The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-04-21

I'm not quite clear about what hap
pened afterward. They went away
not far, think. There's an old shed,
cattle shelter, near there, and l think
the storm drove them under it to wait
for a slack. It seemed long time.
Sometimes I was conscious, sometimes
l wasn't. I thought might be
drowned, but suppose the rain was
good for me. Then I remember being in
motion, being dragged and carried a
long way. They carried me up steep,
short slope and set me down near the
top. knew that was the railroad en-
bankment, and thought they meant to
occur to them-they are not familiar
with melodrama-and a long time after
that felt and heard a great banging
and rafting under me and all about
me, and it came to me that they had
disposed Of me by hosting me into an
empty freight car. The odd part of it
was that the car wasn't empty, for
there were two men already in it, and
I knew them by what they said to me.
"They were the two shell men that
cheated Hartley Bowlder, and they
weren't yindictive. They even seemed
to be trying to help me little, though
perhaps they were only stealing my
clothes, and maybe they thought for
them to do anything unpleasant would
be superfuous. I could see that they
thought I was done for and that they
had been hiding in the car when was
put there. I asked them to try to call
the trainmen for me, but they wouldn't
listen or else couldn't make myself un-
derstood. That's all. The rest is blur.
I haven't known anything more until
those surgeons were here. Please tell
me how long ago it happened. I shall
not die, 1 think. There are good many
things I want to know about" He
moved restlessly, and the nurse soothed
him.
Meredith rose and left the room with
a noiseless step. he went out to the
stars again and looked to them to check
the storm of rage and sorrow that buf.
feted his bosom. He understood lynch
Ing, now the thing was home to him,
and his feeling was no inspira ton of q
fear lest the law miscarry. It was the
itch to get his own hand on the rope.
Homer came out presently and whis-
pered long, broad, profound curse
upon the men of the Crossroads, and
Meredith's gratitude to him was keen.
Barrett went away soon after, and
Meredith had a strange, unreasonable
desire to kick Barrett, possibly for his
sergeant's sake. Warren Smith sat in
the ward with the nurse and Gay, and
the room was very quiet. 1t was long
vigil. They were only waiting.
At 5 o'clock he was still alive-just
that, Smith came out to say. Meredith
sent telegram to Helen which would
give Plattville the news that HAIRLESS
was found and was not yet gone from
them. Horner left for the station to
catch train. There were things for
him to do in Carlow. At noon Meredith
sent second telegram to Helen as bar
rem OF detail as the first. He was alive;
was a little improved. But this tele-
gram did not reach her, for she was on
the way to Rouen, and hale of the pop
ulation of Carlow-at least so it seemed
to the unhappy conductor Of the accom-
modation-was with her.
They seemed to feel that they could
camp in the hospital halls and corri-
doris. ind they were an ilcalculable
worry to the authorities. More came
on every train, and nearly all brought
flowers and jelly and chickens for pre-