Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-09-13
THE LADY SMILED.

riburon was crowded as usual and people
were streaming through the cars in the hur-
ried search for vacant seats. Little Mr.. Tom
N. Oddly, who was just starting out on his
two days vacation, knew there would be this
rush and SO was among the first to scamper
off the boat, Chamber into the nearest coach,
and pre-empt the best middle seat on the shady
side of the car Then, after the miserable
fashion of his kind, he proceeded to cover the
entire seat with himself, his overcoat, his cane
and his valise.
This exercise of selfishness accomplished, he
drew an evening paper from his pocket and
pretended to be absorbed in the baseball re-
ports AS he read, however, he could not
help being conscious of persistent shadow
that fell upon the sheet. Other shadows went
forward and backward like jostling silhou-
cites, but this one stayed. CHANGING out of
the corner of his right eye, he saw a small
black gloved hand resting upon the top of the
seat just where his overcoat lay, and then, GU
riosity leading him further afeld, he glanced
still more and found that the hand belonged
to one of the most charming women it had
ever been his undeserved good fortune to see.
Her face was rather pale, almost sallow in
deed, but lit up by pair of great black
as gentle as does. The nose was short,
straight, but rather too stout; the mouth
was full and red, with a provoking little
lroop to the lower lip; and the chin was
round and slightly double The eyebrows
were heavy and the hair was black with
coppery tint at the edges. The dress was
black, relieved by three great damask roses
at the bosom, and was SO draped as to show,
FL, of hI1t
well rounded figure.
1t may be repeated that little Mr.. Tom N
Oddly felt that he had never before seen so
bewitching a creature, and when she looked
at him in a pleading, timorous way and
asked in low voice if ''this seat were en-
gagged" he swept his things out Of the way
with single movement and declared him
self delighted to be able to say it was not.
She thanked him with a little faltering
smile and sat down.
She was unprovided with current litera-
ture, and so little Mr.. Tom N. Oddly, as the
first advance toward his determined plan of
making himself agreeable, offered her part
of his paper At this she stiffened some
what, then prettily declined the offer, saying
that it hurt her eyes to read on the train
As she said so she turned those beautiful orbs
of hers upon the young man, and just to
show that he knew what was proper under
the circumstances, he replied that no book or
paper that had yet been written was worth
,poiling those eyes over. She threw up the
lids little more at this, then smiled again
and lifted her shoulders i'll something very
near shrug.
Little Mr. Tom N. Oddly observed this-he
was a very observing young mainland hazr
arded the remark that she was foreigner.
No." she replied 81 was born in Cali
fornia."
"Ah, indeed" said he, with fine spirit, $50
was $50 that we are a native son and
daughter of the Golden West, and therefore
related"
That's quite ingenious" she remarked,
''are you lawyers'
NO." he answered, getting rather red in
the face; "I'm connected with Messrs. Sock,
lie & Co."
81 have "a friend who deals there" said
she sweetly; "are you one of the partners9"
mo" he replied, feeling very warm about
the ears; 81 have charge of the suspender de
partment."
"Oh, that must be very NICE" said she,
'such pleasant, clean business, isn't it?"
"Yes," he replied, but without any very
great enthusiasm, for this was a subject on
which he did not particularly care to con-
verse; He did not mind it when he was with
the fellows" who earned their living in the
same Estate of life" but at present, when he
was deeply possessed of the necessity of max,
ing an impression on this beautiful creature,
he felt that the topic was one that ought to
be changed as speedily as possible. So,
grasping his cane in such way as to bring
flashing ring within range of those lovely
ewes, he asked their owner if she was going
| far
ITO Santa Rosa" she said land youg"
'Oh, I'm going on back of Cloverdale for
little roughing it," he said with delightful
airiness, although he forgot to add that the
scene of the roughing was his mother'sranch.
docs it hurt you-to rough itF' she asked
with such gentle interest, that he thought he
had never met with anything quite so tender
and unsophisticated.
"Bless you, no." he cried; "why it's the
pleasantest kind of life Fresh air, frest
MILL, and an occasional bear'-
"Bearsl' she cried; but surely those
nasty hugging things must be dangerouss"
"Of course they are" said he, valiantly
"but | go well prepared. have revolver
In my valise and this cane is Il sword cane.
SIS it really, nowa" she asked, with ready
Interest," chow does it works But perhap:
it is not right to display it here"
81 don't know but what you're right" as
sented little Mr. Tom N. Oddly, ESPECIALLY
as that fellow across the way has done moth
ing but stare at us ever since the train
started. must say he's exceedingly imper
tinent to go looking like that at people hi
don't know"
"Ah, but that's not all, said she; "woule
YOU believe it, that man has followed me evel
since left my house, got on the same boat
and now here he is on the same train. Oh, l
ONLY But there, don't let's notice him
Tell me about your bear hunts and how you
would use your knife if you saw bear goin:
to hug me-"
Little Mr.. Tom H. Oddly was trying hare
to remember the most exciting bear adven
,ure he had ever read of, when the engin
gave a shril toot.
"Oh, my!" cried she, laying her hand o.
little Mr.. Tom N. Oddy's arm; 81 do believ
we're going through tunnel"
There was no doubt about it, and with an
other foot the engine plunged into the long
black mole A wild, wicked hope leaped u
IN little Mr. Tom n Oddy's little mind, bu
it o4ly lived a moment, for there, dlrecti
over tae nest seat, was hung lighted lamp
1t only burned dimiy, and the light it CAV
out in the blackness of the tunnel was yer
faint. but it was quite enough to stay littl
Mr. Tom N. Oddly from doing the desperat
thing he had contemplated He could see til
pale outline Of her face and two lustrot
spots, which showed where her eyes WEI
cleaning; L4t SO, too, he could see the ov'
8 of that fellows face across the way, and We
= very sure that in the upper half OF that ova
/ Just where it was cut by the dark line OF u
z hat brim, there were two other eyes who
were fixed very psrsistently in his direction
r There was no use trying to talk against Il
roar of the tunnel. but when they were cies
] of it and in the light once more little NJ