The Irish standard., 1913-08-30

aoors it was pitch dark. lie know they
aust be out towards the shoro line
somewhere People were rising around
them. Instinctively. lie too stood up,
but felt her hand on his,
What is it,"
Il don't know yet Stay here ami III
find OUT
Il won't leave you. He felt her rise,
and move slowly behind him. The YES
ttbuled doors at the end were closed.
he knew. Up at the forward end Q! the
car a woman shrieked suddenly In ner-
vous suspense. Yolande's hand crept
into his palm. and stayed there. And
suddenly from somewhere there came
the smell Of burning wood. Crosby
caught it first and made for a window.
He smashed the glass out with his ell
bow. The gust of cold fresh air SEEM
ed to revive them both.
Il will go first, then you follow" he
told her. She obeyed implicitly. He
pulled himself through the aperture.
and dropped to the ground below.
She was beside him in another min
ute. The train curved on the sharp
bend like wounded reptile in agony.
Up forward the baggage car was in
flames. The engine rose in the air,
ramming the train ahead it had col
lided with. Two cars lay on their sides
In the steep gully at one side of the
track, with the flames breaking
through them.
Great heavens" muttered Crosby,
fiinging off his coat. There are men
in these cars. One in the smoker, with
Elliot"
Yolande's arms reached for his neck
and chung there. Don't leave me.
Allan. don't leave me-" she begged.
And there in the darkness lit only
by the distant flames, their slips met
for the first time. AS he held her
close in the strange awakening mar
vel of her love, he felt her arms relax,
and knew she had tainted. Lifting
her, he bore her along beside the track
until the blaze showed him the sand
embankment at one side. Gaining this,
he laid her down. and covered her
with his coat. Then he Joined the
men who were working like demons to
get out the living creatures from the
burning cars.
In the gray dawn that morning,
hours after, they stood in the little
shore bungalow at Bennington. The
rescue train had carried the survivors
on, and Kusick had waited faithfully
at the station with the car until their
arrival.
Elliot was dead when we reached
him." he told her, YEARLY. There
were letters in his pockets. have
them all, and made arrangements to
have him cared ior He had orders
to shoot me. and send you back
home" 45G.' +" -
She leaned away from him, sup,
porting herself against the table, her
eyes wide with horror. her face white
and tired.
Il will stay with you If you do not
mind until noon. There is train !
can get back then
Her hands reached toward him. s.Do
you want i to go SO much, Allan? p,
she asked, little break in her voice
You are too willing to let me CO."
He leaned forward, looking into he1
eyes. Can you truthfully say to me
that you mean every word you spoke
back there in London? Can you, 70
lander"
Death was near tonight. And fol
lowed you, did I not?"
There was tap at the door. 1t
was Kusick, hat in hand, his face anx.
ious.
There is an earlier train west, sir,
at seven, If you wish that one"
Crosby nodded his head. Yolande
was looking down at the blaze of drift.
wood on the wide old rock hearth.
~ shall not take it, thanks, huslck. ''
he answered. Send to town for my
luggage, will you?"
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
$685. per Syndicate.)