The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1888-04-17
travelling cap made some pretense to-
ward being q reader of character.
Naan,uhila SvI,;l conotitut;nnoll,, ~,

oiaVollluS Gap uttuo SOulo pIotouSo To-
ward being q reader of character.
Meanwhile Sybil, constitutionally op-
posed to "ogling," as all sensible, wo-
manly girls are, formed q pretty severe
opinion Of the stranger who took such
q mean advantage of the powerof re-
flection. But she scorned to change
her seat. Her policy was one of COM
plete oblivion, and, setting herself COM
fortably, she soon forgot all about the
handsome pair of brown eyes so deliber-
ately fixed OH the telltale mirror.
The other passengers were pretty we'll
acquainted by the time they reached
Chicago. but Sybil, naturally reserved,
and becoming more so through the pro-
tective instinct which prompted her to
make few friends when travelling alone,
had not Joined the little toterie which
soon establishes itself in every west
ward-bound train. Her neighbor had
been baffied in several attempts to mako
her acquaintance, but difficulty only
fred his determination.
"She's something new in the femin-
inc line, by Jove she isl" he remarked.
when one Of his deepest-laid schemes
had been over-thrown by Sybl's court
eous but unapproachable dignity.
1t appears this handsome stranger
had been a ''lady's man FOR many o
day." He was of peculiar tempera-
ment. When he made up his mind to
anything he usually accomplished it,
and in accomplishing 1t was quite will
ing to relnquish all subordinate inter-
ests. He too. held himself aloof from
fellow-passengers, and so it was that
when they reached Council Bluffs not
soul was on board the train who could
have told who the gentleman and lady
were that travelled alone and were so
very exclusive.
Any one who has made a transcon-
tinental trip will appreciate the desire
to take turn on terra frma that seized
SYPHILIS peculiar vis-a-vls when he reach
ed Council Bluffs. He was a little,
athletic fellow, and during the hour
and half that the train halted he made
pedestrian tour into the surrounding
county. Unfortunately, he prolonged
his walk beyond a desirable limit, and
when he reached the station again the
train had already begun to move slow
ly. Many a time he had boarded the
train when it was going much more
rapidly, and, with moments hesita-
tion, he ran for the rear platform of Iii
car, making spring and catching at
the iron railing.
AS often happens, he had not calcul~
ated On the full speed of the train. lie
missed the step and fell backward,
striking his head on the platform, and
only escaping a terrible fracture by the
presence Of a pile of empty mail bags,
which broke his fall.
The train stopped, and the injured
man was taken aboard. He was who'll.
ly insensible, and the blood gushed
freely from the wound in his head. A
skillful surgeon who happened to be
among the passengers was summoned
at once, and. having seen the young
man made comfortable in sleeping
car, he examined the confusion.
"Will some one please help me with
these bandages2" the doctor asked.
"No, thanks" he added, as q gentle
man offered his services. "a lady,
please"
lie glanced around the car, and his
eyes fell on Sybil's calm face, on the
q Nuh q han huI O..
and agile, and he noted the composure
with which she bore herself, while the
rest Of the ladies were nearly all in q
semi-hysterical state.
"Will you hold these bandages,
miss9" he asked, kindly. "Do you un-
derstand how to do it?"
"Oh, yes, SIR" said she, promptly.
"My father was doctor. L am used
to such work.
The wound was shortly dressed, but
it was whole day before the young
stranger awoke from the stupor occa-
stoned by his fall, and then it was only
to pass into a state of delirium.
"Do you know who he isp" the doc
tor asked Sybil, who had been installed
by common consent as the sick mans
nurse.
"This dropped out of Ills pocket"
she replied, handing him business
card. 81 think that is his name, as his
baggage is marked with those initials.n
The doctor read; "Robert Vincent
4 Co., commission merchants, New
York"
"lle had a narrow escape" he OBJ
served, handing the card back to Sybi.
A little more force would have crushed
his skull like nutshell"
a new interest suddenly awak ned
for Sybil.