"Do you remember," the old man asked, "the Cherry Brook bridge
disaster that occurred near Philadelphia some eight years ago?"
"Yes," replied Burnham, straightening up in his chair, "I do; I have
good reason to remember it. Were you on that train?"
"I was on that train. Terrible accident, wasn't it?"
"Terrible; yes, it was terrible indeed."
"Wouldn't have been quite so bad if the cars hadn't taken fire and
burned up after they went down, would it?"
"The fire was the most distressing part of it; but why do you ask me
these questions?"
"You were on board, I believe, you and your wife and your child, and
all went down. Isn't that so?"
"Yes, it is so. But why, I repeat, are you asking me these questions?
It is no pleasure to me to talk about this matter, I assure you."
Craft gave no heed to this protest, but kept on:--
"You and your wife were rescued in an unconscious state, were you not,
just as the fire was creeping up to you?"
The old man seemed to take delight in torturing his hearer by
calling up painful memories. Receiving no answer to his question, he
continued:--
"But the boy, the boy Ralph, he perished, didn't he? Was burned up in
the wreck, wasn't he?"
"Stop!" exclaimed Burnham. "You have said enough. If you have any
object in repeating this harrowing story, let me know what it is at
once; if not, I have no time to listen to you further."
"I have an object," replied Craft, deliberately, "a most important
object, which I will disclose to you if you will be good enough to
answer my question.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33