The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-07-23

reached Lawton q hotbox would de-
velop and he could signal for stop
at the right moment to bring the car
In question to the blue house.
But the calculations miscarried.
Jeff Franklin happened to be stand
ing on that particular car when the
train was seven miles south Of Law
ton, and the hotbox developed sooner
than 1t should, and JEFF stopped the
train and the trouble was remedied
long before the blue house doomed in
to view.
Will did not give 1t up, although
he decided JEFF Franklin must be his
evil genius. The latter, however, had
only done his duty in stopping the
train on account of the hotbox, and it
could not reasonably be judged neck
wringing offense.
Next Will tried to divide the train
so part of it would be stalled near the
blue house, but In this he was foiled
by the untimely appearance Of the
conductor.
These were desperate plots, but Will
was desperately in love. He was
not tickle; he had never cared for any
girl except the one in the blue house,
and he knew he never would care for
another. Will was sincere in every
thing he undertook, and especially was
he sincere in this undertaking.
Shortly after the failure Of his last
scheme Will sat down in his rooming
house and wrote letter to the girl,
explaining how he felt. He addressed
the envelope:
THE Young Lady in the Blue House
at the North End of LawtOn."
For the next two weeks every time
he passed the blue house and waved
at the girl he looked for evidence that
she had received the letter. In case
she had she was to throw stone
against the garden wall as the train
passed. VIII looked in vain, for no
stone did she throw. And fifteen days
after the letter was written ii came
back with the explanation scrawled
on the envelope:
There are thirteen blue houses in
the north end Of Lawton, and young
lady lives in every one of them"
BY this time six months had passed
and Will had given up finding a way.
The fates had decreed he was not to
meet the girl, he decided, and it was
best that he abide by their decision.
He would love her and worship her
from the top Of his box car and he
never would marry.
The day on which this story opened
was Monday, and two days later Will
knew the girl would be spading the
garden.
In this he was not disappointed, for
on Wednesday, as the blue house and
garden doomed into view, he saw her
bending over the flower beds. AS was
her custom she looked up and waved
her hand in response to Wills saluta-
ton.
mo use," VIII moaned as he re-
placed his hat on his head. "This is
as far as it will ever get. / might"
He was interrupted by grinding,
then a terrific jolting, and he expert
enced a flying sensation. His head
struck something with terrible force,
and things became black.
When VIII opened his eyes he found
himself in a clean, white bed, in a
large room-and over him stood the
girl
Feel better?" she inquired, and her
voice was so soothing that on the in
slant the throbbing pain left his head.
"Yes, much better. What hap
pened?"
"Your train smashed into another"
she explained, "and the shock threw
you over the garden wall, and your
head struck the maple tree"
viii felt his head with his hands.
1t was throbbing again--fOr she had
ceased speaking. His suffering evil
IDENTIFY showed on his face.
Don't worry" she admonished. lay
ing cool hand on his brow and dis
persing the throb once more. you'll
be all right in a couple Of days. You
won't have to stay here long"
This was not so reassuring as It
might have been under different cir
cumstances.
I'll be out Of here in couple of
days, you Think" he said. 81 sure
hope So" and under his breath he
added the word mot"
She was leaving the room.
I'll get you some food" she said,
and vanished through the doorway,
but thrust her head back to observe:
Eyes, think you'll be able to leave
in couple of days. / certainly hope