The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-01-24

road far above, bound for the
city. They called out to them,
but the cries were in vain. With
every minute they were running
farther and farther away from the
city of Edelweiss; every mile was
to the certainty of the
doom which hung over the little
prince and his people.
A second small station flew by.
Rom: seven kilometers to Edel-
weiss" He looked at her in de-
spair.
We're going faster and fast
err" he grated. This is the fast
est train in the world, Lorraine,
bar none"
Just then his gaze alighted on
the pathetic breakfast and the
wandering cigarettes. He stared
as if hypnotised. Was he going
mad? An instant later he was on
his hands and knees, examining
the mysterious feast. She Joined
him at once; no two faces ever
before were SO puzzled and per-
picked.
BY heaven!" he exclaimed,
drawing her away from the spot
in quick alarm, comprehension
flooding his brain. 81 see it all.
We've been deliberately shang-
haied! We've been bottled up
here, drugged, perhaps, and
shipped out of town by fast
freight no destination. Don't
touch that stuff! It's probably
full of poison. Great Scott! What
a clever gang they are! And
what a blithering idiot they have
in me to deal with. Oh, how
easy!"
Whereupon he proceeded to
kick the unoffending breakfast,
cigarettes and all, out of the car
door. To their dying day they
were to believe that the food had
been put there by agents of the
great conspirator. 1t readily may
be surmised that neither of them
was given to sensible deductions
during their astounding flight.
If they had thought twice. they
might have seen the folly of their
quick conclusions. Marlanx's men
would not have sent Lorraine off
In a manner like this. But the
distracted pair were not in an
analytical frame of mind Just
then; that is why the gentle mu-
nificence of Sir Vagabond came
to barren waste.
Mile after mile flew by. The
travellers, depressed be-
yond description. had given up all
hope of leaving the car until it
reached the point intended by the
willy plotters. To their amaze
ment, however, the speed began
to slacken perceptibly after they
had left the city ten or twelve
miles beyond. Truxton was lean
ing against the side of the door,
gloomily surveying the bright,
green landscape. For some time
Lorraine had been steadying her.
self by clinging to his arm. They
had cast off the unsightly rain
coats and other clumsy articles.
Once, through sheer inability to
control his impulses, he had
placed his arm about her slim
waist, but she had gently freed
herself. Her look of reproach was
sufficient to check all future i'm
pulses of like nature.
"Hello!" said he, coming out
of his bitter dream. Were slow
Ing up" He looked out and
ahead. mo station is in sight.
a bridge down the road a
bit-yes, there's our same old riv-
er. BY George!" His face was
study.
What is it?" she cried, struck
by his sudden energy of speech.
They're running slow for the
bridge.- Afraid of the floods. Dye
see? II they creep up to IL as
they do In the United States when
they're cautious. we'll politely
drop off and Pom my soul,
she's coming down to a snail's
pace. We can swing off, Lorraine.
Now's our chancei"
The train was barely creeping
up to the bridge. He clasped her
In the strong crook of his left
arm, slid down to a sitting posi-
ton, and boldly pushed himself
clear Of the car, landing on his