Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-06-12

jean drew back and attempted to
look out into the car, but the curtains
were jammed tight by some heavy
object which had fallen against them,
and she could get no idea OF the stu
succeeded in pulling the curtain away
enough to look she saw only a
dark preci1ice below. with with
Ing forms and jumbled shapes. No
one seemed to have thought of any
way NJ escape for the passengers. or
10 be making any attempt to get them
'out before it vas too late. The shouts
AND cries that came from below had
no authority among them. 1t was plain
that the only hope of escape was
through tho broken window and down
into that abyss of water and fire be.
low.
Jean drew back and felt carefully
around for her shoes. She could not
take much with her, and she must
work rapidly. The shoes and little
handbag were almost under her, and
she drew on the shoes, fastening a
button or two. She hesitated a sec
Ond with her hand on tho precious
bag. All her money. her trunk check
and her little bits of jewelry we're IN
1t. She must save them if sue could.
Those papers that had been trusted to
her ere there also. Quickly she
stuffed the bag within the breast Of
her garments and fastened it there
with a large safety pin, with which
she had fastened the berth curtain the
night before, when q refractory button
Aept coming undone. Her heart gave
- leap Of excitement. Now. in her
need, she remembered it, and. cropping,
found 1t there in the semi-darkncss,
big enough to be found when wanted,
and to hold thu bag IN safety.
She gave one frightened look out
the window at the growing. widening
horrors below, and then began slow
~, cautiously, to creep through, feet
first. 1t was a dangerous and painful
task, as there was much glass still adj
herring firmly to the window frame.
and she found that she had to draw
back at first and hunt up her hair
brush with which to break away the
sharp edges and make the opening
large enough.
II. seemed an hour, though in reality
1t was but \ moment or two, before
she finally succeeded in getting out of
the window, so that she cluns, sus.
pended, both arms sill inside the
berth, but her body hanging over the
ABYSS OF black depths mingled with
flames.
Dark shapes moving about
down there. dark. moaning creatures
werc dropping with. s~.ckcning splashes
into the wator. She dared not look
10 SIDE II thoy rose. rfcr head grew
light. and she felt her fingers slipping.
Elcr strength would not hold her long,
and she wxs alm0-t on the point of
tryin8 to creep back inside tho berth
wncn n long cry as ct the lost, min
gied viii. Ona and screams of w0m-
IN and children. arose from, below,
ana she saw a great sheet OF fire leap
~ ana lick tic lower emil OF the very
xatisto which she chung. She could
feeis the heat OF It whcrc she was, and
bSt for tho slight inclination Of the
Carl. would havo been between her
and the water.
il With = low moan OF horror she
eacsed her eyes and let herself drop.
Down, down, she felt herself falling,
through aeons Of time and space, and
knew that she was wondering how her
mother would bear 1t when she heard.
Chen the shock Of the water. and
4arkless closed over her in q smoth.
esing chill.
CHAPTER III.
Sho came up again gasping. chok.
ms. awaru OF the shouts and the noise,
'Ot the struggling figures and dropping
s0o1scts: aware that she was. only one
m0ra In the way ind might better
aAve stayed where she was: theu
9trnfk cut tceblv:: but something fell
upo4S { head. something soft like .
pillow, perhaps, but enough to pue
her under water again. and she Eel,
that this wa tho end.