Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-08-01
ON THE TRAIN.
BY EAlMA A. oPPER.

ID llama A. CEGEhs
II was going to be a dull railroad Jour
ney, that was certain. Dizziness Der.
meated the dusty and cindery atmos
phere.
Kitty Brooks had book, but she did
not feel like reading. she might have
looked out, but the telegraph poles dis
turbcd her, and not much was to be seen
at any rate.
Three men were asleep. A woman
across the aisle was eating out of 4 lunch
basket something Of distinctly opiony
odor-onions or garlic. 1t had afflicted
Kitty from the first, and now she felt
that fresh air was absolutely necessary.
The cinders could not be much worse
than they already were. She reinquished
book and purse and umbrella and tried
to raise the window
1t stuck, of course. And equally Of
course man rose up from the seat be-
hind her, touched his hat, and said
"Allow mel in polite accents.
Had Kitty been mote Travelled, less
unsophistcatcd, she would have been
able to forecast that occurrence with
reasonable certainty.
As it was, she raised startled eyes aud
made stammerng reply. What she saw
was a young fellow Of attractive ex-
terror, if not precisely handsome, bend
ing forward with courteous smile.
What the young man saw was one of
the sweetest faces imaginable, blue-syed
and tender-mouthed, under hat not
quite of the newest style; slender,
girlish form, clad in dress which was
not exactly 1.-THE thing and look of
tremulous uncertainty.
"Tu put it up, he said, hastily, and
rather stiifiy.
What in the name Of sense was the
girl afraid Of!
He shoyed it up with a strong push
and sat down.
But now that ne had seen her faee-
such an astonishingly charming face -
the back view Of her haxen head and un-
worldly Ittle hat was simply tantaliz-
ing.
He kept an admiring, fascinated gaze
upon them. And when she turned, the
next moment. tilnid flush rising in her
cheek, George Floyd's heart actually
beat faster
81 didn't mean to be so impolitc as not
to say thank you" KITTY said, bravcly
as she could. Thank you"
"You are more than welcome, he an
swered. But the response sounded
jcrky-or ne persuaded himself that it
did. 81 fancy" he said, smiling, ''that
you were getting tired of the picked
onions OF our hungry neighbor2"
"Was it picked ouions2" Kitty
smiled, too eyes; l couldn't stand it. y
"Most Of us seem oblivious, though,
he said, CHANGING around. II think you
and ! are the only wide awake people in
the car.
"Ics, am sure one OF those men will
lose his bat oil in the aisle il he doesn't
wake up said Kitty
But in the words we're en- effort-he
knew that, She looked shy, shrinking
The ancient smile of a wild-rose oc-
Cured to George F.oyd's intent mind.
TO nobody could the phrase have been
more fifty applied. Her swectIy pretty
face was Hower-Iikc, and she bore the
marks Of a half-rusticity, which added
tcn-foId to her charm.
1t veXcd and distressed him that she
should seem to distrust him; as though
hcwoujd be guilty of a breath Of disre-
specific, and to herl
'Warm weather isn't conducive to en-
thusiasm among railroad travellers And
possibly l shouldn't say it--but the
scenery along this road clear to Wynd
ham, where my experience of it ends, is
worse than ordinary; it's bad You ge;
tired Of bric&yarjs and spindling
woods
lie spoke in q studiously matter-of-
fact way, hardly looking at her even.
She should be made to see that he was
gentleman, mt least-little wood pigeon
that she was
Kitty gave him her first full look.
"Wyndham!" she said.
''Yes. live there" said George
Floyd, an odd little hope stirring with
in him. "You- are you"
II nm going to Wyndham,' said
Kitty.
Taen she turned pink again and
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