Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-04
CHAPTER. I

alongside4 tho little station, and . re-
luctant porter opened his vestibule
door to descend 70 the.snowswept plat
form: solitary passenger had
reached The journeys end. The swirl
Of snow and sleet screaming out Of the
blackness It the end of the station
building enveloped the porter In an
instant, and cut his ears and neck with
singing force as he turned his hack
against the gale. A pair Of lonely.
half-obscured PLATFORM sNShts cleaned
fatuoalsly ct the tor of4thair Icy posts
at each end Of thu station: two or
three frost-incrusted windows glowed
duly IN tie side Of the building, while
one shone brightly where the operator
sat waiting for the passing of No. 80.
An order had been issued for the
stopping Of the fast express at B.
a noteworthy concession in these days
Of premeditated haste. Not in the pre-
vious career Of flying 80 had 1t even SO
much as slowed down for the insig-
niflcant little station. through which
1t swooped ut midnight the whole year
round. Just before pulling out Of New
York on this eventful night the con-
ductor received a command to stop
SO at b and let down single pas
senger, q circumstance which meant
trouble for every dispatcher along the
line.
The woman who got down at B.
in the wake Of the shivering but defer.
ential porter. and who passed by the
conductors without lifting her face.
was without hand luggage Of any de.
'scription. She was heavily yelled, and
warmly clad in furs. At eleven o'clock
that night she had entered the com.
!partment tn New York. Throughout
the thirty miles or more she had sat
alone and inert beside the snow
iiclogged window. peering through veil
and frost into the night that whizzed
past the pane. seeing nothing yet ap-
parently intent on all that stretched
beyond. AS still, as immobile as
death itself she had held herself from
the moment Of departure to the instant
that brought the porter with the word
that they were whistling for B.
Without word she arose and fol.
lowed him to the vestibule. where she
watch15 him AZ he unfastened the
outer door and lifted the trap. A
single word escaped her lips and he
held out his hand to receive the crum-
pied she clutched In her gloved
fingers. He did not look at it. He
knew that it would amply reward him
for the brief exposure he endured on
the lonely, wind-swept platform of a
station. the name OF which he did not
know.
She took several uncertain steps in
the direction Of the station windows
and stopped, as If bewildered. Already
the engine was pounding the air with
quick, viciouE snorts in the effort to
get under way; the vestibule trap and
door closed with bang; the wheels
were creaking. A bitter wind smote
her in the face; the wet, hurting sleet
crashed against the thin veil, binding
her.
The door of. the waiting room across
the platform opened aud q man rushed
toward her.
."Mrs. Wrandall!" he called above
the roar Of the wind.
She advanced quickly.
"Yes."
What : night" he said. as much to
himself as to her. I'm sorry you
would insist on coming tonight. To-
morrow morning would have satisfied
the"
Els this Mr.. Drake?"
They were being blown through the
door into the waiting room as she put
the, question. Her.voice. was mufied.
The man in the great fur coat put his
weight against the door to close it.,ss,
eyes, Mrs wrandall. l have. done
Ill that could be done under the cir
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