Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-06-02

Copyright. by Bobbs-Merrill Coz
cision about it while we were still IN
sight of the gate, for she murmured
something and turned back alone, 60
ing swiftly, her feet stirring up small
puffs of dust at every step. She fas-
tened something to the gate post
l could see the nervous haste with
which she worked. When she joined
me again it was without explanation.
But the clenched fingers were free
now, and while she looked tired and
worn, the strain had visibly relaxed.
We walked along slowly in the gen.
eral direction of the suburban trolley
line. Once a man with an empty
wagon offered us a lift, but after a
glance at the springless vehicle l de.
clined.
"The ends of the bone think they
are castanets as 1t is," / explained
But the lady"
The young lady, however, declined
and we went on together Once, when
the trolley line was in sight, she got
a pebble in her low shoe, and we sat
down under tree until she found the
cause of the trouble.
Il don't know what should have
done without you," I blundered
Moral support and-and all that. Dc
you know, my first conscious thought
after the wreck was of relief that
you had not been hurt?" .-y~e
She was sitting beside me where a
big chestnut tree shaded the road, and
surprised a look of misery on her
face that certainly my words had not
been meant to produce.
"And my first thought" she said
slowly, was regret that THAT ]
hadn't been obliterated. blown out like
a candle. Please don't look like that!
am-only talking"
But her lips were trembling, and be.
cause the little shams of society are
forgotten at times like this, leaned
over and patted her hand lightly,
where it rested on the grass beside
me.
you must not say those things"
expostulated. Perhaps, after all, your
friends"
II had no friends on the train, u
Her voice was hard again, her tone
final. She drew her hand from under
mine, not quickly, but declsively A
car was in sight, coming toward us.
The steel finger of civilization, of pro-
priety, of visiting cards and formal in.
Productions was beckoning us in. Miss
West put on her shoe.
We said little on the car The few
passengers stared at us frankly, and
discussed the wreck, emphasizing its
horrors. The girl did not seem to
hear Once she turned to me with
the quick, unexpected movement that
was one Of her charms.
81 do not wish my mother to know
p1 was in the accident" she said. will
you please not tell Richey about hav.
ing met me?"
gave my promise, of course. Again,
when we were almost into Baltimore
she asked to examine the gun-metal
cigarette case, and sat silent with II
in her hands, while told OF the early
mornings events on the Ontario.
$50 you see," / finished, "this grip
everything have on, belongs to a fel
low named Sullivan. He probably left
the train before the wreck-perhaps
Just after the murder"
"And so-you think he committed
the-the crime?" Her eyes were on
the cigarette case.
Naturally" l said. "A man doesn't
jump of Pullman car in the middle
of the night in another mans clothes
unless he is trying to get away from
something. Besides the dirk, there
were the stains that you saw. Why
have the murdered mans pocket
book in this valise at my feet. What
does that look like?"
/ colored when I saw the ghost OF
smile lowering around the corners
of her mouth. That is" l finished
''if you care to believe that 1 am in.
nocent."
The sustaining chain of her small
gold bag gave way just then. She did
not notice it. l picked it up and slid
the trinket into my pocket for safe
keeping, where l promptly forgot it
Afterwards wished 1 had let it lie un
noticed on the floor of that dirty little
suburban car, and even now, when
see q woman carelessly dangling a
similar feminine trinket, L shudder in