The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-02-11

Won. rnrow ner arms around you, ana
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 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 it. 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?
"Well, 1t began like this" said Flor
ence; and she described her adven-
lures. emitting, to be sure, Braine's
part in it.
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 wood thinking 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 not
received serious injuries. He had but
little time. The princess and Norton
would have to take their chance with
the other passengers. Resolutely he
stopped and lifted Florence In his
arms and crawled out OF the car with
her. It was difficult task, but he
managed it. Outside, in the confusion,
no one paid any attention to him. So
he threw the unconscious girl over
his shoulder and staggered on toward
the road.
It was fortunate that the accident
had occurred where it did. Five miles
beyond was the station marked for the
arrest Of Norton as an abductor and
the taking in charge of Florence as q
rebellious girl who had run away from
her parents. If he could reach the
Swede's hut, where his confederates
were In waiting, the game was his.
After struggling along for half an
hour carriage was spied by Vroon,
and he hailed 1t when it reached his
side.
What's the trouble. mister?" asked
the farmer.
"A wreck on the railroad. My daugh-
ter IL badly hurt. must take her to
the nearest village How far Il ~"
about three milsA.
I'm give you twenty dollars for the
use Of that rig of yours"
Cant do 1t mister"
But It's 4 case Of humanity, sir!"i
Indignantly. You are refusing to aid:
the unfortunate"
The farmer thought 1t over for mo-
ment. "Au right. You can have the
buggy for twenty dollars. When you
get to the village take the nag to Doc;
Sanders livery. He'll know what to.
do
thank you. Help me in with her"
vroon drove away without the least:
intention Of going toward the village.
As result. when Florence came to-
her senses she found herself sur,
rounded by strange and ominous faces.
At first she thought that they had
taken her from the wreck out Of kind
ness; but when she saw the cold,
simpassive face Of the man vroon she
closed her eyes and lay back in the
chair. Well, i'll and weak as she was,
they should find that she was not
without q certain strength.
In the meatime Norton revived and
looked about in vain for Florence. He
searched among the crowd Of terrified
passengers, the hurt and the un-
harmed. but she was not to be found.
He ran back to the princess and helped
her out of the broken car
Where IL Florence?" she asked
dazedly.
God knows! Here, come over and
sit down by the fence till see II there
II field telegraph
They had already erected one, and
his message went OF with batch of
iothers. This time he was determined
not to trust to chance. The shock
may have brought back Florence's re-
cent mental disorder. and she may
have wandered on without knowing
what she was doing. On the other
hand aho vnou ho~vo hn~-