The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-03-31

~ witEtred, too
Gladys looked auroyef, ~ sad DO,h
ing, and IN five minutes thy gere hurried
ly ca ing dinner at the ststlol restaurant.
Al'erwsrd Jack amused aud entertained
Ter till the early bed me, All she slept
soundly that night, feeling safe win &
friend go near.
Carefully looking from behelnd her cur
ia'ns next morning, Gladys saw that the
opposite section had been changed from
1.-TWO beds to two seats" again, but Jack
WAS not visible. Half an hour found her
dressed, Visiting for him to appear, as
she intended asking him to breakfast out
Of the well-stocked hamper.
Presently ne came in, aud after a very
slight hesitation smilingly accepted her
invitation He helped her uupsck the
hamper and set the table in her sect u
aud in a perfect gale Of fun they tegan
their morning meal, sitting opposite.
This is fun. isn't IL said Gladys
spesrug for a sardne with corkscrew,
for JACK, a. company, WAS honored with
the only fork.
Immense p he assented so emphaticsl-
ly that she laughed gleefully.
Emboldeuet by his Jack, in the set OF
carrying piece Of cold chicken to his
voice and fork at the same time, said
cosx'ngly, Lets breakfast together al
ways-shsll we, Gladys?'
She smiled in spite of herself at his
tone and msnner, even while dainty
frown slightly marred her pretty fore
head and she answered briefly and EN-.
phaticslly, Couldn't think Of such
thing, Don't be silly. Jack
van cru.l li,ila ,,irI said Jack
dramatically, as he strait htened up and
proceeded TO eat the morsel on lis fork
Their merry little meal over, the rest
Of the day pa sed in the usual routine Of
a Pullman car. Jack was all devotion
from first to last. Residing, talking and
eating, with hssty little promerades when
there wss any opportunity, was the order
OF the day.
Glsdys acknowledged TO herself, after
bidding him good nigh, that Jack was
very pleasant companlon, but she did not
want TO marry him; no, indeed.
Jack Hollis had known and loved Gladys
Preston since he WAS boy Of nineteen
and she little girl of fourteen. He had
proposed and been declined several times,
but knowing that size did not dislike him,
and believing that "evury hlng comes tC
The man who waits, he vas waiting, ant
in the meantime wGoing 10 the best Of
his ability.
He was very much afraid she would
meet -ome other man during her visit,
who would fall in love with her; hence
his deep-lsid scheme 10 travel to tn1a- q
wi Ii her. As for Gladly, after her first
surprise at seeing him on board, she was
80 used to his Levor-failing devotion that
she took his coming with her as matter
Of course. 1t was just like Jack, she
thought.
The second morning Gladys srose with
a severe headache. With that and a
! wretched nights sleep, she was worn out
and cross, undeniably 20. She snubbed
poor Jack, who was all sympathy; Iefus-
ed the cup of tea he brought her when
they changed cars at Ogoen; and when
the journey began again, lay back on the
4 pillows he fixed in the seat for her, and
would have nothing to say to him.
| All day she suffered intensely, feigninG
sleep most Of the time, to avoid being
fused over by the sympathetic old ladies'.
How Jack longed to take the COLDER
brown head in his arms and stro the
throbbng temples Toward evening,
when the rest of the passengers were out
at dinner he asked her with passionate
tremor in his voice to give him the right
to do so.
She was trying to swallow the tea he
had again brought in to her. Pushing 1t
away, she said angrily;
Jack, you bother me TO death. Don't
ever mention that subject to me again,
for | will not marry you. Go away, and
don't speak to me al ALL Then the ach-
ing head dropped YEARLY back ON the
pillow
Jack paled, took the balf-emptied cup,
and walked silently out of the car. That
was the last she saw of him that light
She had her berth made up early, and,
utterly exhausted, soon fell into refresh
ing sleep, from which she awoke in the
night with the headache gone.
Her first thought WAS of j ok, and her
eyes opened wide with shame as she TT
membered her rudene,s to the man who
had always been so kind to her She re-
called the panied, set leok, as he had
turned away the evening before, and re-
solved to ask his pardon the first thing in
the morning, when of course he woulN
forgive her and they would be good
friends again.
Morning found Gladys herself again,
sweet ard pretty as ever; but no Jack to
aae 4-e1S he he !assa.sa ne. come in 10 tAke
reakfast with her, as she expected, so
she decided he must have eaten at the
station which had been passed carly, be-
fore she WAS up
After a lonely little breakfast by her
self she settled down comfortably with
a book to read and wait for h III to come
and make up.
The hours passed. however, and still no
Jack. His traps were siill opposite, SO
he must be on the train, probably in the
smoking room, where the other meu spent
most of their time. She began to grow
very indignant at his neglect,
"To be sure, | told him never to speak
to me again, but he knew did not mean
it, soll, quized GLADYS; then tossed her
head aud vowed she didn't care what he
did.
At luncheon time she saw him dsap-
pear in The eating room without so much
as a look even in her direction. Shortly
after the train moved he sauntered care
lessly INTO his section. Meeting her won
derlug eyes, he gravely bowed, then TAX
ing book, was, to all intents, soon Alb
sOr1ed in its contents.
Her heart seemed to sink few inches
as she fully realized that he hsd taken her
hasty words literally, and did not intend
speaking to her But pride came to her
rescue, and she was apparently rs much
Interested in her work as he was in his.
The afternoon rolled on and still they
read never glsncing AT each Other. As
the train drew up at the dinner station he
threw down his book, and, without word
to the girl across the aisle, went out tax
ing and laughing with one OF the men.
Gladys. who had not left the car thst
day, timidly asked the old lsdies If she
could go out to dinner with them, and
was promptly taken under heir wing
A fter dinner Jack stayed in the smoking
room playing cards.
Then, as the shadows darkensd 20 hat
she could not see to read, GiaCys' spirits
fell t. lowest ebh. Turning to the win
dow, but seeing nothing of the fast dark
enipg landscape, she gszed steadily our
with fast filling eyes. She realized and
cnnfes. ed then to herself how much she
had missed Jack all day.
On the train flew into the darkness
The car lamps We're lit and bprh his were
being made up all around her. More aud
more lonely and low spirited she grew.
Tomorrow morning would bring them to
Omaha, where her friends would meet
her. She would 20 one way, Jack auoth.
er, and he would never speak to her
sgsn. The last thought WAS too much
for her, and by this time she was Crying
softly, but bitterly, in the corner, with