Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/140

 tentatively fixed on satisfied him. He wanted to take Russell far away, as the first consideration; and he had seen the result of Hershy's attempt to get him into a motor car.

The puffing and bell of a switch engine caught Gregg's ear; a headlight gleamed across the street and gates went down with warning clangor. When Gregg brought Russell to the crossing, he started down beside the tracks without positive intention at first; chiefly he was keeping Russell moving and interested. Then he observed that they were beside a string of box cars, empty probably, which were being made up into a train for return to the west. One car had the door open and, halting, Russell thrust both his hands in the straw on the floor of the car; then, exerting his strength, he sprang up and thrust himself into the car.

The fellow could have had no purpose but, perhaps, to lie down in the straw and sleep; for that was what he did. Gregg, satisfied, got into the car and sat beside him. In a few minutes came the shock and jangle which told that the engine had picked up this string of cars; the train started and, as the car passed the city street lamps, streaks of light entered the door, slowly swept over Gregg and the sleeping form of Russell and left them in the dark again. Then the train gathered speed; the clanging over crossings ceased and the streaks of light were rare and dim; the train was out of the city and, evidently a fast, through freight, would make few stops. The train crew apparently were unaware that any one was in this car; when a brakeman passed on top he never halted and no one had looked into the door.

For Gregg's purpose with Russell, he could hardly have chosen a better place; yet Gregg, as he reviewed