The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-28
CHAPTER VIII.

Then one man whose arm she
grasped in her eagerness, said YES
as he shook her off, and she made
for a carriage; but another said
mo" to her on the way, and she
stopped when another declared he
didn't know, but thought it was
which made the matter doubtful once
more, and again she began: "Is this
the Southampton train?" but before
she received an answer she was
almost lifted off her feet by the
sudden swaying of the crowd tc
make room for a porter with a noun.
tain of luggage on a truck, and was
carried from the door of the car
riage, beside which she had been
standing, over to- the book-stall
against which she was pinned fol
some seconds.
The swaying Of the crowd in the
opposite direction released her, only
however, to force her back the next
moment, back. back, struggle as she
would, through the nearest entrance
this time, to the place where the
booking Offices are. Here the pres
sure relaxed, the crowd thinned, she
could move again Of her w &C
cord.
A porter hurried past her, gum
ming a printed label on a new-look-
ing Gladstone bag as he went. These
were two black letters on the bag.
She looked away after seeing them,
before the fact struck her as signi-
fcant. Then she looked again, hur-
rying forward to read them, and just
succeeded as the porter handed the
bag into a frst-class carriage.
The doors were shut by this time;
she could not see through the win
day; but the letters on the bag were
L. S., and she made a frantic dash
for the carriage. The bell rung; the
whistle shrieked; a voice shouted
"Au in" the buzz of the crowd be-
came a roar; there was a rush of
rough men from the refreshment
room; they elbowed her to n side
the weak must go to the wall"-
and gained their own seats; the
train began to move.
Conscious of nothing but her OBJ
ject she pressed forward again-any
carriage would do now-she tried to
catch the handle of a door; it passed
her.
Look out there!" STAND back"
She'll be killed." a dozen voices
roared, yet she tried again.
But now her arms were grasped on
either side. She put forth all her
strength to release herself, but was
held as if in a wise. Then, woman
like, she sent up an exceeding great
and bitter cry, and then all was still.
The train had slipped from sight;
the crowd had melted away; a strange
hush had fallen, a lack Of life, where
all had been uproar and hurry a mo-
ment before. Her captors dropped
her arms.
She pressed her handkerchief to
her lips; her mouth was full of blood.
The guard who had held her on n
side looked at her pityingly, while
the gentleman who had caught her en-
The other spoke severely:
you've nearly killed yourself,
young lady. Couldn't you let the
train go when you saw you had
missed it?"
That's the way they do, sir" the
guard exclaimed, land we gets
blamed when accidents happen"
"Oh, sir" Gertrude moaned, clasp
ing her blood-stained handkerchief
convulsively to her breast, eff you
only knew how much depended on
my catching that train!"
The gentleman took her hand and
drew it through his arm.
Come" he said, before a crowd
collects. Allow me to see you into a
cab. And forgive me if you think I
am taking too much on myself, be-
Ing a stranger to you. I have a
daughter about your age. 1 am
afraid, though, you have had a YER
shock. You can hardly walk. Try
and get a S far as the refreshment
room, at all events, and lean on me
as much as you like. A glass of water
will revive you"
With her usual good luck, Gertrude
had found another kind friend to help
her in her need, and she resigned her
self to his ministrations with perfect
confidence, as she sunk exhausted
into the deep, luxurious plush arm
chair to which he led her in an inner
room behind the bar.
CHAPTER TX.
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