The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-05-29

going every minute, so that she was
glad to creep into her berth as soon
as the porter had made It up.
She shrank In dislike crom the
leather case in her handbag. and after
some. hesitation took It out and
wrapped II In a leaf from a magazine
she had brought with her. Sine could
not bear to- have the thing In with
her nice fresh handkerchiefs and
dainty little articles. It seemed cons
terminating. She had q half impulse
to throw It away or loso it; and then
her conscience r~eproached her loudly
for so dishonorable a thought. The
papers might be valuable, Of course
and In that case her brother would
have Just cause to blame her IL she
did not bring them. At tie 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. lovins
thoughts of those she had left be
hind her filled her mind. AL the little
tender words, looks and acts of loving
sacrifice that she might be well 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?
1t 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 man looked.
healthy enough. w..
Her father? Yes, her, father would
undoubtedly have approved OF her
taking the package. Her father wa
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 Il
and agreed to deliver 1t. there seemed
nothing more to be done but. to keep
her word. and 1t was a simple enough
affair, of course, and, after all. quite
reasonable. Why should It bother
her SO? .
Nevertheless. Il mingled with her
dreaming thoughts as she drifted off
to sleep, and a kind OF assurance with
regard to 1t came Al 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 lulled
her to deeper slumber.
Suddenly In the midst, ofsthe 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-
tjona Of the earth seemed upshaken,
the cars climbing through the awful
air, then pitching, writhing, tossing,
and at last settling uncertainty In
strange positions, while the night was
filled with horrid sounds too varying
to analyze. Cries OF women and chill
dren! Groans Of men In mortal ag-
ony; breaking glass and splintering
timbers; rending Of metal in reluc-
tant, discordant clangi And below,
rising msnacingly to threaten all,
came the lurid glare of flame, the
wild, exultant crackle Of fire that
knows it's opportunity and power; the
desperate h~ysterical clamor Of those
who have discovered 1t, and the mad,
brave shouts Of those who would at
tempt to conquer 1t.
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
ucT IukdBINdIAOH. ouI okhtOoS 81 AN
the cold breath from the broken win.
dow brought her to her senses. An
accident! 1t 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! It was characteristic
Of Jean that, when she realized her
plight, she thought first of how her
mother would take the news, and no
OF how she herself would bear the
experience. or whether 1t meant life
and death to herself. That she must
get out OF danger and let her mother
know Of her safety was her instant
impulse, and from that moment her
senses were keenly on the alert for
every detail.
,Conunued Next Week.t
ALLEGED aoozE RUNNER
AND WOMAN ARRESTED