Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-08-04

ucck OuIy OlpPSQ lOWCl, anu WdICA
washed farther and farther up over
the fantail. Men, leaping from before
the charging cars, got caught in the
murderous melee Of iron and steel
and wheels; mems shrill cries came
amid the scream of metal. Alan, tug
ging at a crate which had struck down
a man. felt aid beside him and, turn
ing, he saw the priest whom he had
passed on the stairs The priest was
bruised and bloody; this was not his
first effort to aid. Together they lifted
an end Of the crate; they bent-Alan
stepped back, and the priest knelt
alone, his lips repeating the prayer for
absolution. Screams Of men came from
behind and the priest rose and turned.
He saw men caught between two
wrecks of cars crushing together;
there was no moment to reach them;
he stood and raised his arms to them,
his head thrown back, his voice calling
to them, as they died, the words of
abSolutiOn.
Three more cars at the cost of two
lives the crew cleared, while the
sheathing Of ice spread over the steel
inboard, and dissolution of all the
cargo became complete. Cut stone and
motor parts, chasses and castings, fur
niture and beams, swept back and
forth, while the cars, burst and splin-
tered, became monstrous missiles hurt
ling forward, sidewise, aslant recoil-
ing. Yet men, though scattered singly.
tried to stay them by ropes and chains
while the water washed higher and
higher Dimly, far away, deafened out
by the clangor, the steam whistle of
Number 25 was blowing the four long
blasts Of distress; Alan heard the
sound now and then with Indifferent
wonder All destruction had come for
him to be contained within this car
deck; here the ship loosed on itself all
elements of annihilatiOn; who could
aid it from without? Alan caught the
end of a chain which Corvet flung him
and though he knew it was useless,
he carried it across from one StanchiOn
10 the next Something. sweeping
across the deck, caught him and car.
ried him with it; it brought him be
fore the coupled line of trucks which
hurtled back and forth where the rails
of track three had been. He was
hurled before them and rolled over;
something cold and heavy pinned him
down and upon him, the car trucks
came.
But before them, something warm
and living-a hand and bare arm
catching him quickly and pulling at
him, tugged him a little farther on
him; Corvet, unable to move him
farther, was crouching down there
with him. Alan yelled to him to leap,
to twist aside and get out of the way :;
but Corvet only crouched closer and
put his arms over Alan; then the
wreckage came upon them, driving
them apart. AS the movement stopped
Alan still could see COrvet dimly by
the glow of the incandescent lamps
overhead; the truck separated them
1t bore down upon Alan, holding HIM
motionless and, on the other side, II
crushed upon Corvets legs.
He turned over, as far as he could
and spoke to Alan. "You have been
saving me, so now | tried to save you"
he said simply. What reason did you
have for doing that? Why have you
been keeping by me?"
"Tm Alan Conrad Of Blue Rapids
Kansas" Alan cried to him. And
you're Benjamin Corvet! You know
me; you sent for me! Why did you
do thatW
Corvet made no reply>to this. Alan
peering at him underneath the truck,
could see that his hands were pressed
against his face and that his body
shook. Whether this was from some
new physical pain from the movement
Of the Wreckage, Alan did not know
till he lowered his hands after a mo-
ment; and now he did not heed Alan
or seem even to be aware Of him.
Dear little Conniel" he said aloud.
Dear little Connie She mustn't
marry him-not himl That must be
seen to. What shall l do, what shall
/ do?"
Alan worked nearer him. why
mustn't she marry him?" he cried to
Corvet "Why? Ben Corvet, tell me |!
Tell me why!"
"Who are your Corvet seemed only
with an effort to become conscious OF
Alan's presence.
I'm Alan Conrad, whom you used
to take care of. I'm from Blue Rap
ids You know about me are you my
father, Ben Corvet? Are you my IA
ther or what-what are you to meP'
your father2" COrvet repeated.
Did ne tell you that? He killed your
father"
"Killed him? Killed him, howY
"Of course. He killed them all-all.
But your father-he shot him he shot
him through the head p
Alan twinged. Sight of Spearman
came before him as he had first seen
Spearman, covering in Corvets IL
brary in terror at an apparition. "And
the bullet hole above the eyer So
that was the hole made by the shot
Spearman fired which had killed
Alan's father-which shot him through