Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-21
CHAPTER VIII.
The Second Section.

Have you ever been picked up out OF
your Internationally life, whirled
around in tornado of events, and
landed in a situation SO grotesque and
yet SO horrible that you laugh even while
you are grooming and straining at its
hope1essness? Mcknight says that is
hysteria, and that no man worthy of the
name ever admits to It,
Also, as Mcknight says, it sounds like
a tank drama. Just as the revolving
saw is about to cut the hero into stove
lengths, the second villain blows up the
sawmill. The hero goes up through the
roof and alights on the bank of a stream
at the feet of his lady love, who is max
ing daisy chains.
Nevertheless. when l was safely home
again, with Mrs Klopton brewing strange
drinks that came in paper packets from
the pharmacy. and that smelled to
door and closing it. and then going back
to bed and bowling out the absurdity
and the madness Of the whole thing. And
while 1 laughed my very soul was sick
knew by all the loyalty that answers
between men for honor that I would
have to put her out of my mind.
And yet. all the night that followed
filled as it was with the shrieking de.
mons of pain. / saw her as I had seer
her last. in the queer hat with green rib
bons. / told the doctor this. guardedly
the next morning. and he said 1t was the
morphia. and that I was lucky not te
have seen a row of devils with green
tails.
l don't know anything about the wreck
of September 9 last You who swallowed
the details with your coffee and digested
the horrors with your chop probably
remember very distinctly that the jump.
ing and throbbing in my arm brought
me back to world that at first was
nothing but sky, heap Of clouds that
thought haziiy were the menngue on a
blue charlotte russo. AS the sense OF
hearing was slowly added to vision. !
heard woman near me sobbing that she
had lost her hat pin and she couldn't
keep her hat on.
1 think l dropped back into uncon-
seriousness again. for the next thing l re-
member was of my blue patch of sky
clouded with smoke, of a strange roar
ing and cracking. of rain Of fiery
sparks on my face and of somebody
opened my eyes and closed them again
the girl in blue was bending over me
With that imperviousness to big things
and keenness to small that is the first
effect of shock. l tried to be facetious
when spark stung my cheek.
You will have to rouse yOurself!" the
girl was repeating. desperately. You've
been on fire twice already" A piece OF
striped ticking foated slowly over my
head. AS the wind caught it its charring
edges leaped into flame.
Looks like a kite, doesn't it?' I re-
marked, cheerfully. And then. as my
arm gave an excruciating throb-"Jove
how my arm hurts!'
The girl bent over and spoke slowly
distinctly. as one might speak to a deaf
person or q child.
Listen. Mr.. Blakeley." she said, earn
estly. You must rouse yourself. There
r. u W.
section ran into US. The wreck Is burn
ing now, and if we don't move we will
catch fire. Do you hear?'
Her voice and my arm were bringing
me to my senses It hear" I said 81
I'll sit up In a second. Are you hurt?'
mo. only bruised. Do you think you
can walk?"
1 drew up one foot after another, gin
gerly.
''They seem to move all right" re-
marked. obviously. Would you mind