Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-29
A PULLMAN EPISODE.

then to consult an oxidized silver flask he
shad with him. Then there was prim Sc
overlooking lady in black, who sat bolt up
right in her seat and looked stonily out of
the window.
Jack was sure she carried peppermint
drops and tracts, and talked through her
nose. Lastly, there was some one whom
Jack could not sea woman, he was sure,
for he could see part of a blue flannel dress
skirt peeping into the aisle; but that was
all, excepting an occasional glimpse he
caught of few stray curls of gold-brown
hair next the window. Presently the owner
of the gold-brown hair and the blue-fannel
skirt spoke to the porter, as that function
ary passed through, and Jack noticed she
had a very sweet contralto voice.
Jack had a theory that contralto voices
accompanied dark hair, and here, obviously,
was direct refutation of this theory. So,
presently, he pretended to have business in
the day coach, and, assuming as graceful a
gait as the circumstances would permit, he
, sauntered forward.
The owner of the skirt and locks was very
pretty. She had a sweet, rosy, demure
mouth, lovely milk and white complexion,
perfect teeth, and a charmingly straight
Greek nose All this Jack noted st glance.
For the rest of it he noted that she had
small slight, but rounded figure, and a pair
of roguish dark blue eyes. She looked at
him in a mildly curious wav as he passed
by, as though idly wondering where he came
from; but as he returned, she actually
smiled-yes, smiled-and Jack Boswell,
being only an ordinary young man, and, as
1 have said, being also somewhat conceited,
took it for granted that he had made an i'm
preston, and smiled in return, whereupon
the young lady's smile instantly froze, and
that person turned her face frigidly toward
the window. 1t was not until young Mr..
Boswell reached his seat and glanced at his
reflection in the little mirror that he under
stood why the young lady had smiled at
him. There was large daub of SCOT right
where it would disfgure his appearance
most-fom the side Of his nose to a point
under his right eye.
Mr.. Boswell was disconnected. He did
not feel half SO. well satisfied with himself
as he had 15 minutes since. He sat quite
still for some time, staring at the scenery
and feeling that he had made himself
supremely ridiculous, and had been snubbed
into the bargain. And he thought, and
thought, and somehow the dark-blue eyes
and gold-brown hair kept mixing them
selves with his reflections, until, presently,
another eccentric notion popped into his
head; the result being that when the con-
ductor came through, Jack asked him what
the young lady's destination was.
The conductor glanced at him quizzically,
but Jack looked him straight in the eye,
and he answered:
"Why-er-she's going to Los Angeles,
I believe. Yes"
Jacks mind was made up. With the few
things in his little grip, and what money he
had with him-barely sufficient for a trip
across the continent-he would go clear to
California to efface from Blue-Eyes' mind
the ridiculous impression he was sure he
had made with that disgusting smooch on
his nose and cheek.
A little further questioning ELECTED the
information that Blue Eyes had q wait of
several hours in Chicago, and would take
the Santa Fe road from there: and this de-
cided the plans of the eccentric MI. Bos-
we'll He would, on reaching Chicago, lay
in a supply of such articles as he might
need, arm himself with credentials, busi-
ness and social, and draw enough money to
last awhile. Good! And Jack leaned back
in his seat with q sigh that indicated he
felt better.
Several times before reaching Chicago,
young Mr.. Boswell (having first assured
himself that no vagrant daub of SCOT had
played pranks with his countenance, and