The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-10-05

| ner Wnlte SKIN. one tOyeu Will
magazine but her heart was too happy
topermit of any concentrated thought.
She was being selfish, gloriously, su-
prelnely selfish, and she was enjoy
ing the sensation. 1t was all so new
to her and, unconsciously, it acted as
a stimulant. She felt intoxicated with
the sense of freedom and her only
sadness lay in the thought that her
mother had been denied the expert
ence. She recalled the majority of
wives and mothers of the village and,
without exception, those who were
exacting and selfish received the most
attention and consideration. Her face
clouded and a sense of wonderment
came over her. She began to philos-
ophize and the man in the opposite
seat watched her eagerly.
II would give half of my fortune
to know just what is passing through
her mind" he said.
His companion looked up quickly.
Their eyes met. "Did you speak to
me??" she asked in a manner of fact
tone.
"Well, not exactly" he replied,
at loss what to say. Possibly I
gave my thoughts voice although
was unconscious of it. 1 simply was
thinking, or in other words to that
effect, that your face proved your
thoughts to be interesting"
Helen laughed merrily. "They
were not fattering to your SEX" she
answered. "I do not mind telling
you that I was pondering why it was
that the better you treated man the
worse he treated you."
The stranger laughed, too. "That
is unfattering but you must base
your belief on something, and would
suggest that perhaps you generalize. "
Almost before she realized it Helen
was telling the stranger everything.
She did not omit the Easter bonnet
which her mother didn't have, nor
Tim Murphy's sickness which she
was flying from, that and several
others. "And the beautiful part of
it all isl do not feel sorry. I fully
expected to be penitent before mile
had been left behind, and instead 1
wish I had come last year instead of
wearing myself to a shadow nursing
Mrs. Hoods children while she sat
and read novels"
The conversation became more gen.
eral and Helen felt she had never en-
joyed talking with anyone so much
before. He seemed to anticipate her
her thoughts and framed them in
words for her.
There was a sudden jerk, crash,
and Helen was thrown forward. Then
there was more jerking, more crash
ing, and the car with its freight Of
people was hurled down a bank.
Helen did not scream. She knew
what was happening and was calm.
She thought the first worst thing that
could happen was hardly so bad in
view of the second. If she survived
and was uninjured, others would not
be uninjured and that called for vol
unteer nurses. She groaned and a
mans strong arm reached for her.
II thinkwe will come out all right" /"
voice said quite close to her and she
was glad he was so near.
Are you hurt?" he asked ten
derly.
Helen was silent for second. eff
I am not hurt I shall have to attend
to those who are," flashed through
her mind and she thought of the holi-
day stores in all their glory waiting
for her. circumstances make us
what we are," she thought. ''I am
supposed to be lovely character. 1
have so often heard it commented
upon by the minister, yet 1 anu wick
ed, wicked !"
Aloud she murmured: "I think
must be hurt, my arms pain me"
That was not an untruth for she was
in cramped position.
The train had come to a standstill
and her travelling companion lifted
her in his arms and gently carried her
out. She hardly knew how he man
aged it, she was content just to lie in
his arms and occasionally groan in
mock pain. 1t was exciting and had
its dangerous features, but Helen was
enjoying it after fashion. She was
being selfish.
The fresh air felt comforting and
she struggled to gain her feet. "Oh,
1 can stand all right" she said awk-
wardly.
With leap she gained the ground
and only in time, for her companion
fell in faint at her feet. He had
been hurt, badly hurt, and yet had
carried her, uninjured, from the car.
She quickly raised his head and
saw that his scalp had received a
wound.
Calling help from porter they got
him to cottage near by. There was
no one else seriously hurt and the
other passengers went off on the re-
lief train.
She did not give the stores another
thought. With perfect assurance and
skill she attended to the wound, and
before doctor came she had made
her patient com Portable.
He opened his eyes and smiled
family. cts too bad, little woman,
that you couldn't get away from your
job," he said.
"Never mind that" she answered
quickly. 'Just you stay quiet and
do not speak until you are spoken
to-" She laid her hand soothingly
on his forehead and noted how thick
and yellow the curls were. His face
contracted with pain but he did not
speakagain.F
When the doctor arrived he COM
plimented Helen highly on her work.
''You have saved your husband S
life - he said heartily