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Show (Coyrlght. 190C, hy Dally Story I'ult. Co.) Ifinnd mndo his last clinngo of enrs and hoarded tlio Blnglo liassonger coach on tho absurd llttlo train. It was a branch road running out Into tho country, n road managed by a few rustic ofTicliils who ran their trains with a flno disregard of schedule, sched-ule, and would gladly Blow down to exchango Items of local gossip with n farmer at a crossing. It was, nevertheless, the homo road and Hand had not como homo since ho had gono away to tho city ten years beforo, n lad of soventccn. Ho recognized tho old brakeman and the conductor, but they eyed him as n stranger. It was Btnnll wonder. Ton years had dealt kindly with tho big, 1 clumsy hoy whoso green crocheted tlo and lll-mndo coat one scarcely saw because his faco was so sincere and strong. Tho conductor of tho llttlo train beheld now a successful business busi-ness man, "a city fellow," yet one. It he had looked moro closely, whoso eyes wcro still frank nnd true. Hand did not malto himself known to them. Ho caught himself wishing that they hnd known him, but was aware at tho snmo tlmo thnt ho was unreasonable to expect It. To them tho years had no doubt seemed longer long-er than to him. Ho had worked bard not pausing to observe tho flight of time. And slnco ho hnd met Helen, how short tho months hnd been, sweet llttlo Helen who was Boon to bo his wife. Thoro wcro only n few other passengers pas-sengers In tho car. Kami scrutinized each one imagining that ho might find in them somo old friends of his youth. A few seats ahead of him sat a young woman to whom his eyes reverted re-verted questlonlngly several times. There was something nbout tho wnvo of her black hair or tho low coll of It against her neck thnt haunted him with a vaguo familiarity. Onco sho turned a llttlo nnd ho, caught a gllmpso of her check. Ruth Hayes! The natuo unthought of for so tunny years (lashed Into his mind. Huth, tho pretty llttlo torn-boy plnymnto of thoso early days! Hut was this suro-ly suro-ly Huth? Suddenly sho rose to put somo packago Into tho rack overhead nnd In so doing faced him squarely. Her eyes met his for n second uncertainly uncer-tainly nnd- then a smllo of happy recognition rec-ognition lighted her faco. Sho extended ex-tended her hand. Hand hastened to grasp It with many assurances of do-light do-light at his good fortune. Tho girl was silent nt first, but her glad eyes welcomed him. They sat down together nnd soon fell to recalling old times. Ono recollection recol-lection led to another In swift succession. suc-cession. Did ho remember tho Sunday Sun-day school picnic when thoy nto so much Ico cream, or would they over forget tho tlmo It poured so on tho straw ride to Wonvcr's Valley? Huth, ho soon noticed, could supply many llttlo details that ho had forgotten, things oven that ho hnd said' or what ho hnd worn on somo particular occasion. occa-sion. Sho recounted Joyously many of their old esenpades. Ho liccanio silent listening nnd studying her. Her faco hnd lost soma nf Its old mirthful-ncss; mirthful-ncss; it was very sweet, but just a llttlo sad. Her volco was low and clear. "1l was you," sho was saying, "who suggested going thoro by moonlight. Recounted joyously many of their old ' escapades. You said that tho mooupath across tlio water was tho most beautiful thing in tho world." j "Old I say that?" ho laughed. "How could you over remomber?" "How could I over forgot?" sho cor- WM rected nnd hor volco was low with H' a llttlo tremor in It. H, Hand boenmo suddenly uncomfort- abe. Ho was sorry that sho had not forgotten, nnd wished that old tines did nol seem so Important t her. Ho hastened to change tho subject. sub-ject. "You've been nwny on a visit?" ho asked. "Yes," sho snld simply, "and t Intended In-tended to stay until Thursdny, hut something seemed to tell mo I must como to-day. It was a premonition, don't