The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-03-23
Wasted Effort

And" Mrs. Bellfire added with a
slightly acid touch. you might be
here on time, for change"
Bellfire qualled, as a well trained
husband should have done under the
circumstances, For on the previous
five evenings dinner had waited, cool
ed, collapsed into a sodden mess be-
cause Of his nonarriyal at the prop
CT time.
Il will be home tonight he assured
his wife, at o'clock. | shall start
in plenty of time to allow for distrac.
tions-and, anyhow. don't think
should be blamed because an old
friend sprung up out OF the earth and
talked a half hour, or for SLOW
watch or for a slow client. However,
barring earthquakes and commissions
of nature, this evening will see me
here when YOU expect me-.
Il certainly hope So" Mrs. Rellfire
told him. Il am sure the cook will
leave if it happens again."
Pellfre started that evening for tbs
suburban express train, which left az
5:25. He was going TO make :; good
job CT i and arrive home with fifteen
minutes to spare. Ii was bitter cod
and iaa train 50 crowded that the best
he could do vas to wedge Himself to
dodg..tE the rail OF ciEders.
Ordinarily il took the express train
fifteen minutes to make the run. IL
had Leel travelling five minutes when
/. str - bed ard thea stopped. II cid
not resume It's progress. Men began
TO fo.l their newspapers aal scowI
Then they BEGAN to Investigate. II
Seemed that the lo@GmG'iya SIS frozen
up. a roar o. iadiSnafja2 alosa rom
tie passengers. Spmabgdv gyratcnea
th sgs rom Z wi"G3& end F1""unc-
q taa. > we're eearly opposite "A
.ltormoai4te station 1han 4 Local
t.~a I-2ed Ill a that i D'2fn
III lhr ,rpdG4 which cu-yad Pol
Ere foaad hiasof crush oi q &c
'.oG eo,t.r4 ound e,cal .;nra
u , + .a...ali: anl i..:.Na1 4 ia
u All sa'o.m, the u@iamen gT..g-
~ warns aateras and orGcra2
incir 9 c'.l,cs t'a.a.o2d back. Thea
he. too, haraa honrns orcr interrel.
ing t~ac't,. lie Iai.,t lose hi, life.
but he ha,l to be home at oc,cck.
lie lodged through train. knocked
down u fat man ana Joined the shiy-
criLg crowd clustering about tho
wong cnd OF the loca! platform. The
ascending spirals OF frosted breath
tina. went up from every Individual
looked like dozens Of little camptires.
On the end of the platform the ever
present busy person was giving or.
dcrs.
Now. we've got to get the ladies'
up here" he said. This man and I'll
give EN- hand-and you fellows
down there get EN- started"
A riot ensued, punctuatod by shrieks
Of, "Oh, it's SO terribly high" Take
Willie first, Wii-l-ee! Stay away
from the edge of that platform"
"Oh. I've dropped my bag" WHY
don't they have steps here? should
think there would be steps,"
Bellfre, being large. soon found
that he was doing most or the heavy
work. The process of boosting mum.
berless women. each weighing twenty
five pounds of furs and other wraps
above normal, is exhaustmg. When
Bcllfire at last clambered up be was
iisheyelcd, putting. limp. lie dr"sged
himself to that level just in tine 20
see the last of the crowd swing on The
last platform of the local that had
puffed in.
When he had become petr!fiod 20 his
knees another headlight .cowed up
and dashed by without stopping. Il
was an express train temporary out
OF its orbit because Of Belltirv's fro
zen train. by the time another APP
paared Bellfire was ice TO his neck.
StiiIly he stumbled on board and
dropped himself against door. He
did not dare sit down because lie was
firmly convinced that If he die so he
would splinter into icicles. When he
had thawed out enough to have hu-
man intelligence Bellfire observed that
the train WAS making 10 stops what
ever. Just as this fact dawned upon
him the lights Of his own station ap-
peared. blinked. vanished lie
grabbed the conductor aad protested
raucously.
Nope" said the conductor This
train Is a special and doesn't stop
again till 1t gets to F1owerdale at the
end OF the line"