Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-04
The Daily Story
Telegraphy of the Soul


Extra! Extraw
The shrill cry of a newsboy outside
broke sharply on the silence of the warm,
sunlit room
Horrible disasterl Wreck of the Linn
itedl Twenty people killed! Extral
Extra"
The girl before the fire started nerv-
ously. She was pale and her eyes were
large and dark with excitement She
listened intently till the last faint sound
died away. Then mechanically she
smoothed open and reread the bit of
yellow paper in her hand:
Limited wrecked. escaped unhurt, will
be with you tomorrow. John Bronson"
the telegram read.
With little passionate cry of relief
and joy she pressed the crumpled yellow
messenger to her lips.
All the next day she listened anxiously
for his ring, and yet when he finally came
TALL broad-shouldered, crossing the
| room to her with quick easy stride. she
could find no words for the wild rush of
Joy that enveloped her. but stood mo-
tionless. holding out her hands to him
| In the dim. frelit room.
Martha, Martial" he said, unsteadily
grasping the slender, outstretched hands
tightly in his own. And when she did
not speak
Martha, have 1 made a mistake? Do
you want me to stay? Tell me the truth"
Yes, yesw she answered, tremuously,
leaving her hands in his In her tumult
of delight Ion, can you not see it?"
Yes" he said, gravely. II know
Il never meant that other" she went
OH, breaking into low, nervous laughter.
1 knew even when said it that / didn't.
-yesterday-oh!"-the clasp of her
slender fingers frightened on hls-"I don't
know what 1 should have done If you
rad"
She stopped abruptly, and with
heavy shudder, burst into tears in the
strong, tender clasp of his arms.
Some time afterward she slipped away
I from him and dropped into the deep
leather chair drawn up in front of the
fireplace. a little sigh escaped her. She
motioned him to a neighboring chair,
but gravely, and not with her accus
toned gaiety.
TOO far off. I can do the subject JUS
tice only at close range" he objected
Standing on the heartnrug, he smiled
down at her. She was looking straight
before her, wide-eyed and motionless.
staring into the dancing flames. He re-
garded her searchingly, and. as If inn
PEELED to the question because of her eX-
treme stiffness;
"Of what are you thinking?" he asked.
She turned to him, drawing her breath
quickly. The logs in the fireplace famed
| up in sudden brilliance. and for the first
time she noticed his pallor and the dark
| circles under his eyes; his tace, too. was
| graver than its wont. in spite of its great
| content.
81 have forgotten how hard it was
for you, too" Martha said, with quick
| contrition. do you know. Robert"-she
sat up suddenly. her eyes dark with
horror-"I thought I was there with you.
heard the shrieks. l saw the red glare
of the flames, 1 felt the train sway and
jar as the cars ahead crashed into the.
engine. OH"
She broke off with long, shudderlng
breath.
Robert" she said. solemnly, 81 did see
1t. I-was-on-that-train
He looked at her strangely, then seated
| himself on the arm of the big leather
chair. and. slipping his arm around her,
drew her gently toward him.
ut was yesterday" she went on in a
| choked voice, nervously clasping and un-
clasping her hand. II was sitting here,
and kept thinking and thinking of you,
and then suddenly saw you. You were
sitting in a car, smoking and laughing
and talking, and all the while some
dreadful thing was creeping up beside
you-closing In around you-and you
would not see, win all my might
called to you to come away, and almost
that same instant came a terrific jolt, and
the horrible grinding sound of crashing
cars. I tried to close my eyes to the
binding glare of the spreading flames.
and then-I was here again-just sitting
here before the fre at home"
1.-THE dream haunted me, Then your
telegram came, Robert''-she changed her
position somewhat and regarded him
earnestly-"I did not dream 1t. saw it.
Tell me that you believe l did not dream
it."
He nodded, regarding her gravely
but how could / see II when / was
here In this room all the timer" she
went on with a little laugh. Then her
nerves, already strained TO the breaking
point, gave way. and her slender body
quivered with heavy sobs..
The clasp OF his arms reasHured her.
He drew her head to his shoulder and
they sat in silence In the fast darkening
room, lighted only By the flames leaping
In and out between the heavy logs.
His voice, intense and hushed, was the
frst to break the silence.
Il was In the front part or the train,
In the smoking car" he said, grayely, Il
had finished one cigar, and was about 10
take another. Indeed, the cigar case was
In my hand, and | was just about TO
ofer It 10 my companion when l looked
10 and saw-you. There you were, stand
ne car. / remember you standing there.
SO I must have seen your whole hgurei
but all that / noticed were your eyes
intense se-eompelling-eleetr with some