The Twin City star., 1918-07-20

/ face had turned quito wmle. ..ei nps
were tightly pressed together.
| Amid the screaming, frantic women
she stood seemingly dazed staring with
fascinating eyes at the whirling demon
in their wake. If it caught them, it
meant death, nothing less. Every
ounce of steam was on. yet their pace
seemed agonizingly slow. The cloud
was gaining on them.
With quick impulse Murray crush
ed both her limp hands in his own,
and she turned frightened eyes to his
compelling ones. There was certain
solemnity about his face which was
new and impressive.
'Louisew He spoke low and fast.
In the confusion nobody paid the
slightest attention to them; they could
not have been more alone had they
stood in the middle of the gray desert
far back on the Santa Fe line or on
one Of the lonely mountain peaks long
since passed.
The situation had become instantly
primeval. There was but man, a
woman and the warning elements Of
the air.
Louise" he said, "be honest with
me nOw-it can't matter much one way
or the other-from the looks of things
| there aren't many more minutes left
for either of us-but tell me, dear, hon.
estly-don't you really care for me?
| Didn't you intend to tell me yes finally
after you had humbled me suffi-
ciently?"
| As this was most accurate guess
at Miss Mackay's intention, though she
had never admitted it even to herself,
she turned instantly angry at being
discovered. For second she forgot
the cyclone, and her eyes flashed as
she wrenched away her hands.
| "You are concefted and-and imper-
tinent!" she gasped, keeping her bal
ance with difficulty in the swaying car.
'How dare you assume love your"
II don't assumed" flashed back Mr..
| Murray sternly. II know it! But you
are too proud 20 give in! And now
and now you'll never have the
| chance!"
With a start the girl looked out at
the rear door again, recalled to their
danger, and the sight she saw sent
her blindly cropping for shelter, her su.
perb nerve at last shattered.
AS Murray put both arms around her
and shut her eyes against his shoul-
| der, there was both desperation and
victory in his expression.
For the ugly roar of the thing pur-
| suing them was drowning out all other
sounds; the whole world outside the
rocking, throbbing train had grown
dim and black.
"Tell me-" he whispered to her
commandingly.
Her trembling hand crept round his
| neck.
"Oh, yes, yes!" she sobbed. II was
wicked-why-why didn't I tell you be-
fore? And now"
''Don't look!' Murray cried sharply
as she raised her head.
He shut his own eyes and waited
the bare instant for the end of all
| things. There was the sudden 81.
lence Of utter terror in the reeling car
full Of doomed human beings.
But nothing happened, absolutely
nothing. When Murray opened his eyes
again, wonderingly, the whirling cloud
was gone.
At rise in the track It had leaped,
swerved, and taken a sharp tangent
abandoning the prey just in it's clutch
and roaring it's way south across the
open country.
The engine stopped the next minus
at the little station of Honey Creek.
and the crew and passengers staggered
out into the open air with dazed, white
faces.
Murray and Louise Mackay stood
watching the disappearance of the cy.
clone in the distance. Then he looked
at her, and as he remembered and
marveled at her happiness she turned
towards him face on which there
was mingling Of tremulous thank.
fulness, evaporation, and helpless sur
render.
II believe" she said. half laughing,
half crying, as their lands met. Il
believe, Robert, the whole affair was
a sham you arranged on purpose, and
pressed button or something when
you we're done with It'll"
"Of course!" agreed the irrepress
ible Mr.. Murray.