El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-05
= One WOman's Story =
By Virginia Terhune Van de Water
CHAPTER VIII.

r kept Mary DanfOrth's pale face
= impressive as she listened to her
fathers agit&ted announcement An
iron hand seemed to be gripping her
throat and stiffling her. She stead
led herself and faced her parents as
she drew away from her fathers en-
circling arm. He still held the paper
in his trembling hand. Beside him was
MS wife, aghast and silent her thin
fingers nervously twisting the hand
throat and sitting her. She stead
Mr.. Craig may not have been hurt
you know" she reminded her father.
The first reports of accidents are Of
ten exaggerated"
She turned away and went down the
nail to her own room, closing the door
behind her. She took off her hat and
put it away, then lifted the books
from her dressing table, on which she
had just laid them, and arranged them
on her desk. All these actions she
performed with care, yet she moved
as in a dream She stood, looking
about her as if searching for some
other duty to perform, but, finding
nothing, suddenly flung herself on her
bed and lay there, silent. staring wide
eyed into the gathering dusk.
At the end of a half hour her
mother knocked timidly at her door.
May 1 come in. Nary she asked in
a low voice. Are you asleep"
The girl drew herself to a sitting
posture on the edge of her bed.
Come in mother" she said, DULY,
No, haven't been asleep: I was just
lying down and thinking"
The parent laid a cool hand on her
daughters forehead.
Poor little girlr' she murmured.
Poor little girl! I know this news
was a terrible shock to you"
Mary stirred irritably under her
mothers touch 'Of course it was q
shock" she said coldIy 1T is always
terrible to hear of accidents of that
kind" She paused. then steeled her
self to utter what she would not &C
knowledge was a deliberate falSehOOd
But l have been thinking that il
had been on that train someone whom
we really cared for"
Mrs DanfOrth looked in silence at
the speaker; then, bending over, kissed
her and left the room. Mary sat for
a moment longer motiOnless on the
side of her bed. Then she bowed her
face upon her hands and closed her
eyes.
Dinner that night was dismal af-
fair. The gloom of the accident op-
pressed all minds Mr.. Danforth was
nervous and talked of nothing but the
wreck, inyeighinS against the careless
ness of the railroad officials, the in
difference corporations showed for hu-
aster might have been avoided-dwell-
ing on the subject until Mary felt as II
she could bear 1t no longer.
When the meal was at last over,
Mary. remarAing briefly that she must
go back to her studying, went to her
own room again Her parents re-
NAMED at the table, chatting, while the
man of the house smoked his post
prandiaI cigar
4 am glad that Mary doesn't take
n
remarked the father with masculine
obtuseness. 7 was afraid that she was
beginning to think much of Craig, and
that if he was hurt or killed il must
His wife shook her head with the
scorn that a woman always shows for
a mans lack of perception
She feels it more than she knows
herself" she remarked enigmatically-
q Bosh" exclaimed Mr.. DanfOrth-
Mary isn't the kind to keep such a
trouble as that TO herself. Of course
she liked the chap-and she is dis
tressed to think that he may have been
injured, or-wOrSe: But you told me
yesterday that you fancied that she
was beginning to care a good deal for
him She wouldn't be so calm if she
did She regards him only as a pleas
ant acquaintance"
In her own room Mary bent over her
books and tried TO study. She attacked
the preparation for tOmOrrow's recita-
tons with a determination to Danish
all other matters from her mind ANY
thing to keep from thinkingi" she
whispered to herself. This suspense
is awfUl-but it may be better than to
know the truth" A lump of ice seemed
to be pressing upon her heart, but she
worked on.
1t was late when she extinguished
her light, yet dawn was grazing her
Windowpanes before she fell into a
troubled sIUmber.
Her eyes were heavy when she
dragged herself into the dining room
that morning. Her father was opening
the morning paper which lay beside his
plate With a sickening contraction of
her throat she watched him scan the
first page of the sheet Suddenly he
started to his feet.
Hear thist' he exclaimed excitedly
Texan Hero of Railroad Wreck; Cor
don Craig Rescues Three Women from
Burning Pullman; Is Himself Unhurtr'
Mrs DanfOrth uttered a low cry of
alarm, and at the sound the reader
dropped his paper and sprang forward
Mary had slipped quietly from her
chair to the floor. She had tainted.
The parents eyes met in a significant
look as they both bent over the pros
trate girl
4 told you So" said the mother
gravely.
Continued in Next Issue)