Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-11-16
followed the car to the house where tn.

followed the car to the house where tina
reception was held; even minsling with
the guests and watching untfl the bridal
couple left for the train. He had stood
in the ally in the shadow, the only one
of h guests who had found how the
bride was really going away, and again
he had folloWed to the station.
He had walked close enough to the
bridegroom in the station to be almost
sure that mustache and those heavy
eyebrows were false; and yet he could
rot make 1T out. How could it be pos
sible that a man who was going to be
married in a great church fun of fash
ionable people would so dare to flirt
with chance as to accept an invitation
TO u dinner where he might not be able
TO get away for hours? What would
have happened IL .he had not got there
in time? Was it in the least possible
that these two men could be identical?
Everything but the likeness and the
fact that he had followed the mar SO
closely pointed out the impossibil!ty.
The thick-set man was accustomed
to trust his inner impressions
thoroughly, and in this case his
inner impression was that he must
watch this peculiar bridegroom and be
sure he was not the right man before
he forever got away from hiIn-and
yet-and yet, he might be missing the
right MAJ by doing it. However, he
had come so far, had risked q good
deal already in following and in throw
ing himself on that fast moving train.
He would stay a little longer II find
| out for sure. He would try and get a
| seat where he could watch him and in
an hour he ought to be able to tell il
he were really the man who had stolen
the code writing. II he could avoid the
conductor for a time he would simply
profess to I'VE taken the wrong train
by mistake and maybe could get put
off somewhere near home, in case he
discovered hat he was barking up the
wrong tree. He would stick to the
train for a little yet, inasmuch as there
seemed no safe way Of getting off at
! present.
Having decided so much, he gave one
last glance TOWARD the tWinkling lights
Of the city hurrying past, and getting
up sauntered into the train, keeping a
Weather eye out for the conductor. He
meant to burn no bridges behind him.
He was well provided with money for
any kind of a trip and mileage books
and passes. He knew where to send
q telegram that would bring him in
slant assistance in case of need, and
even now he knew the officer on the
motorcycle had reported to his
ployer that he had boarded this train.
There was really no immediate need
for him to worry. 1t was big game he
was after and one must take some
risks In a case of hat sort. Thus he
entered the sleeper to make good the
impression Of his inner senses.
Gordon a never held anything so
precious, SO sweet and beautiful INC
frail looking, in his arms. He had a
feeling that he ought to lay her down,
yet there was a longing to draw her
clio -er to himself and shield her from
everything that could trouble her.
But she was not his-only a precious
trust to be guarded and cared for as
vigilantly as the message he carried
hidden about his neck; she belonged to
another. somewhere, and was a sacred
trust until circumstances made 1T pos
sible for him to return her to her
rightful husband. Just what all this
might mean to himself, to the woman
in his arms. and to the nan whom she
was to have married, Gordon a not
as yet had time to think. 1t was as If
he had been watching a moving pic
ture and suddenly a lot of circum-
stances had fallen in a heap and be-
come all jumbled up together, the re-
suit of his own rash but unsuspecting
steps. the way whole families AVE in
moving pictures Of falling through a
skyscraper from floor to floor, carrying
furniture and inhabitants with them as
they descend.
He had not as yet been able to dis
entangle himself from the debris and
find out what had been his fault and
! what he ought to do about it.
He laid her gently on the couch Of
the drawing room and opened the little
door of the private dressing room.
There would be cold water in there.
He knew very little about caring fof
sick people-he had always been we'll
n strong himself-but cold. water
was what they used for people who
had tainted, he was sure. He would
was absolutely necessary. He pulled
; the door of the stateroom shut and
went after the water. AS he passed the
mirror, he started at the curious vision
Of himself. One false eyebrow had
come loose and was hanging over his
+, eye, and his goatee was crooked. Had
it been so all the time? He snatched
the eyebrow off. and then the other:
but the mustache and goatee were
more tightly affixed and it was very
painful to remove them. He glanced
back. and the white, limp look OF the
girl on the couch frightened him. Whit
was he about, to stop over his appear
ance when she might be dying, and as
for pain-he tore the false hair roughly
from him, and. stuffing it into his
pocket, filled a glass with water and
went back to the couch. His chin and
| upper up Snarleu, DuC ne ala not no
tice it. nor know that the mark Of the
plaster was all about his face. He only
Knew that she lay there apparently
l~ifeless before him., and he must bring
| the soul back into those dear eyes. II
was strange, wonderful, how his feel
ing had grown for the girl whom he
had never seen till three hours before
He held the glass to her lips and
tried to make her drink, then poured
water OF his handkerchief and awk-
wardly bathed her forehead. Some lair
! pins slipped loose and a great wealth
Of golden brown hair fell across his
knees as he half knelt beside her. One
little hand dropped over the side OF
the couch inc touched his. He started!
1t seemed SO cold and l~ifeless.
He blamed himself that he had nc
remedies in his suit case. Why had he
never thought to carry something
simple restorative? Other people
might need 1t though he did not. NJ
mar ought to travel without something
for the saving of life in an emergency
He might have needed it himself even
in case Of a railroad accident or some.
thing.
He slipped his arm tenderly under
her head n triSd to raise it so tina,
she could drink, but the white lips die
not move nor attempt to swallow.
Y NSt~on ,o-Io s-iuaa -. g.