The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-07-17

nudged down to the Tombs at the visit.
Ing hour, knowing that the girl would
be there with him. Was she there?
WAS Napoleon at the battle of Wa
terloof She was clinging to him in
the reception room, which was against
the rules at that; but all Of the case
hardened old key-swingers were let
ting the rules sprint for the end book
In that case, and turning their heads
away. because lamping a scene like
that wasn't just the kind of stuff they
felt they were on the city payroll
for.
AT last the two had to pry loose. I
caught her In the hall. trying to dry
her eyes with little wad of soaked
handkerchief. told her who l was.
putting the mufler on the pipes for
fear Of soaring her; and says when
she had quieted down a bit:
Little girl, nobody knows any bet
ter than the old shield-fasher now
talking to you what rough medicine
this is that you're now taking; but 1t
might be worse. It's in your poor lit
tie hands to make 1t worse
How is that" she asked me in a
gaspy kind of way.
why, by being at the station to-
morrow says l. Don't do that. It'll
hurt all round 1t always hurts. The
boy is all right. He'll get his good
time. and 1t won't be long before he'll
be back at the fiat, spick and span,
and fighting for his head to make the
new and fine start.
But don't be at the station tomor-
row. That'd never do. 1t wouldn't do
for anybody. How about it, little
woman
"Oh, yes, she was there. She
couldn't help 1t. She was sitting on
bench In the waiting room when we
brushed through the swing door.
wicked her first, and pulled a quick
play in getting the handouts off our
wrists-for the boy and were. of
course, coupled In the betting
1T was against the regulation for
me to unbracelet d oop once I'd geared
myself to him. But knew he wasn't
going to make any run for it; and
somehow l couldn't pipe myself
trudging up to that girl on the bench
with her man rugged to me like that
When the boy saw the girl, and
jerried up to why / turned him loose
to go to her, he was there with bit
Of choke In telling me that he'd
never forget that stuff in me, and all
like that. Then he Joined her.
Il ached to peek in the other direc-
ton. But had to keep the off wick
on that united con, and there was
nothing for me to do but watch their
get-together.
Never mind, pal. 1t was the worst
l ever ran into, and I've taken lot
Of timber of that kind. Train time
came, and l had to stake him to the
arm-tap and watt him the eye-signal
that time was up. l didn't put the
wristlets back on him and myself uu-
til after we'd got aboard.
Last l saw of the girl she was
pressed-little, fragile slip Of a thing,
believe l told you-agalnst the bars
outside the gate. arm stuck through,
and waving a wet handkerchief at him,
and with a look in her eyes that I'd
a heap rather have one Of my own
dead and buried than be wearing.
THE young fellow didn't have much
Of anything to say on the way up, and
neither did /. There are times when
you can't pull chirp out Of your
frame with derrick.
Il handed him over, got a receipt
for him, gave him the mitt-squeeze and
the pat on the shoulder-blade, and
blew back to town, feeling like wom-
an what's been to see East Lynne
Three months ago l was about to
board the roller-me and and another
bulI-with three old-timers bound up
the stream. when the sight Of box
being lifted down from the baggage
car hitched to a train just in on the
cross-the-way track sort Of held me.
81 knew the shape and color OF the
box. It was the kind they ship cashed-
in lags in. back to their folks, II their
folks wants them.
And then. taking a slant down the
station to pipe II anybody was going to
be on the job TO receive the box con-
tanning the dead lag, l saw the girl.
She was in black, and she had a baby
In her arms.
"She was so blinded with the crying
that she would have stepped OF the
platform on to the track II I hadn't
done a quick waddle and caught her
round the waist
She was about twenty-five. but she
looked up at me out Of the eyes Of an
old woman. The fat baby in her arms
cooed and sang that improvised baby
stuff, and the little mother logged It
along, tottering from one side OF the
platform to the other, me holding her
up, while my matey watched our bunch
of up-going lags.
II hated to have her see the box. BUT
that was what she was there for, and
there was no tagging her. When she
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