The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
CHAPTER xx-continued.

Billy will be across the tracks by this
time he thought. Il will have to wait
tor it to pass. Glad it amt freight."
He hurried moodily through the field.
His position had become intolerable and
yet he could find no chance to get away
without revealing his identity, and to
do that now would do no good. They
could not reach the railroad any sooner
than they were trying to. He longed for
the morrow that would end it all and
yet dreaded the barrenness of the future
without Billy.
As he approached the cut, he saw the
smoke of the train rising above the
bushes, an express, tearing its way
through the evening calm like some
terrible passion soaring the soul The
Watermelon stepped to the edge of the
cut and glanced carelessly downward.
There was Billy on the track, strug-
Cling to free herself from the rail which
held one small foot Around the bend
came the huge engine with its headlight
already lit for the wild night run
The next two minutes were ever after
blank to the Watermelon He was
in the cut, beside the faced,
struggling girl almost simultaneously
with seeing her. As he shot down the
bank, he felt for and drew his knife
The engineer had seen them and the
engine screamed a warning, while the
emergency brakes shrieked as they slip
ped, grinding on the rails. On his
knees. with one slash, the Watermelon
cut the lacings which, becoming knot
ted, had held her prisoner, then with
one and the same move, he had re-
gained his feet and forced her fiat
against the bank, as the train whirled
by in cloud of dust and cinders,
brakes grinding, wheels slipping, whistle
screaming, a white-faced engineer lean
ing Mortified from the cab window.
Trembling violently. Billy chung sob
bling to the Watermelon, her face hid
den in his breast The Watermelon
crushed her to him as if he would never
let her go, his arms Tightening with the
agony of remembrance. He was trem-
bling as much as she from the horror
OF that terrible moment His head rest
ed on her hair and he talked, poured
out his love III a rush of misery and
thankfulness Words tumbled over
themselves and were repeated again and
again, in phrases hot from his lips came
all his pent-up longing for the girl.
Sweetheart, sweetheart" he whis-
pered with white lips as Billy still
sobbed. Darling, "hush. Dear heart, my
love, my Billy"
raised her face The Watermelon bent
his head and they kissed frankly with
the simplicity of perfect understanding,
perfect love For moment they citing
together, still, then Billy was the first
to rally.
We've got to 60" said she, her hands
raised to her tumbled hair as she tried
her best to iaugh.
The Watermelon caught her hands
and forced them down, drinking her in
with hungry eyes. Then he bent his
head and buried his face for a moment
in the backs of her small hands, while
something like a sob shook his shout
ders.
Jerry" whispered the girl, woman
now. tender, compassionate, gracious.
The Watermelon dropped her hands
and turned abruptly. Pm damn fool,
he muttered and picked up the bundle,
still beside the track.
Why did you Gomez" she asked, all
solicitude for him. You might have
been killed"
The Watermelon did not answer He
stalked across the track to the other
foot path and Billy perforce had to fol-
low.
Henrietta and Bartlett had not even
heard the wild scream of the engine
as it shrieked past, and when the Water
melon and Billy joined them, were too
preoccupied to notice anything for long
in any one else All four returned to
the general. quiet and apparently de-
pressed. The general was depressed
himself. He did not see how it would
be possible to get gasoline in that |
neighborhood, and without gasoline |
they might as well be without car.
Billy divided the bread and fruit, and |
without a word, they sat side by side |
and partook of their humble repast, the |
two girls, the general, the tramp, and |
the inancier. The color returned to
Billy's face and in her eyes was great |
and shining light every time she looked |
at the Watermelon, where he sat on the |
step of the car, bread in one hand, an
apple in the other, part of the paper
spread on his knees to serve for napkin.
But he would not look at her His
face was still white and he read the
paper before him that he might not
think. Billy knew of his love and
loved in return, white. pure. decent
Billy, and he a filthy piece of fotsam
washed for the moment from the slime
of the gutter. Slowly, precisely. he
reread the article he had just read with
but having comprehended word of it.
The parting that evening was slight
ly prolonged, much to the generals an
He was tired and wanted to
60 to bed, and why the others should
prefer to linger on the small stoop
which served for porch, he could not
understand, and what he could not un-
derstand always vexed him. Bartlett
wanted to take a stroll before turning
in, and when the general kindly offered
to accompany him, he decided suddenly
and rudely, the general thought, that