The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-01-08

NOTtOu ICdShSu ONST anu pdLteU
her hand. Then he sat back with a
sudden shock of dismay. He Owed
a hand into a pocket, into another and
another. The price of the telegram
he had sent to Jones was all he had
had in the world; and he had borrowed
that from a friendly stoker. In the
excitement he had forgotten all about
such contingency as the absolute
need Of money.
Florence, I'm afraid we're going to
have trouble with the conductor when
he comes"
Why"
He pulled out his pockets sugges-
lively. mot a postage stamp. They'll
put US of at the next station. And"
with a glance In the little mirror be-
tween the two windows, Il shouldn't
blame them bit" He was unshaven.
he was wearing the suit substituted
for his own; and Florence, sartorially,
was not much better off.
She smiled, blushed, stood up, and
turned her back to him, Then she sat
down again In her hand she held
small dilapidated roll of banknotes.
II had them with me when they
abducted me- she said. BESIDES,
this ring is worth something"
Thank the Lord" he exclaimed,
relievedly.
So there was nothing more to do
but be happy; and happy they were.
They we're quite Obvious to the pecu-
liar interest they aroused among the
other passengers. This unshaven
young man, in his ragged coat and
soiled jersey; this beautiful young
girl, in a wrinkled homespun, her
glorious blonde hairy awry; and the
way they looked at each other during
those lulls in conversation peculiar
to lovers the world over, impressed
the other passengers with the idea
that something very unusual had hap
pened to these two.
The Pullman conductor was not es-
pecially polite; but money was money,
and the stockholders, waiting fer their
dividends made it impossible for him
to reject it. The regular conductor
paid them no more attention than to
grumble over changing a $50 bill
So, while these two were hurrying
on to New York, the plotters were
hurrying east to meet them. The two
trains met and stopped at the same
station about eighty miles from New
York. The princess, accompanied by
Vroon. who kept we'll in the back
ground, entered the car occupied by
the two castaIsays.
In the mirror at the rear of the car
Norton happened to cast On idle
glance, and he saw the princess.
Vroon, however, escaped his eye.
BE careful, Florence" he said. THE,
princess is in the car. The game be-.
gins again. Pretend that you suspect
Pretty quick work on their
part And that's all the more reason
why we should play the comedy well.
Here she comes. She will recognize
you, throw her arms around you. and
show all manner OF effusiveness. Just
keep your head and play the game"
She lied about you to me-"
mo matter"
"O!" cried the princess. She seized
Florence In a wild embrace. She was
an inimitable actress, and Norton
could not help admiring her. Your
butler telephoned me: l ran to the
first train out. And here you are,
back safe and sound! 1t is wonderful.
Tell me all about 1t. What an adven-
ture! And. good heavens. Mr. Nor
ton, where did you get those clothes?
Did you find her and rescue her? What
a newspaper story you'll be able to
make out OF It all! Now, tell me Just
what happened" She sat down on
the arm of Florence's chair. The girl
had steeled her nerves against the
touch of her. And yet she was beauti-
full! How could any one so beautiful
be wicked?
We'll, 1t began like this" said Flor
ence: and she described her adven-
lures, opitting, to be sure, Braines
part in 1t.
She had reached that part where
they had been rescued by Captain Ban
mock when a laundering, grinding
crash struck the words from her lips.
The three of them were flung Violent
ly to one side OF the car amid splinter
ing ood,tinkling glass. and the shrek
OF steel against steel. A low wall OF
horror rose and died away as the car
careened over on its side. The three
were rendered unconscious and were
huddled together on the floor, under
the uprooted chairs.
Vroon had escaped with only a slight
cut on the hand from flying glass. He
climbed over the chairs and passen-
gers with single object in view. He
saw that all three he was interested
In were insensible. He quickly exam
ined them and saw that they had net
received serious injuries. He had bat
little time. The princess and Mort On
would have to take their chance with
the other passengers. Resolutely he
stopped and lifted Florence in mis-
arma and ora wled ont of tha car With