ankles would have been
snapped like plpestcms; had they been
two inches farther apart, he would
have been free.
Esterley called to passing brake
man. The man stopped, looked around.
and caught sight of him. He called
to another man.
There's fellow pinned down in
this second car, Norton. Send the
gang here"
Presently Esterlcy could see that
men were at work with axes, saws, and
crowbars to rescue him. He had been
| conscious without thinking of il that