The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-16
= LOVE THE CRIMINAL ::


piece of scrap iron, that recalled the earliest days of cycling.
 | Sir William Tankerlane had graci- ousiy consented to arrive at the earliest hour possible, so that the people should have long day in which to enjoy themselves, and the train was expected | at 11:32 in the morning.
 This be a proud day for Zee, Sam Vane." said farmer. refining in his horse by the side of the old mans trap "A mortal proud day 1t must be, for | sartin." fs I'm glad to see the lass back" Sam Vane replied with a smile, "and as for pride-well, she be a lass to be proud l of, Mir. Redholt. What be the time by your watch: I'm thinkin mines stopped. or else it's goin' mortal slow l this mornin.'"
 MT. Redholt laughed.
 "Your've over-impatient. Sam," he re- l piled. looking at his own watch. Tt | ain't only hsif-past eleven" "She should be signaIled," growIed | Mir. Vane, but 1t ain't to be expected as trains'll allus come up to the mark" But five minutes passed. then ten. then a quarter of an hour, and still crowd began to show signs of im- patience. The gentry hummed and | hawed. and disparaged the directors ! Of the company. in which many of them | held stock. The tougher element in- dulged in horseplay to while away the | time.
 "She'm late" said the station master in answer to all inquiries.
 But few minutes later he emerged | from the booking g-office with a white face. and hurried to the side of Sir William Tankeriane's agent. There has been an accident to the train. he whispered; -four carriages smashed to bits. Shall let the people | Know, or wait for further news? But the whisper, soft as 1t had been. had reached the ears of bystander, | and almost before the agent could make reply the news had spread through the waiting crowd.
 Men looked at each other in horror, and women chattered and clung to each other as though some danger threatened them. On all sides rose the one question, put in various forms, and asked in various tones: l sir William and his lady-are they l safe?"
 But there were some among the
 crowd who had friends and relations
 Of their own in the train. and they I gave no thought to Sir William or
 Lady TankerIane. They besieged the
 station master with questions. and he, poor, patient man. half distracted by
 the turmoil, lost his head, and gave
 them answers that drew down wrath upon his head. The attitude of the crowd became
 sullen and even hostile. Some of them cursed the directors of the line, and l were of opinion that someone should | be punished for all this.
 Its fine day." grow1ed one old
 man, 'and hker June than Oct'ber
 It'd ha' been a grand day for a feet.
 if them railway folk hadn't bin and \ spilled it."
 And he voiced the sentiments of the
 lower classes. dull workers that had
 looked forward to a little merriment
 in their dreary lives, and thought
 nothing of the horrors that lay across
 the railway line thirty miles away
 from them.
 If hem killed" asked another,
 "who.d o.: rightly come into the prop
 The child. of course" replied an-
 other, "hed be chanc'ry. he would
 and we'd never have a soul to look ar | ter us, till he was come to manhood. |"
 But beiike the child's killed, too"
 Then a cousin'd have the lot. some
 feller as don't know blade of grass | from a blackberry--a clerk, mebbe." But all further speculation as to the
 destination of the TankerIane estates
 was brought to an end by the agent,
 who came to the steps of the station | with a genial look on his face, and
 waved a telegram above his head.
 T have good news for you,' he cried
 out. as he faced the crowd. ''Sir Will
 liam and Lady Tankerlane are much
 shaken but unhurt. They cannot get
 here today. as Lady Tankerlane cannot
 undertake the journey. They both.
 however. send you their best wishes
 for happy day. The fete will take | place, as originally arranged"
 A loud cheer broke from the crowd, | and it began to disperse. After all. 1 the presence Of their lord and master
 was not indispensable to their happi-
 ness. His absence would, on the con-
 trary, remove some of the stiff formal ] ity of the proceedings. The beer would flow we'll enough without him, and the