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Show A.ti t I lull ,1, J.,l,..ttiitiiliiti it, I tul il f -1- I lilt' j"i."-"j"i"i"i"i,'ii -nf if i"i"j; rv - " f ALL SHE HAD TO DO T By KEITH KENYON. J, ! ' ii'yf y i ii i i i i i 'T t 'I f i f t 't t tt It Just happened that day that everything every-thing had been going to tho everlasting ever-lasting bowwows, as Hampden himself expressed It through his clenched teeth. The Now York wires wero do-laycd do-laycd on account of the storm and even on tbo local lino It was almost Impossible to get a clear, connected messaga through. "Central!" ho called. "Central! What's tho matter with this wire, anyhow7 I'vo been hanging on to tho end of tho lino for an hour trying to got a number." "Wires down below Grand Indian," Bho answered pleasantly. "Kingston docs not respond." Hampden muttered something which sent both places hurtling morrlly after Sodom and Gomorrah's fato, and called again. "Iook hero. I'vo got to catch New York tonight beforo six. It's moro than my luck that hangs on It. Tharo's a fellow down thcro who may commit sulcldo tonight if ho doesn't get my word that things aro all right, seo? I got a letter hollo, hello! Don't cut mo off, pteaso " "I'm llstonlng," said Central. "Ho thinks ho was ruined in a plungo of stock this morning, and I'vo got over half of his cash safo, see? Pulled It out with my own on yoBter-day's yoBter-day's sales. My wife's sick up here, and I had to como. Ho thinks I got cold foet and ran away. Now, wo'vo got to get word to htm at onco that he's all right. You and I havo got to put this through or thoro's going to bo one dead boy down thoro by morning. Tako a message can you, and got It through by telograph anywhero along tho lino?" "Hold tho wlro. I'll seo," said Central. Cen-tral. Hampden held It, frowning out at tho trees, crystal whlto with Ico and snow. "Hello, Just n mlnuto, please," sho called back. "I think wo can get It through by way of Nowburgh. Now-burgh Now-burgh seems to respond." "Nowburgh did respond. Tho wires that way wero all up. When tho connection con-nection wns mado, his voice .sounded husky to him as ho got tho oftico and asked for Ted. "Why, he's Just left, sir," tho boy nt tho switch answered. "Maybo I can catch him in tho hall." Thero was a pauso nnd something seemed to break boforo Hampden's eyes llko n great noiseless skyrocket. His brnln grow numb except for tho pain through his shoulder and ho slipped limply to the floor. Back In Now York, Tod turned moodily from tho olovators and followed fol-lowed tho boy to tho phono booth. His head throbbed with pain. Ho hated Now York, Hampden, fato, everything. All ho wanted was to get out ot it. Then tho girl at tho end of tho wlro bold him. Her volco was beautiful, sweet, cheory, most of all full of human hu-man Ititcrest. "Hollo, Is this Mr. Curtis? This Is Central nt Grand Indian. Long (lis-tnnco (lis-tnnco reports Mr. Hampden who was calling you falls to respond, I havo his message Ready?" "Beady," answorod Tod eagerly. "His wlfo Is sick. That Is why ho was called hero suddenly. Wishes mo to stnto that ho took your money out of tho markot yesterday with his own with profit on sales. Over half safo. Como to Grand Indian, New York, nt onco. Slgnod, Hampden." Whon tho night train pulled Into Grand Indian, a tall flguro In a storm ulster swung off and into tho llttlo station. Ho mado straight for tho desk, but tho ticket agent said tho telegraph room was upstairs. "Sho lives thoro," ho added. "Miss Hewitt. Just knock on tho door. She's up till twelve" Ted took tho narrow stairs In thrco stops nnd rapped on tho door quickly. Ho had mado up all sorts ot speeches on tho way to this girl who had given him tho word of good cheer, but when tho door opened and ho saw her standing stand-ing thcro, all ho could do was to reach out his hand nnd say: "I'm Curtis, Tod Curtis. I wanted to thank you for hauling mo up here. How's Mr. Hampdon?" "Bottor." Sho smiled up ot him In tho friendliest way. Her whlto sweater sweat-er was buttoned close to hor chin, and her hair was rumpled ns If shu had been sleeping, but her eyes wero bright and happy as sho Iookod at him, "sizing him up," as Ted himself would havo expressed It. "Ho must havo had somo sort ot a shock following nervous strain, tiro doctor said. Thoy haven't told his wlfo yot. They'ro both coming out ot it all right. I callod up twlco nftor you left New York to mako suro. You soo, he had already given his messago whon ho fell, bo all I 'had to do was push it through and get you. Only I did put In for you to como at onco." All sho had to do. Ted simply stared at hor. Did sho know Just what a fool ho had beon, Just tho sort ot a quitter it was that wroto tho lot-tor lot-tor up to Hampden, Just how It had been hor call at tho ond of tho wlro that had pulled him back to sanity and lovo ot llfo, tho realization that up thero In tho mountains somowhore thoro was a girl with a volco llko that who could mako Now York look llko thirty conts in tho big reckoning. "I'm going right up to the houso now," ho said. "I'll get tho station hack to pull mo through somehow, but I'm coming back to sco you." (Copyright, I1B. by tho McClure Newspa-pr Newspa-pr Syndicate.) |