Gunnison news-champion., 1919-12-26

polite reply
/ oh. India l was wondering what
: country you hailed from May 4 ask
/ your nameT-
i am called JalisinErao Jitendra.
sar." he said in low voice. but sin
I gGlarly clear. And yOursf"
Buck Williams" smiled back the
I staIwart chap across the table. Sorry
/ I'm leaving at Fl Paso. should like
to talk with you about your country
some day 1 hope 10 visit H. IL must
he very interesting. from what l have
heard"
Yes" The monosyllable suggest
.d m5re than mere acquiescenc-, esp.--
clally when combined with the -nig
matte smile which fited over the
OrentaTs intelligent face. then van
. ished. leaving his features sm0tioniess
save for an expression Of polite =
quiry.
I've heard some wonderful stories
about India observed the mining man
reilectlyeIy. Some OfSthen strongly
resembled c0nscientiousiy told triple
I plated Hes: but they were indorsed by
persons who | knew were usually con
seryutiye. For instance. Is u true that
in your country people can disappear
and reappear almost instantly miles
/ away
JIteudra's answer came hesitntInsly.
There are many things. sahib,
which ! may not discuss save with
/ those who have prepared themselves
| by the Hutha-Yosa or the RagahYocs.
. The wisdom OF our people IL old-very
old. Their ways are not your ways.
sahIb and what they practice is for
some purpose which we are taught is
right and In necessary preparation for
our next rsincar-"
His unfinished sentence was
drowned in a horrible, grinding roar
The dining car. directly behind the
swayinr engine. seemed TO rear up In
the front and fold back upon itself.
Buck Williams caught sight Of the
calm. uutroubled face Of Jitendrn
peering over the top Of the table above
him simultaneously he was Catnpuit'
ed backward to the rear of the car.
The roar died down into n sickening.
slltheriug crash, as the balance OF the
cars In the rear !mpinEed against the
wooden end ot the diner, crushing II
rcslstlessly against the heavy steel
tender az the locomotive IN front.
In the first moment Of utter silence
except for the kissing Of the leviaihan
Of steam now quivering. but stationary,
ahead. Buck picked himself up from
the yestibule OF the car.
God bless the man who invented
steel platforms" he whispered to him
self as he contemplated the wreckage
In front. Then he leaped through the
open space to the Pullman behind and
tumbled to the right Of way.
From the front of the diner. which
was twisted and doubled back upon It.
self, arose an agonized screech. The
negro cooks and walters, penAed in or
close beside the tiny kitchen. were
shrleklng for ald-such as them as
still remained alive.
The locomotive stood half sidewiss
on the embankment. the broken driy'
I ing-rod which had caused the disaster
driven far in the earth. The desert
wind swiriIng around the curve of tho
hill dropped a piece of paper OF
strange texture at Buck Williams
feet
| InvoluntarIly he picked Il up and
read, drawn by an impulse which ha
could not fathom:
/ Beloved:
! Until long after l had crossed the
/ sacred water OF the Ganges. with its
burden OF true believers progressing
to their next incarnation, and lived
among the people OF this far-off coun-
4 try. / never understood the meaning
OF true love; but now. after your many
sacrifices for me, I believe do.
"As l have knelt before the shrine
OF the Blue Buddha, have learned
the meaning OF such devotion as
yours: come. therefore. to me and
speedily. l write In English that you
may see how have improved.
'INDIRA."
Buck thrust the missive into hia
pocket and turned to the twisted
tangle of the wrecked diner He re.
gretted that he had read the note
! Nh'obbh oi tAN aiAPhAst VI AhV
ment, for the intimate affairs OF a
chance travelling companion were sure
| ly no business of his.
The texture resembled that of the
paper which Jitendra had been read.
ing at the beginning of their converse,
I ton. Tho peculiar style and idiom Of
/ the communication left little doubt
I that T. was the same and had some
how escaped from him at the instant
I Of the crash.
a sinister jet of fame splraled up
from the sp,intered fragments. The
trainmen We're already hewing fran
/ tically al the debris, and presently Q
negro crawled painfully through the
orifice they made, dragging broken
leg.
Another followed. then another. his
L fora ,vri,paa with ba s,pnl-. Of tho