The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-03
The Sacrifice
Copyright by, Central News and Press
Exchange.

wastes of treeless land on its way
down to the green paddy-helds and
Willow Pattern houses Of distant
Pekin.
Another weeks work, thought Hes
lin, and the great How-lou and Pekin
railway would be finished. and then
His mouth grew very tender at the
thought of England and the woman
that waited there.
His Claire, his dear little wifei How
he hungered for one look into her clear
gray eyes-one touch Of her soft
brown hairi
The very thought of her woke all /
his generosity, and he turned instinc- /
lively to Murray=A1urray who had no /
wife-and no home.
Poor old chap he muttered, IN |
der his breath-"poor old chap!'
But Murray was silent and stared !
straight past Heslin, his eyes on the
line-eyes that for four years had |
never known enthusiasm.
Good bit of work" remarked Hes /
lin. following his glance.
Murray nodded.
"A week will finish the job
IF the Boxers don't rise in the
meanwhile and finish u.s. replied Muir
ray grimly.
What a croaker you are laughed
Heslin-"you who were a monumental
Optimist in days gone by! Four years
ago, he went on, gazing out at the
gathering stars, mo man laughed
louder than Jim Murray. Then you
seemed to stop laughing quite sudden
ly-Just about the time I married. 7
For moment the slightest touch of
color showed behind the bronze of
Murray's cheek; then he laughed
harshly.
Nonsense he said "You exag-
/ gerate. The question is purely rela-
tive. You have home-and-and-
love-aI that makes life good for a
man. have none Of these. We see
life through different glasses-that is
ALL"
Heslin eyed his assistant closely.
Don't think me impertinent, old
chap" he began, but I've often Won
dered If you'd been 'hipped' by a vo-
man. Do you know he went on
gently, "at one time I thought you
cared for-Claire. You and she were
such pals. and
Murray's pipe fell to the floor with
a crash. He picked it up and exam
/ ined the amber quite deliberately be-
fore he spoke Then he laughed-still
a trifie harslly.
''NcEsense!'' he cried you are
weaving romances without material.
viduals. you know, rarely have TO-
mances-trage dies never
Heslin was silent for a moment. He
looked out into the deepening shadows,
piecing together many half forgotten
things, and neutrality-suspicious.
Presently he spoke.
You're the last one in the world Ia
term ordinary" he began slowly, as if
revolving each word in his mind be-
fore he uttered it. and Claire thinks
as I do. She once said there was no
woman in the world good enough for
Jim Murray"
! spoke. He watched his companion
narrowly, and he though he detected
a sudden CLEAN OF startled interest in
I the latter's eye.
81 wonder"
what % cried HesIin quickly.
"Oh=I was merely wondering
said Murray, with a queer laugh, what
what we should do if the Boxers rose
suddenly-say tonight"
HesHn looked at him in irritable sur
s'Why. the engine of course.' he said
sharply.
"Ah-the engine-of course!''
Murray said the words over to him
/ self softly, but his thoughts were not
behind them; they were far away-in
i England.
1T can do its sixty an hour if push
! ed" continued Heslin rather testify
''in ten hours we'd be in Pekin and
l housed at the legations
And if brother Boxer down coun-
He WON'T said Heslin decisiveiy.
! 'How-lou is the head. neck, hoofs and
horns of the movement. Any disturb
ance, if it ever does come, viii begin
/ there. And the engine is
''In the engine-shed. ten minutes
\ run behind u.s." said Murray, as If he
were bent on raising objections.
and Hou-Iou IS an hours distance
in front" retorted Heslin triumphant
ly.
| she'd" continued Murray, as if debat-
ing a problem, '.and an hour at least
| to get up steam
Good heavens. never thought of
that"
''I have said Murray grirnIy. ''No
the engine is no use at all unless we
have a clear start Of seventy minutes"
Murray Vent inside ana lit the
| lamp. Night seemed to have fallen
quite suddenly. Then he sat down by
the table with his revolver and an OIL
F'There IS an alternative" ne said
sIowly-.'of a sort. We cant both es-
may"
IF the other stays"
Murray carefully removed a speck
of dust from the breech of his weapon.
1.-THE house is strong" HI said, 'and
/ with luck and a Winchester one might
keep the mob busy till the engine was
/ ready. It's not hopeful, I admit. But
it gives the other man his chance, and
ooh. confound It ALL" burst forth
Heslin uddenIy='4what melodranatic
rot we're talkingi All this stuff about
the Boxers is purely newspaper trash.
/ We're on the spot, yet we've seen no
sign"
Murray was silent, but his thoughts
ran on many things, among them the
looks Of the cooIie gangs that day,
@Great scott!" cried Heslin. as a
sudden shiver ran through him. II
feel as though some one was walking
on my grave. and T. HalIoai" he
broke off suddenly, as a man stood in
the doorway.
Then Heslin's depression suddenly
vanished. and he recognized the usual