The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-25

meanest countenance and the most
'Feacherous eyes / have ever seen.
You. mem" he shouted. Have you
seen anything OF giri?" and he rat
tied out description of the very per
son whom had left on top of my car.
LOOK in the caboose-t there's six
way fares there" observed the con-
ouetor, and | hurried back to my car
10 md no trace of the mysterious
young lady who had so recently APP
pealed to my chivalry and sympathy.
she was gone. l scanned the level
stretch beyond the tracks, expecting
10 glimpse her flying form, for | doubt
cd not that she was a runaway. I
pltled her if the man had Just seen
was her guardian or relative.
She did not drift soon out of my
mind. So wildly had she impressed
me that could reproduce her mental.
ly with clearness We made our run
ana dusk came on just as we reached
the junction. AS we made up a new
train and got well on to the belt spur
| determined to open the trap in the
roof and get inside and by the aid of
my fashlight enjoyed the lunch | had
tossed among the packages below.
We were just passing an overhead
bridge when | caught fieeting
glimpse of a descending form. In
nash my suspicious were excited, and
rightly. A man had dropped to the
roof OF the car from the girders. He
bore down upon me.
OF course | realized what was do.
ing, A gang were after the contents
OF the special car. and here was the
torerunner of the group He made fol-
me and We collided. | went fiat, and
he, too. He was intent on throwing
me off the car and later cast the pre-
clous freight to confreres awaiting
him farther down the line.
/ slid and, lying extended, seized
the rod of the brake wheel. He would
be upon me in another moment, when
ne uttered a sharp cry. Turning,
saw a figure beside the open trap. |
saw the ankle of my enemy seized.
He was swung backwards and. then
squarely over the side of the car into
space.
The girl In a flashing second un.
derstood it all, She had got down into
the car hours before, doubtless fright
ened into hiding from the man who
was looking for her. She had thrown
back the scuttle cover just in time to
save the freight and myself.
And now, having shown the cour-
age OF true woman, she became tim
i'd and reticent. | could not influence
her to explain her situation. only
to get away from persecution" she
uttered more than once. and shud-
dered. Only to find some secluded
home, shelter, safe retreat for a
single month"
won upon her confidence during
that strange night journey When we
reached the terminus took her to the
home of my sister. She told her
everything, but the information was
not impaired to me then
The company traced the man who
had been halted so summarily in his
scheme to loot the special car. They
found him cripple for life and broke
up his thieving gang.
By the end of the month my mys-
terry girl became my true love In an
other thirty days | was ordered by
this imperious little tyrant to abandon
hard work and peril.
For am an heiress, you see," said
Elyira, and the cruel guardian was
escaping from, bent on forcing me to
marry his son, has no further power
over your loving and happy wife" So
! ceased to be car rider, bat blessed
the day ever that made me one,
whereby gained the love of the dear
est little woman in the world.