until she was past that stop, and then returned on the next train from the
little flag-station a few miles above, where he could have gotten the
conductor to slow up for him? The swiftly moving cars asked the question
as the long train flew by him. The last car was almost past when he made a
daring dash and flung himself headlong upon the platform, to the horror of
several trainmen who stood on the adjoining tracks.

"Gee!" said one, shaking his head. "What does that dude think he is made
of, any way? Like to got his head busted that time, fer sure."

The brakeman, coming out of the car door with his lantern, dragged him to
his feet, brushed him off, and scolded him vigorously. The young man
hurried through the car, oblivious of the eloquent harangue, happy only to
feel the floor jolting beneath his feet and to know that he was safe on
board.

He found the girl sitting where he had left her, only she had flung up the
shade of the window next her, and was gazing with wide, frightened eyes
into the fast flying darkness. He touched her gently on the shoulder, and
she turned with a cry.

"Oh, I thought you had fallen under the train!" she said in an awed voice.
"It was going so fast! But you did not get off, after all, did you? Now,
what can you do? It is too bad, and all on my account."

"Yes, I got off," he said doggedly, sitting down opposite her and pulling
his tie straight. "I got off, but it wasn't altogether satisfactory, and
so I got on again. There wasn't much time for getting on gracefully, but
you'll have to excuse it. The fact is, I couldn't bear to leave you alone
just yet. I couldn't rest until I knew you had passed the North Side