New Britain herald., 1917-03-10

instant, however. for again the crowd
4lurched forward and in q moment
was pressed back. This time a shrill
scream rent the air from the lips of
a fat woman near us.
"Oh, OH she walled. don't push
so. You're crushing my ribs in"
'It would take more weight than
this crowd to crush, that woman's
ribs in.'' Dicky commented cynically.
She's too well upholstered to DO
crushed"
/ had no heart to retort. In the
sickening surge back against me
when the crowd pushed back had
feared that my own ribs would be
crushed. but had choked back the
cry that rose to my lips. I had re-
solved grimly that no matter what
happened would not scream )or
complain.
We were MAKING such discouraging
progress, too.I All ground us people
were counting the pillars Of the col
onnade. Every rush brought us for
ward only the fraction Of the space
between two pillars.
'At this rate 1t will be 10 o'clock
before we get In" Dicky declared,
"and they said they would not hold
the reserved seat. spaces after s
o'clock. What do you say? Want to
try to get out?''
How 1 longed, to take him at his
word and wriggie out Of the crowd il
It were possible thing to do 80. But
I remembered his thinly yelled scorn
when I had asked II the crowd were
not dangerous. I waited for mo-
ment to steady my voice. and then
answered his calmly,
Dicky to the Rescue.
Il. do not think It would be possible
to get OUT said quietly, and. be-
sides. to my mind 1t would be ex-
tremely silly to go, after having got
ten this far. It cant be very much
longer now"
We'll, you're certainly gamer than I
gave you credit for" he, said. II
was sure you were ready to quit long
ago.,
II am no gamer than the rest OF
the women in this crowd returned
with one. or two exceptions they are
all takinaiit very quietly
AS IL to contradict my words. a
tall, Amazon like woman on the other
side OF me began to sob Historically
"Oh, please let me out" she cried.
pushing at the people around her like
wild animal. 4I'm going to faint
Nobody can let you out LADY," a
husky voice advised her. 'We're all
packed In here like sardtnes in
can. We cant even. move.
"But I'm going to faint, tell you!''
the woman shrieked again.
a ..Oh, no you're not going to faint"
, 1quiet feminine voice observed witt,
"a tin9ea % scorn In It's clear tones
"Your lips and face have not lost
color, there is no chance OF your
fainting. Try to control yourself as
tho other women around You are
doing
ooh, please won't somebody let, me
out e. the women walled again.
Some men near her began to push
in a concerted fashion to make lane
for the woman to slip through the
crowd at the left. The little section
where they we're pushing included tho
two girls from Virginia about whose
welfare Dicky had been so solicitous
They had been very calm. although
could see that they were In deadly
terror. But the pushing of the mei'
to let the tall woman out threw one
of them from her fcet. / saw her
sink beneath the heads of the crowd.
heard the others despairinE cry OF
-Dicky. they're killing Edith wit"
messed Dicky's arms Hail. desperate
way through the crowd in an endeaV-
or to get to the girls side.
The next instant came an unusual
Nv long surge of the crowd forward.
and a. shorter one backward. When
we were all standing still again
f.ic fr;n dS nnwh@T9
to be seen. I was alone In that awful