The Forrest City times., 1905-12-22
WHICH OF THE THREE
By JANE CARR

ID in his pe3antie tones, .sis q full realization of danger, and yet q wiling ness to face the difficulty or the eat n that providence has seen ft to pluce ill the road"
 The soldier laughed out of his tyr,- cism. and. turning 10 the third travel ing companion, he asked pointedly: Is that your definition of heroism
 The man who had rot srolst. c. taken any part i'll tEe converse or looked up with quick, sideloag gilree that had something of the hnrtea ex- pression that one sees in the creature wounded 10 the death, in the eyes of the criminal before tho trae is sprung or the enemy at bay.
 No" he said, slowly: "brayery fs O. iGg something for somebody else with out thinking Of yourself Providence. to my way of thinking, doesn't take q hand in the same.p Now, suppas e'- h. shifted in his seat and his regard was speculative ard keen what Would you do if Jim RuggleE were 10 come riaht into this ear and hold the gun to your head would you"--he turned to the man Of cloth with coatemptuous scrutiny would you preach . lltue sermon. parson, or dig up } 0ut Ieose Goin?a
 The exponent of holy writ flushed an indignant scarlet, and. ignoring the qrestioner, addressed the soldier Of he joXial. bland countenaEce.
 Have you eyer experiepced fear been conscious of the lerror of unseen things. by the laity called unexplained pheEomena, by the children of faith the manifestation of spiritual roWer?"
 The scar On the old soldiers cheek gathered up into the wrinkles of hss smile, and with wink out of the corner of his fearless eye. he replied soberIy.
 w ell. tO shame his Ga. .testy the devil by truthful statement. must con fess that l have. I'm an old fighting man: I've seen the blo0d and battle of the civil war and the sham blood-l lei tiLg of modern conquests and TO mat ter where I've been whether in the thick Of the real thing or when play ing at arms down with the Cuban nig- ger. there it has always teen-the sick ness al the pit of the stomach. the grip Of the heart and the rise of goose flesh all over-the body. f.hai's being q c0E ari-then I'm onc.'
 And you experienced that st the approach of mere physical danger,
 There was a covert sheer in the unctuors inquiry. and the divine turned his glance upon the veteran full of a lofty pity for such human freilty
 But you never halkedEor turned heel. did you?'
 The soldier smiled into tie erinning face opposite. No he answered T always went right on into the very thekest of it..
 That's what I call brewery The mealy beggar without imagination never realizes what's coming ard sticks by the post. and fine gets killed every one calls him the hero. Now the man who can keep from running when he has the feeling of the hau stinging in his breast. when all of the brute in him wants to saye his own life. when he realizes the giving up in the wink of an eye. and when his healthy blood pounds all through his strong bobdy. when he can face the music of famine or fire or sword. then don't tell me that that man isn't hero when be gives up the game for the sake of some weaker devil whose lie isn't worth the blowing out
 ,l beaming his satisfaction at such plain speaking. 'it's the brave man who has suffered agonized fear and conquered
 Don't you think" said the clergy man. stiffly that we might close the window. The sparks from the burn ing sIowsheds are rather 6isagree- alle."
 The three strangers sat for awhile in silence and the coach. empty lut for the casual acquaintance, moved over the hot rails. and tho night gre x 1it-. fully bright with on inous frsf.es that flew out from the corsrn.ad Sheds along the way The heat beeSiEe in tense.
 The clergyman and the soldier sat in unspeaking dis.o nfort, but the third traveller move stlessly. Al length he rose and thtew up the window. There was orch of burning breeze laden with particles of charred wood
 Far out iz Q the night he thrust h is hody. stead. ing himself by the window frame as tEe onrushing train leaped headlong for the bridge. There was the sound of hurrying Ratcrs aEd the strill