Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1920-01-15

I NAAOAtsAALhAAJs 1G AE We'll DAAs a Jun
know that l would myself. Well, wei
/ probably see his name in the papers
some day if he stays with that job I"
However, the nitro-glyceriI
expert Of whom they spoke did not gel
into the papers as a consequence Of
being blown up, although his daily life
was certainly a continuous exposure t.
that risk. Destiny has a constant pas
sion for the incongruOus, and it was
Georges lot to manipulate wholesale
quantities Of terrific and volatile ex,
plosives in safety, and to be laid low
by an accident so commonplace and in.
consequent that 1t was a comedy.
Fate had reserved for him the final in
SUIT Of riding him down under the
wheels of one of those juggernauts at
which he had once shouted "Git a
hOssr Nevertheless, Fate's ironic
choice for Georges undoing was not a
big and swift and momentOus car, such
as. Eugene manufactured; 1t was a spe-
cimen of the hustling little type that
was flooding the country, the cheapest,
eOmmonest, hardest little car ever
made.
The accident took place upon a Sun
day morning, on a downtown crossing,
with the streets almost empty, and no
reason in the world for such a thing
to happen. He had gone out for his
Sunday morning walk, and he was
thinking of an automobile at the very
moment when the little car struck
him; he was thinking of e shiny lam
daulet and a charming 'gure stepping
into 1t, and of the quick gesture of a
white glove toward the chauffeur, mo-
tioning him to go on. George heard q
shout, but did not look up, for he could
not imagine anybody's shouting at him,
and he was too engrossed in the ques-
ton "Was it Lucy?" He could not de-
eide, and his lack Of decision in this
matter probably superinduced a lack
of decision in another, more pressingly
vital. At the second and louder shout
he did look up; and the car was, almost
on him: but he could not make up his
mind IL the charming little figure he
had seen was Lucy's and he could not
make up his mind whether to go back
ward or forward; these questions be-
came entangled in his mind. Then,
still rot being able to decide which Of
two ways to go. he tried to go both
and the little car ran him down. 1t
was not moving very rapidly, but it
went all the way over George.
He was conscious Of gigantic VIC
lence; of roaring and jolting and con-
Of choking clouds Of dust,
shot with lightning, about his head;
he heard swapping sounds as loud as
shots from a small pistol, and was
by excruciating pains in his
legs. Then he became aware that the
machine was being lifted of Of him.
People were gathering In q circle
round him, Cabling.
His forehead was believed with the
sweat of anguish, and he tried to wipe
off this daInpness, but failed. He could
not get his arln that far.
"Ney' mind" a policeman said; and
George could see above his eyec the
skirts Of the blue coat, covered with
dust and sunshine. Ambulance here in
a minute. New mind tryin' to move
any. You want 'em to send for some
special doctorT
"NO." Georges lips formed the word.
"Or to take you to some private
hospital?"
Tell them to take me-" he said
fat lily, ito the City hospital"
"a right"
A smallish young man in a buster
among the crowd, explaining
and protesting and g strident-voiced
girl, his companion, supported his ar
gume9t, declaring TO everyone her
to offer testimony in any
court Of law that every blessed word
he said was the Gods truth.
'Its the fella that hit you" the pO-
said, looking down on George.
Il guess he's right; you must of ben
thinkin' about somep'n' or other. It's
wunnerful the damage them little ma
CAlHco Cuu -gVu u never bEAlIlh II
but / guess they amt much case ag'in
this fella that was drivin' It."
''You bet your life they amt no case
on mew the young man In the buster
agreed, with great bitterness. He came
and stood at Georges feet, addressing
him heatedly: 'I'm sorry fer you all
right, and l don't say / amt. / hold
nothin' against you, but it wasn't any
more my fault than the statehouse!
Wasn't goin' a step over eight miles
m hour! I'm perfectly willing to say
I'm sorry for you though, and SOS the
ady with me. We're both willing to
say that much, but that's all, under
5tandp
Georges drawn eyelids twitched;
his misted glance rested fleetingly up
IN the two protesting motorists, and |
he old imperious spirit within him
lickered up in a single word. Lying
IN his back in the middle Of the street, |
where he was regarded by an inereas-
ng public as an unpleasant curiosity,
he spoke this word clearly from a
mouth filed with dust, and from lips /
5meared with blood.
IT was q word which inter- /