Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04

his compartment staring with unseeing
eyes at the polished partition which hid
from his physical gaze the face which oD-
sessed his mental vision.
He had scarcely noticed the porter COM
ing in to light the lamps, and the labored
creaking of the train as 1t ponderousiy
climbed the heavy grade fell upon deaI
ears.
He was awakened from his love dream
by a rending crash. followed by a tre-
mendous shock, and the car, topping down
| a low embankment, came to rest upon It's
| side the windows Of the compartment side
of the car now being uppermost.
Winsow, graspng the side of the WIN
dow, swung himself out, and stood up long
enough to perceive that there had been a
head-on collision. Then he dropped into
the adjoining compartment.
The lamp had been extinguished by the
shock. and already the narrow space was
filed with thick, black smoke from the
fire in the compartment in which he had
been sitting.
Desperately he CROPPED about until he
grasped an arm. Where is the princess r
he cried, as he recognized, by touch, the
old man he had seen in the afternoon.
''She was sitting in the other seat" he
gasped. Get her out quickly. l cannot
help you. / think my leg is broken
With mighty effort Winslow raised him
to the window and pushed him through.
''Get the others when 1 pass them out,
he called, and he dropped back into the
smoke
AS his feet struck against something
solid, the princess companion grasped him.
He haised her to the window, where the old
soldier aided her to escape. The younger
| man followed, and after desperate search
Winslow found the princess.
She had been thrown through the open
door into the corridor. and lay senseless
against the panelng. With strength
borne Of desperation, he caught her up;
but to his dismay a burst of flame broke
through the fimsy partition Of his compart-
ment and cut off escape.
Half suffocated and almost wholly blind
er by the smoke he worked his way along
the corridor, dragging the princess with
him. Twenty feet they traversed before
he reached an open door through which he
could seek escape.
With one last effort he got her through
the window and out into the open and SO
down to the ground. For a moment he lay
there, painting, his lungs drinking in great
draughtS of cool air.
The roar of the flames coming nearer
awakened him to his danger. Raising the
senseless form by his side. he bore her into
the woods which fringed the road. Some
where he could hear the tinkle of a tiny
waterfall, and, the flames lighting his way,
! he followed the sound.
Even with the aid of the water 1t was
some little time before consciousness re-
turned to the princess and she chung, Sob
hing Historically, to his shoulder.
Through some marvel, not even the brok-
en- glass and falling tirnbers had injured
her, but she was unnerved, and even the
suggestion that they return 10 her COM
panions did not rouse her.
They are safe, You tell me- she cried
Il cannot bear to look upon the wreck"
Winslow was nothing loath to prolong
his brief hour in paradise, and he sootfH
ed her as one might soothe child though
his pulses leaped at every touch of the
tiny hands.
In time she grew calmer drawing bash
fully away from him as she made him tell
her the little he knew concerning the
wreck.
Though he was silent as to the rescue
her woman's wit caught what he had left
untold. And you Tisked your life for me
in that blazing horror she exclaimed
wondeTingly.
who would rot?' he questioned fervent-
y.
She stretched slim, white hand to him.
Forgive me- monsieur she said prettily.
Il am afraid I have seemed ungrateful.''
He kissed the tiny fingers Teverently
THE service is doubly repaid he said
softly. Tt was enough that I was able