Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-11-15

he saw they were already speeding ovEs
a network Of tracks, and trains were
flying by in every direction. BY the time
they were out of this the speed would
be too great for him to attempt a
jump. 1t was even now risky, and he
was heavy for athletics. He must do it
at once IL he did it at all.
He looked ahead tentatively to see if
the track on which he must jump was
clear. and the great Y of an engine
stabbed him in the face, as it bore
down upo.l him. The next instant it
swept by, it's hot breath tanning his
cheek, and he drew back %shuddering in
voluntarily. 1t was of no use. He could
not jump here. Perhaps they would
slow up or stop, and anyway, should
he jump or stay on board?
He sat down on the upper step the
better to get the situation in hand Per-
haps in a minute more the way would
he clearer to jump off if he decided not
to go on. Thus he vacillated. 1T was
rather unlike him not to know his own
mind.
1t seemed as if there must be
thing here to follow, INC yet, perhaps
he was mistaken. He had been the first
man of h company at the front door
after Mr.. Holman turned the paper
over, n they all had noticed III alb
sence of the red mark. 1t has been
Simultaneous with the clicking OF the
door-latch n he had covered the
ground from his seat to the door sooner
than anyone else. He could swear he
had seen the man get into the cab that
stood almost in front OF the house. He
had lost no time in getting into his own
car which was detailed for such an
emergency. IL in signalling the officer
on a motor cycle who was also ready
for a quick call. The carriage had bare
ly turned the corner when they fol-
loved, there was no other Of the kind
in sight either way but that, and he
had followed it closely. I must have
been the right carriage. And yet, when
the man got out at the church he was
changed, much changed in appearance,
so that he had looked twice into the
empty carriage to make sure that the
man for whom he searched was not still
in there hiding. Their he had followed
him n the church and seen him mar
r1ed: stood close at hand when he put
his bride into a big car, and he had
followed the car to the house where the
reception was held: even mingling with
the guests and watching until the bridal
couple left for the train. He had stood
in the ally in the shadow, the only n
Of the 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 it out. How could it be pos
sible that a man who was going to be
married in q great church full Of FASH
ionable people would so dare to i;irt
with chance as to accept an invitation
to a dinner where he might not be able
to get away for hours? What would
have happened If he had not got there
in time? Vas 1T in the least possible
that these two men could be identical?
Ny4vvykI$~~ hs,A Ah0 -- A.
fact that he had followed the man so
closely pointed out the impossibility.
The thick-set man was accustomed
to trust his inner impressions
thoroughly, and in this case his
inner impression IA that he must
watch this peculiar bridegroom and be
sure he was not the right man before
yet-and yet, he might be missing the
right man by doing it. However, he
had come 30 far, had risked q good
deal already in following and in throw
ing himself on h q fast moving train.
He would stay a little longer and find
seat where he could watch him and in
an hour he ought to be able to tell If
he were really the man who had stolen
the code writing. If he could avoid the
conductor for a time he would simply
profess to have taken the wrong train
Oy NiAStdhe anu IudyDe coulQ get put
off somewhere near home, in cas- he
discovered that he was barking up the
wrong tree. He would stick to the
train for q 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 we'll provided with money for
any lind Of a trip and mileage books
and passes. He knew where to send
slant assistance in case of need, and
even now he knew the officer on the
motorcycle had reported to his en-
ployer that he had boarded this train.
There was really no immediate need
for him to worry. It vas big game he
was after and must take some
risks in a case of that sort. Thus he
entered the sleeper to make good the
impression Of his inner senses.
Gordon had never held anything SO
precious. so sweet and beautiful and
frail looking. in his arms. He had a
yet there was q longing to draw her
closer to himself and shield her from
everything that could trouble her.
But h ~ not his-only q precious
trust to be guarded and cared for as
v~igilantly as the message he carried
hidden about his neck: she belonged to
another. somewhere. and was q 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 man whom she
was to have married, Gordon had not
as yet had time to think. It was as II
he had been watching a moving pic
ture and suddenly q lot Of circum-
stances had fallen In a heap and be-
come all jumbled up together. the re-