Show Q e Q ° o o D o 0 BY C4QOZINV Copyiight 1000 by Dally Story Pub Co land made his last change of cars and boarded the single passenger coach on tho absurd little train It was a branch road running out Into the country a road managed by a few rustic officials who ran their trains with a fine disregard of schedule sched-ule and would gladly slow down to exchange Items of local gossip with a farmer at a crossing It was nevertheless tho home road and Hand had not como homo since i ho hart gone away to tho city ton years before a lad of seventeen Ho a recognized tho old brakeman and the conductor but they eyed him as a stranger It was small wonder Ton a yearn had dealt kindly with the big clumsy boy whoso green crocheted tlo and ill mnde coat one scarcely saw t because his face was so sincere and strong Tho conductor of the little train beheld now a successful business i busi-ness man a city fellow yet one If he had looked more closely whoso eyes were still frank and true Rand did not make himself known to them He caught himself wishing that they had known him but was aware at the same time that ho was unreasonable to expect It To them tho years had no doubt seemed longer long-er than to him Ho had worked hard not pausing to observe tho flight of time And since ho had met Helen how short the months had been t sweet little Helen who was soon to be his wife There were only a few other passengers pas-sengers In the car Rand scrutinized a l each one Imagining that ho might Ond In them some old friends of his youth A few scats ahead of him sat ii a young woman to whom his eyes reverted t re-verted questioningly several times r There was something about tho wave f of her black hair or the low coil of It against her neck that haunted him with a vague familiarity Once she o turned a little and ho caught a glimpse of her cheek Ruth Hayes The name unthought of for so many years flashed into his mind Ruth tho pretty little tomboy playmato of those early days I But was this surely sure-ly Ruth Suddenly she roso to put come package Into tho rack overhead and In so doing faced him squarely Her eyes met his for a second uncertainly uncer-tainly and then a smile of happy recognition rec-ognition lighted her race She extended ex-tended her hand Rand hastened to grasp it with many assurances of delight de-light at his good fortune Tho girl F was silent at llrst but her glad eyes welcomed him They sat down together and soon fell to recalling old times One recollection recol-lection led to another in swift succession suc-cession Did remember the Sunday Sun-day school picnic when they ate so r much Ice cream or would they over forget tho time it poured so on tho straw rIde to Weavers Valley Ruth ho soon noticed could supply many little details that he had forgotten things even that ho had said or what ho had worn on some particular occasion occa-sion She recounted Joyously many of their old escapades Ho became silent listening and studying her Her face had lost some of Its old mirthfulness mirthful-ness it was very sweet but Just a little sad Her voice was low and clear It was you sho was saying who suggested going there by moonlight I r 4r V Recounted joyously many of their old escapades You said that the moonpath across the water was the most beautiful tiling In the world Did I say that he laughed How could you ever remember How could I over forgot she corrected cor-rected and her voice was low with a little tremor In It Rand became suddenly uncomfortable uncomfort-able He was sorry that she had sot forgotten and wished that old tire did ant coop I important to rt 1 In her Ho hastened to change tho subject sub-ject Youve been away on a visit ho asked Yes sho said simply and I Intended tended to stay until Thursday but something seemed to tell me I must come today It was a premonition lont you think and she smiled Into his eyes Rands embarrassment Increased He glanced out of the window nervously nerv-ously wishing tho ride was at an end Could It bo possible that sho had been remembering him caring for him all these years Why did you not wrlto she con Inucd after a pause You stopped writing before you had been gone a year I wanted to hear so much and you promised Rand offered some confused explanation expla-nation and racked his brains for a safe topic of conversation Never had 10 been placed In so trying a position Ion Here was n woman who had obviously cherished his memory for k H Sri Ruth he said unsteadily ten years and expected that he had done tho same for her How foolish he thought her to cling to those childish child-ish promises A business man had no time for writing letters to playmates play-mates of his boyhood Helen ho thought would not betray herself like this Yet thcro seemed to be nothing coarse about Ruths betrayal sho was very selfforgetful very sweet Tho windows of tho train were open and the evening air blew in laden lad-en with the old familiar fragrance of tho hayfields Tho sun had Just set behind the hills that ho know so well How beautiful it was and he had been away so long Ruth turned to him again from the peaceful scene and there were tears on her lashes Your native hills and meadows liavo missed you John We have all missed you so Rand could not meet the beautiful beauti-ful light of her eyes A hot flush swept over his face Ho must stop her must tell her of Helen and go away at once She laid a hand gently gent-ly on his arm You know John sho whispered you are very very welcome home Rands ngony at the girls tono and gesture was annihilated uy a thunderous thun-derous crash Darkness came upon them with the shivering of glass tho cracking of strained timbers The long shiftlessness lu tho management of the road had borne fruit in a fearful fear-ful collision Rand lay stunned for u few seconds and then by powerful wrcnchlngs freed himself from tho debris Ho stood dazed as a realization of the disaster forced itself upon his numbed numb-ed senses Ruth ho cried Ruth where are you Frantically he tugged at tho splintering beams A few men had rushed to the wreck and were attempting at-tempting to rescue the passengers The muss had taken flro from the engines en-gines and the men bent every energy to outstrip the flames Rand worked alono at that end of tho car near which they had been sitting From time to time ho called Ruths name and once ho thought a faint cry answered an-swered him Ho bent down and peered peer-ed Into the wreck In tho fading twilight twi-light John Tho word came to him scarcely audible as he stooped She was held beneath a beam that It took his mightiest effort to remove He I raised her tenderly and carried her to the little grassy bank beside the tracks Very gently he held her with great bitterness In his heart for he know that she was dying and that sho had given him a love which he could not return At last her eyes unclosed and ho bent 1 to catch tho wardsof her lips were struggling to form 1 dont mind John because yo came Sho hesitated Oh Ruth ho began In an agon Ized voice half Intending to tell hall h-all A faint smile crossed her face antI she interrupted I always knew you would come Tohn for you promised but It has been so long The man was completely unnerved lie could not lot her die without one kind word this girl who had found the years so long Ho had promised nothing at parting more than a boys thoughtless Ill como back Ruth he said unsteadily Her eyes opened again very slowly Booking Into those eyes all words failed him and stooping he kissed her brow Later they found him there in the starlight with the dead girl in his arms Ho was wondering If she knew all |