Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-02-08

ognizes An acquaintance yet doubts the
testimony Of his own eyes as he meets
nothing but a look of repell.ng blank
ness in the others answering regard.
james drummer. He is appearing
rather early upon the scene" are the
thoughts that fash through Kitty
mind rs she looks frigd, unutterable
things through and beyond the new
conner, who passes on to the next seat
and dispOses Of his portmanteau and
overcOat, pausing in his proceedings to
| glance occasionally with a puzzled look
at the pretty girl opposite. But Miss
Kate has already sought refuge In
Johns gilt, and is absOr5cdly following
the fortunes of Howells heroine through
the opening chapter. So the puzzled
| gentleman wis " produces paper from
his pocket and lets himself become alb
sOrbcd in its contents also.
BY and by Kitty becomes aware that
| the tickct-oiiice Is open. and with n
wariness born of James warnings she
arrangcs her traps in n compact pile,
and, clinging valiantly to her handbag,
/ gets into line and patiently awaits her
turn ut interviewing the ticket-seller.
This Is matter ofconsiderable delay,
since some one in advance inaugurates
"A mild but lengthy dispute with that
Official regarding the claim To n section
that has been telephOned for, or some
| thing of that sort. And when Kitty
gets back TO her place she finds that
certain Polish emigrants have come in,
and virtually evicted her; and that. oh
/ horrors. her belongings have been un-
/ tremendously transferred TO the settee
occupied by that impertinent drummer!
| And do her eyes deceive her? no; he
is actually reaIing her book She can
not see the title, but il is the same dun
/ cOlOred volume, with the regulation
| gilt fr exc and publishers monogram.
She could identify it il she saw il IN AZ
| RIGA, she is sure. "Impudence" she
Ella ulates. mentally, rs she drops angri-
| " into her seat, and waits for him to
return her book. But this he evidcn ly
| does not intend TO do; and, resolved on
| her part not to ask for il. the ANNOYED
young lady feigns to be unaware of tie
| dark eyes that so frequently desert the
| pages of the borrowed novel to bestow
n long. steady and still puzzled look
/ upon the face of their neighbor. He
/ certainly does look debonnair and
well bred, she admits, reluct antly, and
she is stealing second glance at him,
when suddenly:
pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago
train is now ready. Passengers for Phila-
dclphia, New York and the East all
| abOardi intones the train-agent. as
though IL were n cathedral, and he were
rendering a Gregorian chant. And inn
mcdiately there Is stampede for the
stairs.
Kitty picks up her shawl-bag and
| duster, and basket of fruit, with deliber-
ate slOwncss. He shall have n chance
To return that book unasked il he wishes
To, she determines. But evidently the
gentleman has no such intention. He,
/ too, Is gathering up his traps, pausing
To put the fateiul book in his overcoat-
pocket. To kitty's lOng-tried patience
this move Is the last straw.
Il beg Your pardon. SIR" she says.
coldly, "but will you be so good as to
return my book?"
The gentleman turns in establishment,
and cOurteously raises his hat
Il should be delighted to do so. il
your book were in my possession" he
answers, gravely. MAY 1 inquire to
what book you refer? -
"To Howells' Lady Of the ARGOS
took which left here on the seat"
"Ah!" he answered. sOlemnlv, yours
was Tho Lady of the Aroostook ,;
but NINE producing il from his peck
ct. and displaying the title with an
amused smile that she feels rather than
sees, "mine is a Chance Acquaint-
ancc.' II mistake not saw YOU put
/ your look in the pocket of your buster
/ just after | came in. Let us see" And
/ taking the linen habit from the seat
where Kitty has dropped it, he triumph
antly brings forth from one of its peck
cts the twin volume of Howells.
With hasty and humble apology the
blushing Kitty once more collects her
! possessions, and in very unenviable
frame of mind follows the crowd into
the Pullman. She is almost CRYING at
her own stupidity as she chances hastily
ut the coupon which she carries. and
notices that IL bears the number
six. She hardly glances at her opposite
neighbor-a small boy and his big
brOther-as she arranges her luggage
and tries not To see her new acquaint-
ance, who is coming down the aisle.
To her annoyance, hepauscs just at her
section, and scans his coupon with n
nOnpluSed air. But Kitty obstinately
looks out of the window, although she
il kccnly conscious that, after an in
stant's hesitation. he takes the seat be-
side her And while she is still feeling
hot and angry and uncomfortable, the
train rushes out of the station and into
the wet, foggy streets beyond.
Presently enters the white-capped
conductor. and one by one the passen-
gers tickets are examined satisfactorily.
until il comes the turn of the people in
section six. Her three neighbors pass
muster successfully, and unhappy Kitty
t.nidly thruSts forth her checks, only To
be crushed with shame and conSterna-
ton as the conductor turns the coupon
upside down, and, piercing her with
his cold, shiny eye, gruiily roars:
Number nine, madam! number nine.
please! You have mistaken your sec
tom
kitty's companion politely removes
her bags TO number nine, and leaves
her To her by no means pleasant med
itatiOns. She can see him in the mirror
of the panel beside her, deeply in crest
ed in the misleading novel of Howells.
She notices that he reads steadily until
suppcr-time, aud then he goes of to the
smOking-car. and she sees him no more
that night.
Her vis-a-vis turns out to be n wom-
an with teething baby; and Kitty alb
dicates the lower berth in their favor.
and goes up aloft. where James evil
prophecies have their due effect, and she
dreams Of brigands and the Sicilian
malta. and all manner of horrible things
until morning.
Perhaps IL is because the dark-eyed
traveller orders breakfast in the train
that Miss Kate disregards her sisters
commands, and decides to incur dys-
pepsia nj the railroad restaurant in Al
lance. For the same reason she elects
TO dine in Pittsburgh; yet her order is
scarcely filled when her ''chance ac-
quaintance" walks leisurely in. and is
allotted place at the same table. That
he is gentlemanly and unobtrusive she