The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-06-15

~ "oo' pioDaoiy, only TOT a. nash
but the great quality of leadership
which he had once possessed, which
Sheriff. had described to Alan and
which had been destroyed by the threat
over him, had returned to him In this
desperate emergency which he had Gre
ated. How much or how little of his
own condition Corvet understood. Alan
could not tell; 1t was plain only that
ne comprehended that he had been the
cause OF the catastrophe, and In his
herce will to repair 1t he not only dis
regarded all risk to himself; he also
had summoned DIP from within him and
was spending the last strength of his
spirit. But he was spending it in a
losing fight.
He got or two more cafs; yet the
deck only dipped lower, and water
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
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
all 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 spIin-
tered, became monstrOus missiles hurt
ling forward, sidewise, asant, recoii-
Ing. Yet men, though scattered slnsly.
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 26 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 humiliation; who could
aid 1t from Without Alan caught the
end of a chain which Corvet flung him
and, tfoIgn he knew II was useless
he carried 1t across from one stanchIop
to the next Something. swe anins
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.
Alan, looking up, saw COrvet beside
him; Corvet, Unable 10 move .:!!::,.
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 Corvet's legs.
He turned over, as far as he could,
and spoke to Alan. "You have been
savIng me. so now 1 tried 70 save you,'
he said simply. "What reason did you
have for doing that? Why have you
been keeping by mel"
"Fm 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 thatT
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 Connie p he said aloud.
Dear little Conniel She mustn't
marry him-not himl That must be
seen to. What shall do, what shall
dO2"
Alan worked nearer him. why
mustn't she marry him2" he cried to
Corvet. "Why7 Ben Corvet, tell me
Tell me whyi"
"Who are your" Corvet seemed only
with an effort to become conscious Of
Alan's presence.
"Tm Alan Conrad, whom you used
to take care Of. I'm from Blue Rap
ids. You know about me; are you my