The Red Cloud chief., 1922-03-02
Of
Fugihves

BY MALCOLM BROWN

StcOu, ShAiellhS II lcN iiIdiut'V"'
from a cigarette.
"Howdy, Joe,' said Jim your car
pretty full3" it7
Joe. drew In q clotid and flung the
stump away. MOSTLY women he
said. Flows yoursT
"Tolerable," Jim answered. SAY,
Joe. there's n girl Ia Section 2 been
crying ever since / come on at Spring.
deld. I reckon she left her fellow be-
hind. Wen, ] reckon business viii be
better next month, when the regular
crowd starts north"
Only The porter had observed the
gid in Section 2, Tor she was ut the
end OF the car. Hilda Mercer opened
her suitcase and n pad with n little
pencil attached, and began to write.
81 should not have left you IL yon
had been frank with me, WIU," she
wrote. what l cannot forgive is"
She stopped and stared out into the
driving rain. 1T was because l al
ways believed In you." she continued.
But the letter was tear-spotted, and
she tore Il into strips and watched
them fiutter out into the storm. She
would not write that letter. She had
written one, and VIII would find 1t
when he returned to New York the
following morning at eight o'clock.
Two mel were seated In the sniOS.
ing car. One was about Ave and
thirty years Of age; he might have
.haaAn an accountant mr. hnVtk noahfnT
for he had The alert air OF one who
IL Ia the deadly struggle Of CONNER.
eiAl life. The other iolled heavily In
bis seat, scanning the first man with
fnrtive persistence. Suddenly he
leancd forward, a curious smile upon
Ills mouth.
"Aren't you the paying teller Of the
Merchants and BROKERS' over IN
Brookiynr ne inquired. My names
Phil Graves. I used to have an nc.
count with YOU"
The other seemed stunned Ivy the
recognition. II used-to be there
he answered. his voice %Quavering
slightly. Then he made his way back
10 Section 3, opposite the girl.
HiIda started and looked round ut
him. Their eyes met, and the teller
rose up and stood before her.
"Don't you remember me. Mrs.
Mercer" he asked. smiling forlornly.
Her eyes III up. "It's you, Alfred
Burton I"
Burton sat down beside her.
"Hilda. there's something wrong be.
tween VIII Mercer and you" said
Burton. You're running away.
You're running away to think. just az
y0u used to DO. You mustn't think,
but net. ! want you to turn right
round Mt Brattleb0ro and go back to
him Tnere isn't u finer man living
than VIII Mercer.
II know there isn'ti' she answered
impetuous!y, and then she saw how
hldeously wrong she had been. II was
not Wit from Whom she was running
away, butsshpr tovu discomfort; and
Sue was carrying II in her heart.
TITS too late now she answered
dismslly, and looked u into the rain
aguinL
"a Voh shhPOTH'bii w tNNhih btlVIt
WIN got home. There was no train
from Brattleboro till morning.
She was crying Historically. Bur
Dn let her hand fall and stared at
the cushions OF the seat opposite. He
bud urged her to go back, but what
about himself? He. too. must be back
by Monday morning or become a fugi-
tive. Fate seemed to have lain in
wait for him.
file swung round in his seat sud.
denly. "Hilda." he said. 'Pm running
away too. I have six thousand dol
lars In nay pocket that doesn't belong
To me"
A jar shook them In their seats, a
whistle shrilled. and the train ground
lts way to a standstili.
They heard the cries, "The down
train wrecked! She's catching fire |
Saved ourselves by six inchesl I" Bur
ton WAS outside. one OF the crowd
That surged about a line of halted
cars. two Of which lay on their sides
amid the wreckage. The passengers
In the two cars seemed to have es.
capped by a miracle.
! Hours seemed to pass. The passen.
gers on both trains waited.
Burton had not spoken to Hiida
Mercer. He did not even notice the
arrival Of the wrecklng train till
somebody touched his shoulder. Then
he looked up to SEQ jim standing
over him.
+, Were going on In i've minutes.
boss" said the darkey.
Burton got up ~unsteadily. I'm not
going on" he muttered.
Its all right. boss" replied the
porter. 'The lines clear and the
down-train's getting ready to start,
She'll reach New York by midnight.
Wen both have to make up time
New York; cried Burton, and
suddenly the miracle vas made clear
to him. Burton snatched up her suit.
case. -
-Hildai |" he cried. "we're going
back-going home. That trains 60
ing to make New York by midnight
Hurryi We've bot got u chance