The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-03
CHAPTER XIV.

A cabman stood close at hand, and In
another moment I was whirling rapidly
toward the station. Once there, called
for a ticket to Ashland Junction and was
refused.
1--WE are not selling tickets there just
now, madam" the agent said. There's
been an accident and only the wrecking
trains and the doctors can co.
I turned away in despair, but caught
sight Of DR.. Jenkins, man whom l knew
we'll. I ran to him at once.
"Oh, take me with you'll I pleaded.
"Joe, my husband, was on that train. !"
poor thing!' he murmured. Its not
according to Hoyle, but reckon l can
! manage it, He took me along with
him, and hurried me on to train that
stood out in the yard. There were plenty
of appliances for the relief of the wrecked
party, and dozen surgeons in the one
day coach. -
| An hours ride from Chicago Is Ash
| land Junction, a place not on any map.
But that hour was an eternity to me
an eternity when my soul went down
into the depths and wrestled with the
angel of God. 1 comprehended, In
that hour, when 7 Joe's fate was
all unknown to me, how utterly selfish !
was. I saw how untrue I had been, In
spirit If not in deed. I saw how IN
worthy I was to have little children with
clean, white, receptive souls entrusted tc
nv care. saw the whole of my petty
ambitions and unworthy selfshness and
T loathed myself. I alternated between
hope and dread, trembling every moment
lest we come suddenly upon Ashland
Junction, and yet wondering why we were
so long In fact, I lived thru years Of
agony during that ride Of sixty minutes
A. forgot my anger of the night before
I prayed God that might find my hus-
band alive, that might have one chance
to confess myself in the wrong and beg
his forgiveness.
At last the train stopped. There was
nothing at the Junction but station anc
a store, and we found them deserted
every one having gone over to the en-
bankment. I followed the doctors as they
hurried across the tracks to the wrecked
train, Tor in the face OF their immediate
duty they forgot me entirely. Let a So
ciety. belle go with a party of surgeons
where danger calls them. If she would
test her real power. For men are men a
such times, and the pretty woman doe:
not live who can hold them In the face
Of really suffering humanity.
I could not keep pace with their foot
steps, and was considerable distance
behind when I saw, coming UP the banl
close beside me, big, burly figure. HI
came straight toward me with his arm:
outstretched.
'Joe" 1 screamed, and in another mo
ment we were wrapped in close EN-
brace, and knew the rapturous joy o
complete self-surrender.
''Bless YOU, dear old girl" he said q:
; soon as he could speak you came al
this way for me?"
"Oh, Joe, darling!" I tried to go on
but broke down and cried into the fold
|, of his great overcoat.
There, there, jackie he murmured
, stroking my head quietly. You've hat
a dreadful scare, but it's not go bad a!
you thought. I'm as sound as was thu
, day was born. No one is killed; no on
, is seriously injured altho we all had
pretty narrow escape. The station agen
Is very young and was terribly scared AM
he happens to be, also, an agent Of tn
, Associated Press. That Is why the stor.
went out as 1t did. But don't mind
, since it brought us together again
I was weeping silently, gratefully
} clinging tightly to him; but found voic
enough to say:
: "Oh, Joe, forgive mel I've been al
, wrong; forgive me-
We've both been wrong, dear" he said