Mexico Missouri message., 1912-09-26
you was TO nit me with a axe
wouldn't mind"

"ShANh hAAhhs
To his utter befuddlement. Mallory
gtinned and winked at him, and muir
INJURED: oh, that's all right. Don't
worry" And actually laid half dol
/ lcr in his palm. Leaving the black
/ lids batting over the starting eyes,
Mallory pulled his smile into a long
face and went back to Marjorie like
an undertaken: My love, prepare
yourself for bad news"
Marjorie looked up, startled and ap-
/ prehcnsivc. "Snoozleums is I'll. lie
! did bite the darkey."
Worse than that-he-hc-fell out
/ Of the window"
/ When" she shrioked, lin heavens
/ uame-when?'
He was there Just a minute ago.
the waiter says
Marjorie went into instant Mysteries,
wringing her hands and sobbing: ION,
my darling, my poor child-stop the
train at ouce,"
She began 10 pound MaIlorys
shoulders and shake him frantically.
He had never seen her this way eth
or lie was getting his education In
advance lie tried 10 calm her with
inexpcrt words. How can 1 stop the
train? Now, dearie. he was a nice
dog. but after all he was only a dog"
She rounded on him like a panther:
only a dog! He was worth dozen
at once. command him TO stop this
train-and back up! | don't care II
he has to go back ten miles. Run,
tell him at once. Now. you rum"
Mallory stared at her as II she had
gone mad. but he set out TO run some
where. anywhere. Marjorie paced up
and down distractedly, tearing her
hair and moaning, "Snoozleums. Snoo-
zleums! My child My poor child"
At length her wildly rowing eyes noted
the bell rope. She stared, pondered,
nodded her head. clutched at IT, could
not reach II. jumped for II several
times in vain, then seized chair,
swung II into place, stood UP in It,
gripped the rope, and came down on
1t with all her weight, dropping TO the
floor and jumping up and down in a
frenzied dance. in the distance the
engine could be heard family whist
ling, whlstling for every pull.
The engineer, far ahead, could not
imagine what unheari of crisis could
bring about such mad signals. The
fireman yelled:
Il bet that crazy conductor is at
tackled with an epilettic fit"
But there was no disputing the
command The engine was reversed.
the air brakes set, the sand run out
and every effort made to pull the
iron horse, as 1t were, back on its
launches.
The grinding. squeaIing. jolting,
shook the train like an earthquake.
The shrieklng of the whistle froze the
blood like a woman's cry OF Muir
der." In the night. The women among
the passengers echoed the screams.
| themselves for the shock OF collision.
| Some OF them were mumbling pray
ers. DR.. Temple and Jimmie yelling
ton, with one idea in their dissimilar
souls, dashed from the smoking room
to go TO their wives.
Ashton and Wedgewood with no
one to care for but themselves, seized
windows and tried to fight them open.
At last they budged a sash and knelt
down to thrust their heads out.
Il don't see a beastly thing ahead"
said Wedgewood, except the heads
of other fools"
We're slowing down though" said
Ashton, she stops. We're safe.
Thank Cod" And he collapsed into
a chair. Wedgewood collapsed into
another, gasping: "Whatevah are We
safe from, | wondah?"
The train-crew and various passen-
/ gers descended and ran alongside the
| train asking questions. Panic gave
way TO mystery. Even DR. Temple
came back into the smoking room to
/ finish a precious cigar he had been at
/ work on. He was followed by Little
Jimmie. who had not quite reached
his wife when the stopping OF the
| train put an end TO his excuse for
chivalry. He was regretfuily mum
bling:
1t would have been such a good
shansh to shave my life's Wife
mean MY don't know what mean
He sank into a chair and ordered a
drink; then suddenly remembered his
VOW. and with great heroism. rescind
ed the order.
Mallory, finding that the train was
checked just before he reached the
conductor, saw that officials bewil
dered wrath at the stoppage and had
a fearsome intuition that Marjorie
had somehow done the deed. He hur
ried back to the observation room
where he found her charging up and
down, still distraught He paused al
a safe distance and said:
The train has stopped. my dear
Somebody rang the bell"
Il guess somebody did" Marjorie
answered, with a proud toss OF the
head. Where's the conductor"
He's looking for the fellow that
pulled the rope"
kg,,