The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-05-29

on the way with relatives who had
taken her sight seeing and kept her
going every minute, so that she was
glad to creep into her berth as soon
as the porter had made 1t up.
She shrank In dislike from the
leather case in her handbag, and after
some hesitation took it out and
wrapped it In a leaf from a magazine
she had brought with her. She could
not bear to have the thing IN with
her nice. fresh handkerchiefs and
dainty little articles. It seemed con-
Eliminating. She had a halt impulse
to throw 1t away or lose it.; and then
her conscience ~reproached her loudly
for so d~ishonorable a thought. The
papers might be valuable. Of course,
and in that case her brother would
have Just cause to blame her II she
did not bring them. At the same time
she hated the thought Of carrying
around anything that had been in the
possession of that repulsive looking
man.
AS she settled herself to sleep and
drew around her the folds Of the soft
silk Pullman robe that had been her
mothers parting surprise, loving
thoughts of those she had left be-
hind her filled her mind. All the little
tender words, looks and acts of loving
sacrifice that she might be we'll fitted
out for this journey, came flocking to,
be recognized, until unbidden tears
filled her eyes. This silken robe was
an extravaganza, she knew, and would
be paid for by many a denial on the
part of father and mother, but 1t rep
resented their great love for her. A
thought Of what they would have felt
about her being accosted by that
rough man and asked to carry that
package for him came to trouble her,
yet what other possible thing was
there for her to do but to accept it?
It certainly could not be dynamite or
an Internal machine. Her mother
would have thought Of something Of
that nature the first thing-or infec-
ton, perhaps smallpox or something
equally horrible. That was possible,
Of course: But still, the mar looked
healthy enough.
Her father? Yes, her father would
undoubtedly have approved of her
taking the package. Her father was
one who never thought Of himself
when anything in the shape of duty
demanded attention, and he had
brought her up with the same feeling.
Anyway, now that she had taken 1t
and agreed to deliver it, there seemed
,o4l;,~ .,o~o - 1>o dawn 1,,H - 1,11-
her word, and it was a simple enough
affair, Of course, and, after all, quite
reasonable. Why should it bother
her so?
Nevertheless, it mingled with her
dreaming thoughts as she drifted off
to sleep, and a kind of assurance with
regard to it came as she remembered
the steady, clear eyes of the younger
man.
Softly in her silken wrapping she
lay and slept while the monotonous
hum of the rushing train only lulled4
her to deeper slumber.
Suddenly, in the midst of the COM
monplace sounds Of the journey there
came a grinding, grating shrek as of
strong metal hard pressed and unable
to withstand. A crash, a jolt, then
terrible confusion. The very founda-
lions of the earth seemed upshaken,
the cars climbing through the awful
air, then pitching, writing, tossing
and at last settling uncertainty in
strange positions, while the night was
filled with horrid sounds too varying
to analyze. Cries Of wome and chill
dren! Groans Of men in mortal ag
ony; breaking glass and splintering
timbers; rending Of metal in relucs
tant, d%iscordant clang! And below,
rising menacingly to threaten all,
came the lurid glare Of flame, the
wild, exultant crackle of fire that
knows its opportunity and power; the,
desperate hysterical clamor of those
who have discovered it, and the mad,
brave shouts of those who would at
tempt to conquer it.
Jean Grayson awoke in dazed be-
wilderment. For a moment the noise
seemed a part of her dream; her
strange, huddled position on the wood
at the foot of her berth a Pigment OF
her imagination. But almost at once
the cold breath from the broken win
dow brought her to her senses. An
accident! It had come then! The
thing which her mother had feared
and tried to provide against. She
was in a railroad accident all alone
and out in the wilds Of the west
where she was utterly unacquainted
with anyone! 1t was characteristic
of Jean that, when she realized her
plight, she thought first Of how her
mother would take the news, and4not
of how she herself would bear the
experience, or whether it meant life
and death to herself. That she must
get out Of danger and let her mother
know Of her safety was her instant