Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-04-06
other souvenirs Of the wreck that you


clared, struggling against my inclina-
ton. Il can't even tie my necktie,
and 1 have to have my food cut for
me-"
"Oh, that's all right" he said cas-
lily. I'll send Stogie over to fix you
up, and Mrs. Dial knows all about the
arm. I told her"
(Stogie is his Japanese factotum, so
called because he is lean, yellowish
brown in color, and because he claims
to have been shipped into this country
in box.)
The cinematograph was finishing
the program. The house was dark and
the music had stopped, as it does in
the circus just before somebody risks
his neck at so much a neck in the dip
of death, or the hundredfoot dive.
Then, with sort of shock, 1 saw on
the white curtain the announcement:
THE NEXT PICTURE
IS THE DOOMED WASHINGTON
Filler, TAKEN A SHORT DIS
LANCE FROM THE SCENE OF
MORNING OF SEP T E M B E r
TENTH. TWO MILES FARTHER
ON 1T MET WITH ALMOST COM
PLETE ANNIHILATION.
l confess to return of some of the
sickening sensations of the wreck;
people around me were leaning for
ward with tense faces. Then the let
tiers were gone and saw a long lev
ell stretch of track, even the broken
stone between the ties standing out
distinctly. Far off under a cloud of
smoke a small object was rushing to-
ward US and growing larger as it
came.
Now it was on us, a mammoth in
size, with huge drivers and colossal
tender. The engine leaped aside, as
If just in time to save us from de-
struction, with a glimpse of stoop-
ing fireman and grimy engineer. The
long train Of sleepers. followed. From
forward vestibule a porter In a
white coat waved his hand. The rest
of the cars seemed still wrapped in
slumber. With mixed sensations l
saw my own car, Ontario, fly past,
and then I rose to my feet and
gripped Meningitis shoulder.
On the lowest step of the last car,
one foot hanging free, was a man. His
black derby hat was pulled, well down
to keep it from blowing away, and his
coat was flying open in the wind. He
was swung well out from the car, his
free hand gripping a small valise,
every muscle tense for a jump.
Good God, that's my mani" said
hoarsely, as the audience broke into
applause. Mcknight half rose; in his
seat ahead Johnson stifed a yawn and
turned to eye me.
l dropped into my chair Imply, and
tried to control my excitement. 1.-The
man on the last platform of the train, .
/ said. "He was just about to leap;
I'll swear that was my bag"
Gould you see his face?" Mcknight
asked in an undertone. Would you
know him again?''
mo. His hat was pulled down and
his head was bent. I'm going back to
find out where that picture was ia
ken. They say two miles, but it may
have been forty"
The audience, busy with it's wraps,
had not noticed. Mrs. Dallas and AL
ison West had gone In front of us
Johnson had dropped his hat and was
STOPPING for it.
This way" 1 motioned to Nc
Knight, and we wheeled into the mar
row passage behind us, back of the
boxes. At the end there was a door
leading into the wings, and as we
went boldly through I turned the key.
The final set was being struck, and
no one paid any attention to us. Luck
lily they were similarly Indifferent to
banging at the door 1 had locked,
banging which, I judged, siSEified
johnson.
IT guess we've broken up his inter
ference Mcknight chuckled.
Stage hands were hurrying in every
direction; pieces of the side wall OF
the last drawing room meRaced US; a
switchboard behind us was singing
like a tea-kettle. Everywhere we
stepped we were in somebody's way.
At last we were across, confronting a
man in his shirt sleeves, who by dots
and dashes of profanity seemed to be
directing the chaos.
"Well?" he said, wheeling on US.
What can l do for your"
81 would like to ASK" replied, "if
you have any idea just where the last
cinematograph picture was taken"
Broken board-picnickers Lake q
mo. The Washington Filler"
He glanced at my bandaged arm.
The announcement says two
miles," Mcknight put in, "but we
should like to know whether it is rail-
road miles, automobile miles, or po-
liceman miles,"
81 am sorry can't tell you," he re-
piled, more civilly. 1--WE get those pic
lures by contract. We don't take them
ourselves"
Where are the company's ofhces?"
New York" He stepped forward
and grasped a super by the shoulder.
What in blazes are you doing with
that gold chair in kitchen set? Take
that piece Of pink plush there and