Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1917-01-18

tore jim with her hands ciuspeu. How
can thank youY she cried. "He Is
everything have, he is everything In
the world 20 me-
"Be my friend said Jim holding
out his hand.
That was inns chance. Friendship
ripened. One day he asked her to be-
come his wife. Then the strange look
OF fear that he knew so well came
into her eyes.
mo. yon must not ask me that's
she said. Il shall never marry again.
And, seeing Jim's distress. she added:
Il VIII tell you the truth. | am a
runaway wife. / cannot speak I'll Of
my husband now. / could have borne
with his inndeiitles, with his abuse,
butt did not want my boy to grow
up 70 be like him."
X was weeks afterward that she
tpid hirp al. Her husband was 3
WetlfIg rlAn ID 0maim when size
found that she could endure life win
him no longer she had run away.
pennlless, save for her railroad ticket.
He had one redeemlng quality: he
loved his son. On this account she
knew that he would leave no stone
unturned TO find them.
Jim went away. Borrowing. He
knew now that she could never be
his. For she shrnnk instinctiyely, he
felt without asking, from the pub
licity Of divorce. Besides. TO seek
divorce would be to put her husband
on her trail. She wanted to let the
years roll between them, creating an
ever widening barrier, until she felt
that the past could never stretch out
Its grisly hand upon her.
so the months changed into years.
II was nearly three years since LeIia'a
coming when something happened
which Jim had always known 10 be
Inevitable.
II was morning. and he was on the
high pastures with his cattle when
he saw her running toward him. with
the boy, scrambling up the steep hill
side. She reached him; her face was
white with fear.
"IIe has found me~ she gaspea.
20, save mel Help meTT
Up the road came the foot Of an
nuto horn. Jim saw the car climb
the grade llse a heavy locomotive.
The car stopped. A man Ieaped
out man in the prime Of life, abb
surdiy strong. absurdly healthy, with
the buster. and yet the sense OF pow
er. that sometimes accompanies the
successful man.
lie leaped to the groNnd and ad.
vanced upon the woman, Apiiing. jim
barred his path.
MY wife, be said.
4 know answered Jim.
"See here. young man. You don't
perhaps understand am here 70
claim my own. my legal own. my
wife and child She has nothing to
fear from me 1 have never laid mp
han;na ~s-@" h~- Stand ont ~
-You may have a legal right" said
Jim, hut you ain't going TO take her 2
The man laughed. whipped on hts
coat, and displayed pair Of muscular
arms Her loverr' be sneered.
aGod witness. there has never been
love between u.s." answered Jim.
The woman sprang between them.
"Jim. he Is right she said. sNow
he has found me. must 90 with hIm.T
Jim, amazed az the change OF Atti.
tudc, stood absolutely mute. The mar
nodded.
Good for you" he said. Leila
tho past u past. You'll never heat
Of II from me. It's only for the boy's
sake | want you back And I guess
you'll be happier than you were"
Mechanically the girl entered the
auto. They lifted the boy inside. The
horn footed. They were gone. And
Jim stared foolishiy after them.
How strong the bonds between hus.
band and wifel She was gone out Of
his life. He had never dreamed Of
such thing. But why had she gone
with him. when he was ready to fighi
for herr
Jim did not understand women
their changes, their sense OF duty
coming Ia so oddly at critical mo.
ments. Like man In dream he
watched the ear shoot down the hill
Il was going very fast. The brake
was damaged by the rough road. In
fact. but Jim did not know that. All
he thought was that Il was going very
fast toward the cutting And sud.
denly there came the roar OF the train
leaving the tunnel.
The auto shot forward. II was now
evidently beyond control Jim began
to run.
But he was much too far away to
be Of any help. As be ran he saw
the dreadful picture; the train rae
ing along the narrow cutting, the auto
caught and overturned; the desperate
efforts OF the occupants to free them.
selves.
Then he saw the man stagger to
his feet, lift the boy In his arms and
toss him TO the farther bank. The
train was almost upon him, a kissing
snorting monster with flaming breath.
But he caught up the woman In his
arms and flung her clear of the
metals; and the next instant the train
was upon him, bearing him down.
grinding out his life beneath its
wheels, tearing the decapitated body
along the way and passing onward.
Jim was sick with horror when he
reached the scene. to find that the
woman and the boy still lived. He
kneeled before Leila, trying to shield
her from the knowledge of what had
happened. Then. picking her up, he
carried her to the top of the emhank.