Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-23

| He could And no response to this per-
emptory request.
"The road is growing rougher. II
| you will allow me to make sugges-
| ton, think you will see Its wisdom.
You can escape great deal of ugly
iostling if you Will take hold of my
arm and cling to it tightly. 1 will
brace myself with this strap. am
sure 1t will save you many hard
| bumps
Without q word she moved to his
side and wound her strong little arm
about his big one.
Il had thought Of that" she said
simply. "Thank you" Then, after
moment, while his heart thumped mad
~, "Had it occurred to you that after
you ran SO hard you might have
climbed aboard the train and ordered
the conductor to stop it for meY'
IL never thought of thatw he cried
confusedly.
please do not think me ungrateful.
You have been very good to me,
stranger. One often thinks afterward
of things one might have done, don't
you know? You did the noblest when
you Inconvenience yourself for me.
What trouble have made for your
ut has been no trouble" he iloun-
dered. Gan adventure like this is
worth no end -er-inconvenience, as
You call 1t. I'm sure must have lost
my head completely, and am ashamed
OF myself. How much anxiety could
have saved you had / been possessed
Of an ounce Of brainsI"
"Hush! I will not allow you to say
that. You would have me appear un-
grateful when I certainly am not.
Ach, how he is driving! Do you think
1t dangerous2" she cried as the hack
gave two or three wild lurches, throw
ing him into the corner and the girl
half upon him.
"Not In the least" he gasped, the
breath knocked out Of his body. Just
the same he was very much alarmed.
1t was as dark as pitch outside and
in, and he could not help wondering
how near the edge Of the mountain
side they were running. A false move
Of the flying horses, and they might
go rolling to the bottom Of the ravine,
hundreds of feet below. Still he must
not let her see his apprehension. ''This
fellow, is considered the best driver in
the mountains" he prevaricated.
"Oh, then we need feel no alarm"
she said, treasured.
There was such roaring and clat-
tering that conversation became almost
impossible. When either spoke, it1was'
with the mouth close to the ear Of the
other. At such times Grenfall could
feel her breath on his cheek. Her
sweet voice went tingling to his toes
with every word she uttered. He was
in daze, out Of which sung the mad
Wish that he might clasp her in his
arms, kiss her and then go tumbling
down the mountain. She trembled in
the next fierce lurches, but gave forth
no complaint. He knew that she was
in terror, but too brave to murmur.
Unable to resist, he released the strap
to which he had chung SO grimly and
placed his strong, firm hand encourage
ingly over the little one that gripped
his arm with the clutch of death. 1t
was very dark and very lonely too.
"Oh" she cried as his hand clasped;
hers. "You must hold to the strap"
ut is brokenE" he lied gladly. "There
Is no danger. See, my hand does not
tremble, does it? Be calm! It cannot
be much farther"
"Will it not be dreadful If the, con-
ductor refuses to stop?' she cried, her
hand resting calmly beneath its pro,
tector- He detected tone ofssecuritg
in her voice. II
"But he will stop. Your uncleswi!lil
see to that even if the operator fails.v
my uncle will kill him if he does