Wild Roses Read Online Free PDF Page B

of nowhere.”
    â€œThere was supposed to be a stop soon. Let’s see if there’s anyone we can talk to.”
    Ella waited for a moment after listening to the two men walk away before she cautiously opened her eyes. A look out the window told her nothing except that it was early in the morning and that George might just be right. It certainly looked as if they were in the middle of nowhere. The same open, empty land could be seen through the window on the other side of the train car. Even if she was not shackled to the seat again, escape would be nearly impossible and probably very foolhardy. There did not look to be a decent place to hide for miles.
    Despite the apparent hopelessness of even attempting an escape, Ella slipped a hairpin from her hair. Her aunt had spent many long hours teaching her how to pick a lock. It had been great fun. It had also been intended to help her get out of a locked room, something her uncle was very fond of putting her in. Louise had never once considered the possibility of manacles. Ella briefly prayed that her uncle had not either.
    After several fruitless attempts at the lock, she cursed, then looked around nervously. She might yet have some use for the sympathy of her fellow passengers and she could not afford to lose it because they had overheard her talking like some dock worker. Ella was relieved to see that no one was near enough to hear her. It annoyed her, however, to discover that they were all covertly watching her, but not one of them offered to help. Their sympathy apparently extended only so far. The small hope she had nurtured that one of them would be moved to help her slowly began to die.
    â€œAunt Louise, I pray that it is you who has stopped this train,” she muttered as she renewed her efforts to unlock her shackles. “It looks as if you are my only hope.”
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    â€œThis has got to be the stupidest plan you have ever thought of,” drawled Joshua, frowning at Louise.
    Louise brushed a stray lock of hair from her flushed face and glared at Joshua, who stood beside the railroad tracks and a safe distance from the outer rail. She too was beginning to have doubts about her plan to stop the train. Standing in the middle of the tracks, the train would soon come rolling over had caused her to question not only the wisdom of her plan, but her own sanity. She had struggled long hours to think of a way to stop the train without endangering it or the passengers it carried. If the engineer was alerted to trouble on the track he would slow to a safe stop. The least endangering and most easily removed difficulty she was able to think of was herself. Unfortunately, Joshua’s continuous complaints and insults were making her envision far too many things that could go wrong—horribly, fatally wrong.
    â€œIf you do your part correctly, everything will be fine,” she said as she studied her small booted foot and wondered if it really looked wedged in the tracks. She could not afford raising the engineer’s suspicions too quickly.
    â€œHe won’t stop for me. He’ll just roll right over you. Might even do it just because stupid women annoy the hell out of him.”
    â€œNo man will run a train over a woman no matter how stupid he thinks she is.”
    â€œYou have too much faith in your fellow man.”
    â€œLook, I am well aware that this plan has holes in it big enough to stampede a herd of horses through. However, it is the safest one I could think of.”
    â€œSafe for everyone but you.”
    â€œI will be safe enough. Now, go, and make sure the other boys know what to do.” When he hesitated, still scowling at her, she repeated, “Go, or we will still be standing here arguing this as the train thunders over me.”
    After muttering a few soft curses, Joshua left, and Louise breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that if Joshua had stayed any longer, he could have succeeded in talking her out of her