The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1912-08-01
Wasted Effort

DNhbit QudliCu. dH d well u dlntb
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 nonarrival at the prop
er 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 slow CLIENT However.
barring earthquakes and commissions
OF nature, this evening will see me
here when you expect mel"
81 certainly hope So, Mrs. Bellfire
told him. 81 am sure the cook will
leave if it happens again!"
Bellfire started that evening for the
suburban express train, which left at
5:25. He was going to make a good
job of it and arrive home with fifteen
minutes to spare. 1t was bitter cold
and the train so crowded that the best
he could do was to wedge himself to
lodging the rain of cinders.
Ordinarily it took the express train
fifteen minutes to make the run. 1t
had been travelling five minutes when
it stumbled and then stopped. 1t did
not resume it's progress. Men began
to fold their newspapers and scowl.
Then they began to investigate. 1t
seemed that the locomotive was frozen
up! A roar of Indignation arose from
the passengers Somebody scratched
the frost from window and announc-
ed that they were nearly opposite an
intermediate station. Then a local
train pulled in at that platform.
In the exodus which ensued Bell
fire found himself crushed off on the
snow covered ground. He stood knee
deep in a snowbank and blinked at the
distant platform, the trainmen swing
ing warning lanterns and ordering
their escaping trainload back. Then
he, too began hopping over interven-
ing tracks. He might lose his life.
but he had to be home at o'clock.
He lodged a through train, knocked
down a fat man and joined the shiv-
ering crowd clustering about the
wrong end of the local platform. The
ascending spirals of frosted breath
that went up from every individual
looked ike dozens of little campfres.
On the end of the platform the ever
present busy person was giving or
ders.
Now, we've got to get the ladies
up herel" he said This man and I'll
give 'em a hand-and you fellows
down there get EN- started"
A riot ensued, punctuated by shrieks
of, "Oh, it's 50 terribly high" Take
Willie first Wil-l-eel Stay away
from the edge of that platform"
"Oh, I've dropped my bagl" why
don't they have steps here? l should
think there would be stepsl"
Bellfre. being large, soon found
that he was doing most of the heavy |
work. The process of boosting num- |
berless women, each weighing twenty /
five pounds of furs and other wraps |
above normal, is exhausting. When
Bellfire at last clambered up he was
putting, limp. He dragged
himself to that level just in time to
see the last of the crowd swing on the
last platform of the local that had
puffed in.
When he had become petrified to his
knees another headlight loomed up
and dashed by without stopping. 1t
was an express train temporarily out
Of its orbit because of Bellfires fro
zen train. BY the time another APP
Deared Bellfre was ice 70 his neck.
stifiy he stumbled on board and
iropped himself against door He
lid not dare sit down because he was
irmly convinced that if he did so he
would splinter into icicles. When he
lad thawed out enough to have hui
nan intelligence Bellfire observed that
he train was making no stops what
.ver. Just as this fact dawned upon
i'm the Fights of his own station ap-
feared, blinked, vanished. He
rabbed the conductor and protested
Nope" said the conductor. This
rain is a special and doesn't stop
gain till it gets to Flowerdale at the
nd of the line"
F1owerdale is exactly twenty-one
lilies beyound Bellfire's station. A
ell will be drawn over the commun-
IN that Bellfire had with himself dur s
lg the trip out, the dismal wait and s
ne trip back on a local. The very I
EAST and mildest thing that he could
nagine Mrs. BeiIfre doirg was dis
Iantling the fiat and packing her [
unk. 7
At ten minutes past Bellfire skunk c
ito his apartment. The worst was
for there were no lights. t
Emily" he began huskily. listen :