Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-05-21

been thrown together by the merest
chance- In an hour or two az the
most We would be back in civilization
and she would recall me. n she re-
membered me at all. as an unshaven
creature In red cravat and tan shoes,
with a soiled Pullman sheet tied
around my neck drew a deep
breath
Just a twinEe." 7 said. when she
glanced up quickly. It's very good
OF you 20 let me know. Miss West. I
have been hearing delightful things
about YOU for three months"
From Richey Mcknight" she was
frankly curious
Yes. From Richey Mcknight I
asseuted. Was it any wonder Nc
knight was crazy about herr dug
my heels into the dust
Ut have been visiting near Cresson.
I'm the mountains" Miss West was say
ing. The person you mentioned. Mrs.
Curtis, was my hostess. We've
were on our way 20 Washington to
Eether. She spoke slowly. as III she
wished 90 give the minimum OF cxpla-
nation. Across her face had come
again the battling expression of per-
pleNty and trouble 7 had seen before.
You were on your way home. D sup
poser Bchey- spoke about seeing
YOU. ] houndercd. finding it necessary
Go say something She looked no me
with level direct eyes
SO. She returned quietly. II did
not intend to go home well. 10
doesn't matter. ann going home
now"
woman in a calico dress. with
two children each am exact duplicate
of tho other. had come quickly down
Che road. She took boz the situation at
% glance. and was eNpIosivcIy hospit-
able
You poor things" She said. "If
youn take the first road to the left
over there. and turn 900 at the second
picsty. you win lind breakfast ON the
table and coffee pot ou tho stove
And there's plenty OF soap and water.
too. Don't say one word There isn't
a soul there Co Sec you"
We accepted the Invitation and she
hurried ON toward The excitement and
the railroad. D got up carefully and
helped Miss West to her feet
AT the second u.rsty to the left" I
repeated eve viii find the breakfast
/ promised you seven eteruiues ago
Forward 20 the p.rstyt"
We said very little for the remand
or OF that walk. had almost reached
the limit 90 endurance. with every
step The broken ends OF the bone
grated together. We found the farm
house without difficulty. and ] remem-
Der wondering ~ . could hold out 10
the end of the old stone walk that led
between hedges Co the door
Allah be- praised" I said with all
the voice 7 could muster Behold the
coffee pot" And then ] put down the
cup and folded up like a jack-knife on
the porch floor
When ] came around something hot
was trickling down my neck. and a
despairing voice was saying. "Oh. 7
don't seem 90 be able 20 pour q into
your mouth. Please open your eyes
But I don't want IL ia my eyes"
replied dTeamily. Il haven't any idea
what came over me. IL was the shoes.
think; the left one is a red-hot tor
ture." 7 was sitting by that time and
looking across into her face
Never before or since have faint
ed. but I would do It joyfully, a dozen
times a day. II ] could waken again
70 the blissful touch Of soft fingers on
my face. the hot ecstasy OF cofTes
spilled by those fingers down my neck.
There was a thrill IN every tone OF
her voice that morning. Before long
my loyalty 10 Mcknight would step
between nae and the girl he loved:
life would develop new complexities.
In these early hours after the wreck.
full Of pain as they were. there was
nothing OF the suspicion and distrust
that came later. Shorn OF our gauds and
bRubles, We were primitive man and
woman, together: our world for the
hour was the deserted farmhouse, the
slope OF wheat2eld that led to the
road, the woodland lot, the pasture.
We breakfasted together across the
homely table. Our cheerfulness. al
INST sheer reaction. became less forced
as we ate great slices OF bread from
the granny oven back OF the house,
and drank hot fluid that smelled like
coffee and tasted like nothing that
have ever swallowed. We found cream
In stone Jars, sunk deep in the chill
water OF the springhouse. And there
we're eggs, great yellow-brown ones
a basket OF them.
So. like two children awakened from
nightmare. we chatted over our food:
We hunted mutual friends, we laughed
together at my feeble witticisms. but
We put the horror behind us resolute-
ly. After all. II was the hat with
the green ribbons that brought back
the strangeness Of the situation.
All along had had the impression
that Alison West was deliberately put
ting out OF her mind something that
obtruded now and then. Il brought
with it return OF the puzzled express
sion that had surprised early in the
day, before the wreck caught Il
once, when, breakfast over, she was
tightening the sling that held the
hToken arm. / had prolonged the
morning meal as much as ] could, but
when the wooden clock with the pink
- ~ AmNN ia