The Winslow mail., 1909-01-02
The Exigent
Hour
By NELLIE CRAVEY GILMORE
Copyright, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

she was reading to the whirling land
scape without There was a distinct
pucker between the pairs of golden
brown lashes that all but met over
the wide-set, surprisingly black eyes.
At least half of the time, the lines
before her were blur of stereotyped
drivel and chaotic inner reflection;
would they never reach the place?
She tossed aside the volume in de-
spair, and blinked aggressively at her
vibrating likeness in the mirror at her
elbow.
The porter came through at last,
f1ourishing a premonitory whishbroOm,
and the girl assailed him eagerly.
"Huw much further is it to the juno
tion?" she asked, Just how late are
we? and are you perfectly sure | can
make safe connection with that
through train to New Orleans?' She
pulled out her watch. Il mustn't by
any manner of means reach there later
than six she urged as the ebony in
dividual made mumbling calculation OF
the answer to each of her rapidly-fred
questions.
Wen get to the junction now in
about ten minutes, miss; trains al
nest an hour late. Your train in
generally meets this one, but it's 20
minutes behind"
Thank you. Then l shall be in
plenty of time, l suppose. And you
may brush me off" She rose with a
alrable sigh of relief and submitted
gratefully to the deft, fourishing
t.oEes of the broom. Then she
slipped coin into the porter's hand
and began to take inventory Of her
baggage
When Miss Sheplar stepped out on
the deserted platform, Is minutes
later, fine drive of snow had set in
that whipped her face like thousands
of tiny lashes She quickly pulled
down her heaviest veil and hurried
into the waitingroom. The usual
crowd Of intoxicating, fagged-out
travellers and motley-faced children
was there and the room was sicken-
ing from the suffocating heat of
mammoth stove. She found seat
in 8 deserted corner, and endured the
torture for exactly five minutes. Then
she started up impatiently, intending
to take a short walk while waiting for
her train, and on her way to the door
Iaused to ask the operator exactly
what time the southbound was due.
Two hours late, now, miss. Guess
she'll be along at about four o'clock"
The girl caught her breath in alarm.
Four o'clock. 1t was three hours
was to take place at half past seven.
Her first sensation was of anxiety;
but it was followed instantly by
feeling Of intense relief and thank
fulness The whole thing had been
intOlerable to her from the first; and
had it not been for the faithful prom
ise she had made to act as maidof-
honor at the marriage Of her best
friend Leona Stoddart-given when
they were at college together, and
renewed at each recurrent visit be-
tween them she never would have
consented to the immolation. Here
was a possible escape!
Out in the biting air, she quickened
her footsteps and walked rapidly for
several squares, till she could feel
the tension of her nerves relax and the
blood pulse warm and free in her
body Something like exhilaration
came to her suddenly and with the
tonic of it racing through her veins
she walked on and on, totally unmind
full of the passage of time. When
at length she came to herself, she
must have been fully mile from the
station. She jerked out her watch,