The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-02
81 don't know. MY head is spinning

twenty tHOuSdHu uuiidIo-iu tHele.
Cant you start up and run for it?'
Betty asked anxiously.
If | did they'd be out of the car
and up here before we'd get ten yards.
If Phelps was only alive, he could go
back and hold them with his gun un-
til | got her going SO they couldn't
jump. But"
I'm here" said Betty quietly. She
bent over the body on the floor and
fumbled for an instant. When she
Strengthened up she held the dead
mans revolver
You can't" began Bell, but Betty
interrupted him with a gesture
81 can and | will" she said deter
minedly. Even if you could walk
your duty is here. You can't leave
the engine. If those men get clear
away, there's no telling whether
they'll ever be caught. 1 can shoot
If have to. You watch. When you
see me in the car door, start, and
don't stop short of the mine
Bell reached out his uniniured hand,
and she took it in both of hers.
God bless you. he said simply.
The girl turned away without a
word, and began to make her way
over the tender. The door of the ex-
press car was open on a crack.
One of the highwaymen stood with
his back to il, the revolver in his
hand covering the express messenger,
who was backed up in corner. The
other man knelt in front of the safe
transferring notes and gold to a
gunny-sack on the floor beside him
Caution ily the girl descended the
perpendicular ladder at the back Of
the tende and stccd at last on the
platform She raised the revolver
clear and steady:
Hands up. or III shoot"
Instantly the man with the gun
wheeled and sent bullet in the di-
rection OF the voice. 1t whistled harm
lcssly over the girls shoulder, and
as the report of her own revolver
rang out, the man slowly doubled up
and slumped down into heap on the
floor. The train started
With an oath the man at the safe
The blue eyes Of the girl in the door
way were blazing into his, tho steady
barrel of the revolver never Wavered.
A por of arms suddenly went
around him from behind, and he was
hurled backward to the floor, where
he struggled in the powerful grasp
of the express messenger.
Take his gun away from him. Joe,
and tie him up" suggested Betty,
catching up a coil of rope from the
floor and moving into the car.
The train rolled ever the long tres
tie and into the woods beyond.
Through the darkness there came a
rapid series of short blasts from the
whistle.
The girl hesitated Ed must want
her help, but dared she go?
Can you hold him. Joc?" she asked
Sure. Pm all right was the re-
ply.
Up the steep ladder and over the
tender she climbed, steadying herself
against the rock and reel of the fly
ing train, while the whistle shrieked
again and again.
On the narrow seat Bell was sway
ing unsteadily back and forth. His
eyes were half closed, his clothes
stained red with the blood that
dripped from his wounded arm.
Betty" he murmured.
She could not hear, but in the dim
light she saw the movement of his
lips
I'm here, Ed; it's all right" she
treasured him.
'I'm-l'm all in-I-" his hand fell
forward on his breast "Stop-her-
at-the-" his voice trailed off into
silence.
The light of the station was coming
into view. On the little platform Bet
ty could see knot Of men gathered.
Again the whistle sent its clarion
warning into the night, but this time
it was Betty who pulled the cord. She
shut off steam and applied the brakes.
AS the engine came to a standstill, she
tottered to the gangway She could
see the crowd surging into the ex-
press car; one or two sprang toward
her The lights of the station danced
madly-grew dim, and went out alto.
gether
Doing nicely-just fright and
overeXertion-be all right in a day or
two
The disiointed sentences seemed
10 mean nothing at all; but Betty was
somehow conscious that someone was
talking about her She opened her
eyes and looked about The sun was
streaming brightly through the win
dows, and she was lying in her own
bed, with her mother bending over
her
Ed" she whispered
Her mother stopped and kissed her
swiftly, and turned away. Someone
else was standing beside the bed now
someone with white bandage
around his forehead and one arm in a
sling
'l}etty-dear," he said
And Retty smiled a contented. hap.
Ply little smile.