Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-09

"oh. no, Mrs. Gregory. He just lies
quiet like
God sbless him!" Rachael sAid I'M
der her breath. Aloud she sid: Mill
lie, couldn't you lean over, and watch
him a few minutes, and see what you
Think"
Then they were flying on again.
hachael began to wonder just how.
long the run was. They always care
lessly called it "a hundred miles,, But
was 1t really a hundred and two, or
nlnetN-eight? What q difference two
or three miles would make tonight,
She fell into a nervous shiver; sup
pose they reached the, bridge, n
then Mary should touch her arm.
II doesn't look right, Mrs. Greg
y Suppose that for the little boy
that they finally carried into New
York there was no longer any. hope.
Her little Derry
h child that might have been the
JOY OF a happy home, that might have
grown to a dignified inheritance Of
the love and tenderness that had been
between his father and mother.
Robbed in his babyhood, taken away
from the father he adored, and now
this! Sixty-one miles to 60.
'Detour to New York" The sign,
with all its hideous import rose be-
fore her suddenly. No help for it,;
she must lose one or two, perhaps a
dozen miles, she must give up the
good road for a bad one. She must
lose her way. too, perhaps. Had
Kane gone over this road yesterday?
It was much farther on that she had
spoken to Kane. Perhaps he had,
but she could not remember. doubt
to Rachael. She could only plunge
on. over rocks, one bumps, into mud
holes. She could only blindly take
what seemed Of two turnings the one
most probably right.
"Oh-Mother:" The little wall
came from Derry. Rachael. her
heart turned to ice, slowed down
stopped and leaned into the half
darkness in the back of the car. The
child's lovely eyes were Opened. Ra-
chael could barely see his white face.
My darling" she said.
"Will YOU not-bur.3 me 50. Moth
er?" the little boy whispered.
will try not to-, my heart!" Ra-
.c1sel. wild with terror, looked to
Mary;s face. Was he dying, now and
here
ION Moth--it hurts so!!""
Does it, my darling?"
He drowsed again. Rachael turned
back to her wheel. They must 90.
more slowly now, at any cost.
The road was terrible, in parts, aft
er the hours OF heavy rain, it seemed
on. Presently they were back in the
main road again. and could make bet
ter time. OF the hundred miles on
~ fifty remained. But that meant
nothing now. How much time had
she lost III that frightful bypath?
Rachael's face was dripping with
rain, rain had trickled under her
clothing at neck and wrists. Through
her %raircoat the breast of her gown
was soaking. and her feet ached with
the strain of controlling the heavy
car. Water came in long runnels
through tire windshield. and struck
her knees: she had turned her dress
back. her thin silk petticoat was
soaked. and the muscles of knees and
ankles we're cold and sore. But she
felt these things not at all. Her eyes
burned ahead. into the darkness, she
heard nothing but the occasional fut-
tering moan from Derry; she thought
nothing but that she might be too late
too late-too late!
At the first town Of any size She
stopped, d telegram to George taking
shape in her mend. But the wires here
were down. as they had been farther
down the Island. The rain was thin
ming. but the wind was rising every
second. and as she rushed On she saw
that In many places the lights or the
road were out: all the Island lay bait
tered and bruised under the storm.
Slowly Ak they seemed to creep, yet
the miles were going by. report
Lynbrook-Jamaica-like a woman
a. dream s1e reached the bridge
and a moment later looked down up
on the long belt Of lights wirking in
the rain that was New York.
And here, on the very apex Of the
bridge, came the most theaft.rending
moment OF the rum, for the little boy
began to cough, and for two or three
frightfu1 minutes the women hung
over him. speechless with terror, and
knowing that at n second the ex-
hausted little body might succurfb to
the strain. Blindly. as with a long,
choked cry he rank back again, RAJ
chael went back to her wheel. Third
avenue-rifth avenue Forty-second
street tore by; they were running
straight down toward Washington
Arch % the clocks everywhere struck
midnight. The wide street waA de-
serted Ia tho rain. it shorA like 4 mir
ror. rehtttins lon1 pendants Of utft
They wAre turning the cortef; shA
was out Of the car, and had klAncad
at the familiar Old house. Wet. u.
hausted, fred by y passion that made
her feel curiously light a1d sure, RAJ