The Lamar register., 1916-10-18
FVELYN'S HOLIDAY
BY lola FORESTER.


The little fiufry-haired stenogrnpher
near the window was always asking
impromptu questions more or less EN-
barrassing.
Evelyn colored ever so slightly as
she bent TO sign the last batch Of let
tiers.
81 hardly think l shall get away. l
am taking home some new estimates
to go over"
you're an awful goose to work. so
hard. You don't get any thanks for it,
can tell you that right now. | heard
Mr.. Dorrance tell Jimmie that you
We're working yourself TO death and
you'd die in harness In the forties
You bet l won't"
After the others had left the office,
Evelyn sat at her desk as usual, going
over the last duties of the day when
the office was quiet. And somehow
the words of the little stenographar
kept recurring to her. Was she wrong
to LET life slip by without any real fun?
She was twenty-seven, private secre-
tary to Gates Waring. the civil engi-
neer. He was out of town a great
deal OF the time, and left the detail
of the office to her absolutely. Eve
Ign liked to think she was essential to
him. Yet his words were always few
and impersonal.
He was on his way north now she
knew. A wire that morning stated he
would leave Washington Monday morn
ing. The office would be closed Labor
day. She had plenty of opportunity
to go away for the day. And. before
she knew it, she had begun to plan.
The next morning early she found
herself on a jammed platform in Jer-
sey, waiting for the excursion cars TO
be opened up. She had planned a
ride of an hour, then a wonderful trip
on a lake. and hours to spare on the
veranda OF big hotel.
She had brought some magazines TO
read on the train. II must have been
three-quarters Of an hour before there
came the long. shrill whistle again
and again from the engine and the
grinding of the brakes.
at isn't our train" somebody near
said after the brakeman had passed
through. "The Washington express
hit a freight"
Evelyn heard and rose. OF course,
II could not be his train, and still she
found herself moving along with the
crowd in the aisles down tire car
side the track.
The engine of the express seemed
to have tried to climb mp the caboose
of the freight.
mo one was hurt7" she asked the
man next her.
Guess the engineers killed. They
say he's damned down under some
pipes. They're afraid the currents
got him. There's fellow from the
express gone up after him.
Gone up after him7 She looked
again at the upreared mass. She
could see a mans figure now moving
down in the twisted damned mass,
the man who was epdnngeriGg his
own life from live wires on the big
electric engine. Tense and rigid. she
waited with the others until the man
came slowly, surely. struggling out
with a llmp burden In his arms.
Hes not dead yet" sch heard him
say. and at the sound Of his voice size
ran forward, ran like child up to
where he stood with both arms held
out.
'Oh, Mr.. Waring. can | help?'
His face and clothes were begrined
and his hands burned. But he turned
to look at her with his curious smile
of amused contentmeut with life in
general.
do you know where there's fresh
water7'
There's a brook right in the field
here" called out boy from the
neighb0rhOod. IN show you"
She followed Nariug to it, helped
him ms he knelt down to battle his
face, and tried to bandnge his hunds
with strips Of torn-up handkerchiefs.
And while they stayed there, the
whistle of the excursion train
sounded
81 haven't anything on It," Evelyn
said. Never mind if it does 20 with
out me. l was just going up to the
lake for the day. But I'll stay with
you now. l think you need ne"
81 think l always need you" War
ing answered quickly. 1T will be
hours before they clear away that