The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-10-27
BY MURIEL BLAIR.

Hyrtle's face with attention. he knew
that pretty Myrtle was something of.
= dreamer. He wondered now If she
WAS comparing him with The great,
bluff Wortliing;un. who was receiving
thr adulariOu ~ Ihe iighi-mindel
group nf iOvrI.HesS about him IA if
he MAS some valiant warri"r.
I 60" wish you could rouse mp my
brotE-~ ar" Myrtle pa:!S,d Walter
w;s> ':.. ,lc uieaug 10 say ou."thiug
Ike ,i."J.' m-.nng the heroic iced oi
Wurl lr-luu. I;ug she added To
SOM real a,;."i"
Il ,hiuk : auuw what ynu mean,
Myrtle" said Waiter in his usual u
rect WAY "Nug believe that Leslie il
INDECENT. Ne~ that il true. huJ
more ,vhol,.-~uuled friend never lived.
Relieve me. am doing M! / can Ia
Erge him tu consider study more Seri-
Ousiy."
Il know you are" sighed MyrJle, but
gratefully. Mother worries about him
continually.
Walter gave his friend great talk
mig 10 after arriving NJ the college.
He worked double time posting him 10
keep mp with his classes. Leslie
seemed really cu the mend. Then
some graduates visited Jhr Town. there
was "a riutoU~ time and some broken
windows sal IN" village tavern. and
Leslie was i'm The black books of the
professors again.
one afternoon Walter sat down 10
rest on " bench at the railroad sta
tiou. lie heard the Distant roar of n
canning train JUST a~ The station agent
came rushing wildly cut Of the depot.
He was wh.,r a. death.
Wire from Hampton" he gasped.
bridge around The curve gone down.
Semaphore won't work-mu~t stop the
limited :"
Walter took il all in III one swift
glance. Then hr tore nf his coat.
Near at hand WAS the mail crane.
He ran up the steps. placed one
hand on The extended hook. and posed.
brc0thIeSs.
There was a blur, digging ana
nerve racking. How he did il he could
Not later realize-bnt he gave his body
swing ana landed inside the mail
Tar.
The bridge around the curve-is
down - he just ranaged 10 gasp TO
the astouEded mail men. Then he lost
consciousness. to regain IL with the
train NJ n standSiil, its crew grouped
ahead. where a great gap showed the
vacant bridge chaSm. Painfully he
Mfted himself from the car. 4 new
siekening sensation overcame him. He
.crept To some bJ hes and sank into
new Inconsistencies.
How he found his way back to the
college he could only dimly remember.
bat some one was rnuSing him in his
bed, p fellow student.
'-TrIed to get you up before" he an
nOunced Forbes has gone
. "Gonc-wherc:" inquired Walter
vaguely.
g. telegram. Mother dying.
they SGy. on his way-look there -
II was morning newspaper that
the student held before the eyes OF
Q Ne bewildered Walter. In slaring
> headlines the story was told of the
marvellous heroiSm OF Leslie Forbes,
:. a student OF Hampton college" The
/; man who had saved five hundred lives
+. had disappeared after his intrepid act
OF bravery, but the discovery Of his
coat had revealed his identity.
Three days later friend wrote him
telling him OF the death of Mrs. Forbes.
and four days later. graduating
amid rare scholastic hOnorS, Walter
received a letter bearing one word,
n welcome. wellirg, wonderful word
TO his anxious soul: Come" And
Myrtle had written il,
MYRTLE greeted him as lie reached
the Forbes home the next morning.
II was n pathetic story that she
told. The news Of the saving of the
train had reached her mother before
she died. She saw her son the hero
OF a wonderful deed OF bravery. She
had died happy. Leslie by her side, A
smile upon her face, she blessed him.
and he-in thar impressive moment
did not deceive her. but promised 10
change his llfe-a vow he kept The
true story Of the railroad Incident he
had since made public.
81 babe you come" spoke Myrtle.
because I wished to thank you, 10
tell YOU how proud l am Of you, be
cause. through you, my mother died
bappv and my brother was saved
ut was n precious word you sent
me" responded Walter. Il am through
with my college education, and am
gcIng back east. But, if you ever send
for me again. that one word, Come
will speed me on my way 10 YOU
NV heart bids me speak better
word" said Myrtle. shyly but ear
nestly.
And that word is"
stay"