The herald., 1916-08-17


he hard 10 carry out his plan.
He 2eered into the car az Wibra.
ham. The president, sttll holding the
telegram. was bending forward, chew
ing an uElt cigar, evidently IN a
brown study. 4 blind anger surged
through the boys heart as he thought
OF the injustice and persecution that
made his life a hell.
Then he remembered that the train
was actually speeding toward his old
home, which he had not seen for six
years. Ills mother and old Stevens
lived near Leeds. His mother wrote
occasionally. and once year ne sent
her few lines. She never complained.
but he knew that Stevens made his
mothers life unbeatable. Then new
thought came 10 the boy. Why should
he be content with ritiing tho safe
Why not Kill Observation-Disclosures
all who had prosecuted him. lie had
tried hard on his mothers account
TO atone for the boyish error. The
world was against him. he would be
against the world.
As he stood there with : roar tho
train plunged into the tunnel
When II emerged it vas nearly dark.
The boy, lingering his cheap revolver
in INDIGESTION, looked through the glass
front of the door OF the express car.
Old Saunders was still reading his
newspaper. With "A TesOlute gesture
Rolfe took the revolver from The peck
ct into which he had thrust It and
moved forward
III
Suddenly he heard shouts from the
engine, and then the train began TO
slow down. Tie heard d revolver shot,
another shout; the train stopped sud.
denly, the wheels biting into the met
ais. as II the brakes had been iammed
down hard. The engine snOrted and
pulled 10 Il standStiIl.
The next moment two men clam
bered aboard the platform of the ex.
press car, SO hastily that they did
not see Rolfe on the platform of the
car behind them. They carried re-
volvers, and pushed open the door.
ROlfe saw old Saunders start up. He
grabbed his carbine. The next in
slant, before he could aim it. one OF
the men brought down the butt Of his
revolver with a sickening thud upon
the old veterans head. Saunders
pitched forward insensible upon the
floor OF the car.
One OF the men raised the limp
body In his arms and cast it into the
ditch at the bottom of the embank-
ment beside the line. Old Saunders
groaned feebly in the darkness.
The other man snatched at the safe
toward the platform with IT, Then it
was that Rolfe realized he had been
forestalled. And the evil thoughts died
out of his heart.
He held the revolver in his right
hand and aimed steadily. He fired.
The man who was carrying the safe
dropped 1t with a crash and toppled
forward. He sat up. looking with lu-
diCrous surprise at a stain OF blood
upon his trousers. The other man
spun round and fired wildly in Rolfe's
direction. ROlfe heard the bullet whiZ
past his head into the air.
Then he had lcaped upon the ex-
press car platform and engaged in a
furious fight with the second bandit.
The man thrust his revolver into his
face; Rolfe lodged Just in time to
avoid the bullet. and closed with his
opponent. He knocked the revolver
from his hand, and II went spinning
across the floor of the car.
The bandit released himself and
snatched up Saunders carbine. He
aimed a stunning blow at the boys
head. Rolfe ducked: 1t caught him on
the shoulder. and his arm dropped as
the collarbone fractured. With his
left hand Rolfe seized tho carbine.
The bandit wrested it from him and
sent him staggering back upon the
platform. He saw the man coming
for him again, was conscious Of a
shower OF sparks before his eyes. and
tainted
".
He was in the little room that he
had occupied years before in his moth
ar's home. He saw her face bent over
lis. and looked at her without under
1t all seemed like a dream.
Mother" he cried. What has
She laid her cool hand on his fore
read. Hush. dear" she said, az IL
lie were a little boy again.
II can't stay in this house, with
lim."
He died three weeks ago. Kenny"
he answered. And the thought Of
hat long martyrdom, and of her new
happiness filled her eyes with tears.
They wept together
II was not until a week later that
le learned the truth The president,
eceiving the letter from Stevens, had
'een impressed by its injustice Be-
ng the sort OF man who deemed that
10 sacrifice was too great for an en-
'loyee, he had taken the train that
light for Leeds, in order to interview
stevens. He had arrived on the ex-
'ress car platform In time to see
tolfe stricken down and to aid In
N V.fa RVf V,rr h.. 10,