The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-08-31
CHAPTER Viii.
The Second Section.


Have you ever been picked up out
of your three-meals-a-day life. whirled
around in a tornado of events. and
landed in a situation SO grOtesQue and
yet so horrible that you laugh even
while you are groaning. and strainins
at its hopelessness? Mcknight says
that is hysteria. and that no man
worthy OF the name ever admits to 1t.
Also. as Mcknight says. 1t sounds
like tank drama. Just as the revolv-
ing 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 making daisy chains.
Nevertheless. when I was safely
home again. with Mrs. Klopton brew
ing strange drinks that came In paper
packets from the pharmacy. and that
smelled to heaven, I remember stag
gering to the door and closing 1t. and
then going back to bed and bowling
out the absurdity and the madness Of
the whole thing. And while l laughed
my very soul was sick. for the girl
was gone by that time. and I 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.
filed as it was with the shrieking de-
mons of pain. saw her as had seen
Ter last, in the queer hat with green
ribbons told the doctor this. guard
eddy. the next morning. and he said 1t
was the mOrphia. and that ! was lucky
not to have seen a row of devils with
green tails.
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 know a great deal more
than I do. l remembertvery distinctly
that the jumping and throbbing in my
arm brought me back to world that
at first was nothing but sky. heap OF
clouds that thought hazily were the
meringue on a blue charlotte russo.
As the sense of hearing was slowly
added to vision. I heard a woman near
me sobbing that she had lost her hat
pin, and she couldn't keep her hat on.
think dropped back into uncon-
seriousness again, for the next thing
I remember was Of my blue patch OF
sky clOuded with smoke. of a strange.
roaring and cracking. of rain Of
fiery sparks in my face and Of some
body beating at me with feeble hands.
/ 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. tried
to be facetious. when a spark stung
my cheek.
You will have 20 rouse YOURSELF"
the girl was repeating desperately.
You've been in fire twice already"
A piece Of striped ticking floated slow
ly over my head. AS the wind caught
it it's charring edges leaped into flame.
Looks like a kite. doesn't it," l
remarked cheerfully. And then. as
my arm gave an excruciating thrOb-
"Jove. how my arm hurts"
The girl bent over and spoke SLOW
", distinctly. as one might speak to q
deaf person or child
Listen. Mr. Blakeley." she said
earnestly. You must rouse yourself.
There has been q terrible accident.
The second section ran into us. The
wreck is burning now. and II We don't
move. We will catch fire. Do you
hear"
,rO BE CONTINCEDJ