Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-08-28
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Wreck Proved Her
Love Sincere
By JACK WooDFORD
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% by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate'

i There had been the smoothly-run-
ming train, one minute; all life ana
laughter and card playing and smoK-
ing in the club car; and then, the next
instant, there was fearful crash anu
wrenching of steel and iron; followed
by darkness, and the screams OF the
| injured.
Marion Lane felt hot blood upon her
face. She had been cut, and Dadly
cut: she didn't need to look into
mirror to be perfectly sure of that
She would be marked for life. And
that would be the end of life FOR her'
Because her career as singer de-
pended upon her beauty as a woman.
She struggled to a sitting position In
| the dark. Felt some one near her.
"Let me diel" she moaned. "Oh.
God, let me die, here and now, With
out ever seeing my face again."
"Don't be a darned fool" a strong
masculine voice near her said do
you think everything in life depends
upon surface things? | suppose you're
the extremely pretty girl ] was admir-
| ing before the accident | wouldn't
have admired you, though, If I'd known
what gutter you are. How selfish
you are thinking only of yourself IN
an emergency like this. Are you Dad
ly injured?"
"My face is cut" she said in the
dark.
us that all?"
II guess So"
swell, buck up, girl. Your face may
be your fortune, but it's your soul that
really matters. Come, Pm not badly
injured; I'll try to get you out of this"
They CROPPED toward the corner of the
car. He Lit his cigarette lighter and
Its fickerlng flame showed him the
first aid kit attached to the end of the
car. He bound up her face wounds.
"Dldn't touch your eyes, anyway"
he said "Come, now, let's see what
we can do to help out"
For more than an hour, until the
relief train came, she worked by his
side, trying to bind up the wounds of
others.
1t was dawn when the relief train
came. Marion threw herself down up
on the embankment, exhausted. Her
strange male companion worked on
desperately, helping the relief work.
ers
In the train going back toward the
city he seated himself at her side.
STRANGE" he remarked, "that you
and ! should be the only ones to come
out of that club car practically unin-
jured; looks like some queer sort of
trick fate played u.s."
81 wish were still there, dead
she told him. "My beauty is gone
everything is gone-I cannot even
make a living. And have a mother
to support My father is dead"
"But you've got good stuff in you
he pointed out "You worked like @
trojan to help the others and never
a whimper out of you. Why, ! saw
you do things that an ordinarily strong
man would have hard time doing
while you helped to pull people on
of that shambles back there"
life is over for me-" she said DULY
at was only natural that I shoul'
have helped them all could"
4 'Tisten," he said. T'm a million
1 aire. I'll marry you as soon as W
l get back to town, II you wish-tha
l will take care of your future and o
| your mother. I'm a lonely old bach
| elor Beauty isn't everything; m
/ proposal proves IT."
Il She looked at him in astonishmen
II He was about forty or forty-flve, sh
ii Judged, and good looking.
II "It's certainly sporting of you" sh
II told him; "hut of course ! can't tax
II advantage of such an easy way out
II At the hospital in Philadelphia f
III came In every day to see her, bringln
III fruit, flowers, or books. Marion locke
II forward to his daily calls She ha
II come to love him deeply and slncerel
II At last she told him:
III "T'll he out Of the hospital tomo
y row."
"Pm almost sorry" he said; %
cause I've come to care LOT for 70
Marion"
because was beautiful" 81
charged. you carry a picture of n
beauty in your mind and love me b
cause u that"
''If you were still beautiful | kno
| wouldn't stand q chance of gettil
you" he told her sadly; you'd go
some other lucky fellow or back
your career. My offer of maria
stil holds good. want you to knC
thGt there's one man In the world W
/ -. a.,
beauty"
"All right" she said quietly. :"
marry you. today, II you like, her
A special license was procured
minister, witnesses The ceremO
was performed In her hospital roo
: The following morning, when
\ called. he gasped in astonishme
D Marion was sitting up In bed.
: bandages removed she was as be-
tiful as ever.
= "The wounds she explained to h
Z were not deep enough permanen
+. TO mar; and your quick first aid say
a the situation"
a "rll have the marriage annulle
70 he said duly.
Is "But," she returned softly, II
known for n week that | was to co
out of Il unscarred."
He went TO the side Of the b,
folded her in his arms.
"Then you really love me-" he 81
happily.
as "Sillyi she returned; and held
close.
"
:: ,IICED EOPNS |!