Evening star., 1914-04-19

went down the mountain after bucket o It'd
Hush, Mani cried. l couldn't bear to hear him
tell it. bent my head to the cab frame and sobbed
How like myself she had been! Left Alone with one
small child! And had taken it away-with my feeling
less, laundering engine
Squaredeal Ryford stopped broken1y, and covered
his pale face with his hands. The young driver of No.
80 bent forward and the others couldn't his face for
the shadow of the stove. There only the sound of
the mad tearing of the wintrv wind outsie-and there
in the lobby of the Trainmens Hotel who
heard it.
PYFORD continued seeming to have gathered him.
self together almost mracuously for the last of the
story of the gantet that had turned half his hair
gray:
a turned back to the old mountaineer after mo-
ment. 4 didn't hide-no said. 4 shall never hide
because do not wish to be coward. They call me
square man, who pays his debts If the taking
of my very insignificant life will in the least satisfy
Sally Boand she's welcome to do it. 1t poor bau
BILE, my life; but am willing to pay it on the great debt
and feel that it will be, indeed little thing to give
"And that the way felt about it. Perhaps my
grief at the accident had touched my mind | don't
know don't know!
"The old man of the hills eyed me silently for mo-
ment. caught the idea that he fully understood. He
slapped me the shoulder. BY gyarl he said,
ing very much in earnest YOUR burned sight better
feller'n | thought you I'll be burned if l haint
reel sorry for you! If L
Say, broke in my fireman, YOU go back to Sally
Boland and tell her about this. Tell her he's broken
heartedtell her all about this And tell her about
his own baby-he's got one, just she had, and he's
all the baby's got earth. So you tell Sally Boand
for his kiddie's sake to let him go!
"' If could git her to listen to me, continued the
mountaneer, I'd shore tell her. But she won't listen
to nobody-shes done told me she'd shoot the next
time | mentioned the leetle matter You see, Mr..
Ingine Man, I've been tellin her | wouldn't be too
hastv about KILN YOU No. it'd be impossible for me
to git chanst to tell her.
"'There's only one thing to do, said my fireman.
good old Jimmy Mulhaven there, who had forgotten
everything that his friend, and that's to
have the law take charge of that and keep her
until she becomes sane
Don't talk like that Jimmy l replied. She
couldn't be taken alive. And she'd her rifle, and
make it than And even if she could be
taken, do you think that I'd want it done? Irons
her wrists and bars of iron? The Lord forbid! No. my
friend Jimmy. It's the everlasting mother in her. and
it's holy the Almighty, matter what garb it
takes. You're wrong, Jimmy Muhaven.
Jimmy shook his head resignedy. Yes he said,
L guess I'm wrong don't know what to do. But, old
pal it was for you that said it. hate to part with
you
"The train had taken siding for whstled past and
shortly afterward again rushing toward the ter
nina1 here
II slept not minute that night at the Trainnens
Hotel Unless something intervened, something beyond
my power to foresee, it my last night among the
walks of men. felt great deal as imagine person
condemned to die feels the of his execution.
allowed my mind to dwell considerably the idea that
it would be in measure payment OF my debit and yet
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