The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-18

Inora Toad :Iegsop3 burgt in

NN~ - ~ ~
at the depot. an IL We run like Texas
down the back way, in the shadow OF
the houses, we Kin climb her. There
amt "A second. Start runnin', ] tell
you"
Both men were upon their feet anu
had grabbed their hats.
Now, what's the matter?" demand
ed W%nllingfori.
Don't ask me no questions" plead
ed Toad. "Olc saGLorn is just finish
in d speech up on lsedeye square, an
7 he's got 'em all to believin' that you
two ,jes' gave ZEN a slick talk to gain
time SOS youse could sneak out Of
| town. They'll he down here a-sIZzlin
in about three minutes. by the way
| they was howlin', an this time there
| won't he no speeches made. Saghorn.
he says
a don't care what he says" inter
rupted Blaciie. II have an important
engagement. ana IL you two gentlemen
will excuse me I shall just jog upon
my way
WallingFord marveled at how slowly
he ran for so swift a movement of Ills
legs. lie noticed that BlNckie was
several houses in advance of him. and
he believed that Toad was darling
along somewhere In his ncighborhood.
| but he took no accurate observations.
He was paying very strict attention
TO the stationary headlight of that
freight engine and to the rough ground
that he was traverslng. 1t seemed
constantly rising M toward him. n
IL he ever let it come up near enough
to hit him in the place which most af-
fected his breathfng-well, there was
enough money in the bank to make
Fannie and little Jimmie comfortable.
But he felt that they needed him.
Just before he reached the track the
train hcgun to move. He saw Blackic
run down to meet It and Chamber
upon the first car and leap over its
edge with the jerky motion Of Il jump
ing jack. With n desperate squirt Wal
lingford reached the truck as that
same car came up to him. He made n
wild clutch Mt It and marveled to find
his hand gripped tightly upon the hand
bar and his foot resting firmly in the
iron stirrup. For n couple Of minutes.
which seemed MS many ages, he hung
there trying to regain his breath; then.
summoning all his strength, he brought
| up his other foot. stepped to the huf-
fer, crawled upon the edge of the Ear
and fell in. a groan told him that lie
had fallen upon BIackie. but neither
one OF them had the energy or the
breath to move for some minutes.
Blacliie was the first to recover. and.
the car being full of slack coal that
! pyramided down into the corners, he
managed to wriggle himself out from
under the heavy body that lay partly
upon him, although the effort brought
down n rush Of the black pebbly pow
der that envcloped them both in the
sitting inky dust.
The thought that had made Blackie
! release himself 50 energetically was
with him yet, however, for as soon as
lie could free his tongue from its thick
coating he sasped:
where's Toad?"
Where was Toad? A quick search
around the edges Of the car revealed
the fact that he was not with them
nor could they see him hanging to the
!, train upon either side. In that heart
| sick moment they knew how genuine
| ly fond of the boy they were, and ut
that moment also the train gave a for
ward lurch MS it left the top of the up
ward pull and started upon the down
grade, and the water tank that had
just been filed stopped part of its on
tents back upon them, wetting them
to the skin. 1t was a refreshing bnth,
| and it washed Oft some Of the coal
dust in streaks, though 1t made the
dust that they acquired in the balance
Of the ride stick to them better.
1t was so that Wallingford left Dou.
galville, and he gladly saw its lights
fading behind him as they jolte1 away.
due southeast, toward the blessed land
Of taXis and push buttons and bath
| tubs. pa
"And I tried to save the burg" vail
ed Wallingford, wlping the linky paste
/ out Of his eye. 81 wish I hadn't play
cd on the level with the citizens OF
Douga4villc. They'd have respected
me more" .|NlrI. |"5
AREN'T you going back?" demanded
Blackie, surprised.
Back" howled Walllngford. Back:
Listen to me, Blackfe. There isn't a
leather chair nor n FIVE languagcd
waiter nor a bunch Of orchids In the
place, and there won't be for ten
years. Back? When I can have my
luggage carried in an elevator to the
eleventh door OF the Douga1vdlle hotel
I might consent to stop there over
night, but not before. Back? Why
should I go back" .
"Oh, nothing: only n large fortune
and that stockholders mecttng" ug-
| gestcd Blackie.
Gam l of a greedy disposition?" de-
manded Wallingford. digging Jumps of
wet coal dust from between his collar
aud bis neck. mo. Blackie. I gave
them a tip in my speech on how they