The day book. [volume], September 07, 1912, Image 20

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
w
a washout up the roa'd, and' she
may be held up all night."
''That's encouraging," Tom re
marked. "What I've seen of this
place doesn't make me yearn to
spend the night here. Where's
the-town?"
"This is it."
"Isn't' there a hotel of any
kind?"
"No, nothing in that-line ex
cept the farm house half a mile
down the track, where the night
operator and I board."
"I suppose there's no hack?"'
"None that I've ever heard of'
"What time do you -light up
here? They ought to let you. use
plenty of oil in such a lonesome
place as this. It's getting pretty
dark." . , ,
"Just a minute. Here's my call."
The operator turned to his in
strument and Tom Harlow wait
ed at the ticket window, hoping
there might be encouraging news
concerning the train for Medford ;
but he was doomed to be disap
pointed.
"I guess you may as well make
tip your mind to hang around J
nere all night, said the operator
after the instrument had ceased'
clicking (he spoke rather loudly
for Helen's benefit) ; "they say
the track is washed out in half
a dozen places. There's been a J
cloud-burst."
4 While Tom drummed with his
finger-tips upon the ledge of the
ticket window the operator light
ed the lamp in his office and Ihen
proceeded to illuminate the wait
ing room, which served for T)oth
men and .women. "
For a moment after the HgtfP
had been turned on Tom Harlow
looked silently at Helen, who sat
(with .her back, toward him, her
head tent and her face hidden in
her hands. The operator turned
to his instruments, which, we're
clicking frantically.
"Helen," Tom" said very teri
derly after he had paused beside
her.
She looked up at him, and he
saw that there were fears in her
eyes. He reached for one of Tier
hands, but she drew away from
'him and shrank a little farther
intp hef corner.
"Helen' he said again, "I've
come to explairi to you. I "sup
posed you 'werp already at Med- .
ford, t Was going there to tell
you."
She stood t up, and when he
again attempted to take her hand
in his she did no object.
"Let's go outside," he suggest-'
d, "outside, under the stars",
-where I can tell you everything
where nothinglwill be hetween us.
and heaven."
The operator was busy and,did
not notice that the waiting room
was empty; x
"You see", Helen, it was neces-
sary for Mrs. Danforth to" take
somebddy into . her confidence'
said. "For some reason she se-
lected me. Her former husband,
-who waS a scalawag, had inform-'
ed the secret service agents thatr
she had been smuggling jewelry.
It was merely a case of blackmail.
She had refused Jo" support him
and he had tried to get her to buy
him of She needed somebody to5
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