you think?" nnd sho smiled Into his eyes." Hand's cmbnrrnssmcnt Increased. Ho glanced out of tho window nervously nerv-ously wishing the rldo was nt nn end. Could It ho posslblo thnt sho had been remembering him, caring for him nil these years? "Why did you not write?" sho continued con-tinued after n pause. "You stopped writing beforo you had been gono n year. I wanted to hear so much, and you promised." ' Hand offered somo confused explanation, expla-nation, nnd rncked his brains for n safo topic of conversation. Never had ho been placed In so trying n position. posi-tion. Hero was n woman who hnd obviously cherished his memory for "Ruth," he said, unsteadily. ten years und expected thnt ho had douo tho snmo for her. How foolish ho thought hor to cling to thoso childish child-ish promises. A business man had no tlmo for writing letters to playmates play-mates of his boyhood. Helen, ho thought, would not betray herself llku this. Yet thoro seemed to bo nothing conrso nbout Huth's betrayal; sho was very solf-forgetful, very sweet. Tho windows of tho train woro open nnd tho evening air blow In laden lad-en with tho old familiar fragrance of tho hayflclds. Tho sun had Just set behind tho hills that ho know so well. How beautiful it was, and ho had been nwny so long. Huth turned to him again from tho peaceful scene and thoro woro tears on her lashes. "Your native hills and meadows havo missed you, John. Wo have all missed you so," Hand could not meet tho beautiful beauti-ful light of her eyes. A hot Hush swept over his faco. Ho must stop her, must tell her of Helen and go nwny n' once. Sho laid n hand gout-ly gout-ly on his arm. "You know, John," sho whispered, "you nro very, vory welcomo homo." Hand's ngony nt tho girl's tono nnd gesture was annihilated by n thun-dorous thun-dorous crash. Darkness enmo upon them with tho shivering of glass, tho cracking of strnluod timbers. Tho long ohlftlossncss In tho mnnngomcnt of tho road had borno fruit In n fearful fear-ful collision. Hand lay stunned for a fow seconds nnd then by powerful wronchlngs freed himself from tho dobrls. Ho stood dnzed as a realization of tho disaster forced Itself upon his numbed numb-ed senses. "Huth," ho cried, "Ruth, whero nro you?" Frantically ho tuggod at tho splintering beams. A fow men had rushed to tho wrock nnd wero attempting at-tempting to rescue tho passengers. The iimss had taken lira from tho engines en-gines nnd tho men bout ovory energy to outstrip tho llamcs. Hand worked nlono at that end of tho car near which thoy had beon sitting. From tlmo to tlmo ho called Huth's nnmo and onco ho thought a faint cry answered an-swered him. Ho bout down nnd peered peer-ed Into tho wreck In tho fading twilight. twi-light. "John." Tho word enmo to him scarcely audible as ho stooped. Sho was hold beneath ti beam that It took his mightiest effort to remove Ho raised hor tondorly and carried hor to tho llttlo grassy bank bcsldo the tracks. Vory gently ho hold her with groat bitterness In his heart for ho know that sho was dying and that sho had given him n lovo which ho could not return At last her eyei unclosed nnd ho bent to catch tho words at her Hps wero Btruggllni; to form. "1 don't mind, John because yo' came." Sho hesitated. "Oh, Huth," ho began in nn ngon-Izcd ngon-Izcd voice halt Intending to tell her all. A faint smllo crossed her face and sho Interrupted. "1 always know you would come, John, for you promised, but It has beon so long." Tho man was completely unnerved. Ho could not let her dlo without one kind word this girl who had found tho years so long. Ho had promised nothing nt parting more than a boy's thoughtless "I'll como back." "Huth," ho said unsteadily. Her eyes opened ngaln vory slowly. Looking Into thoso eyes, all words failed him, and, stooping, ho kissed her brow. Later they found him there In tho starlight, with tho dead girl In his arms. He was wondering If sho knew all. |