Rock Island Argus., 1908-08-19
She Hrgus Daily Short Story
Their Reconciliation-By Carl Williams
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated Literary Press.

Just before the trcstIe was reached
the fat man in the corner seat rose
and left the car, reducing the number
of its occupants to two. The conductor
smiled softly to himself as he gave the
go ahead signal
He could remember the time when,
instead of sitting at opposite ends of
the car, as they were at present, the
man and the girl shared the same cross
seat on their daily ride into town.
AS the two bells sounded the motor
began TO hum, and presently the subur-
ban car rumbled on to the trestle
which cut forty minutes off the run
ming time from the city to Bayview by
spanning two miles of salt water on
sturdy piles.
The sun silvered the crests of the
tiny waves, while the summer breeze
kicked up and frosted the wake of the
steamer now slowly approaching the
draw in the channel on the other side
of the island. 1t was an ideal summer
afternoon. and no prettier spot could
have been found than Sound bay, but
its beauties were entirely lost OH the
two passengers, though the motor
i man, to whom the bay was an old
story, regarded the scene with pleas
ure.
Tom Norton and Lucy Brayling. each
busy with his or her thoughts, gave
no heed to the blue bay, with its silver
| tipped waves. They had met today
for the first time since the dreadful
| night two weeks ago before when
Lucy had broken her engagement.
This had followed trivial quarrel.
Lucy had announced that she was tax
| ing cooking school lessons. and Tom
| had teased her about it. The day had
| been hot. and she had taken his joking
| seriously. with the result that when
| Tom had come away the ring he had
| slipped on her finger with such glow
| ing hopes a few weeks before was
tucked i'll his pocket, while at his heart
there lay A burden of dull despair.
Blundering, he had tried to explain
that he was only speaking in jest, but
Lucy had spent half the day over Il
hot stove. and TO have Tom poke fun
| at the cake which had been the result
of her labors was too much for femi-
| nine endurance. and she would listen
| to no apology.
| Now as the car rolled along she
kept her glance straight ahead
through the front windows, and Tom
pretended an absorption in the seen
| -fn,x x-,I ,I,4F F,,.,
| though neither was conscious of the
beauty of the day.
The car had just reached the island
midway in the channel when with a
sudden whir the motor came to a
stop and the car rolled on a few yards
and halted. The motorman climbed
down TO the trestle and examined the
fuse; then he climbed back again and
threw on the power.
A second time he climbed down, anC
on his return he tested the lights ant
found that they would not burn. The
conductor made his way forward, ant
presently he. too. dropped to the tract
and made his way toward the stil
open draw.
The motorman came inside and tool
seat opposite Lucy after admittin,
ignorance as TO the cause of the delay
1t was not until the conductor cam
back from the draw, where tele
phone was installed, that they knew
the worst.
The power house is afire," he re
ported. The fire chief wouldn't lie
his men go until the power was shu
off, and here We are to stay until th
fire is put out and the switchboard /
repaired"
Il suppose that we can walk" sug
gested Tom. 'The ties are close tc
gether.''
The conductor glanced through th
rear OF the car. You can il the wall
ing's good on the water" he assente,