Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-02
HER BLINDNESS.

The dining car was In simmer OF light.
The dead white of heavy linen, the opal
escent CLINT of glassware, and the quiet
CLEAN of silver trembled together in the
swift motion of the train. Miss Baxter.
who had but recently left her berth,
dropped into seat and leaned back mo-
ment dazed by this lavish waste of color.
Meanwhile the insistent sunlight took
liberties with the dull brown Of her Sc
verely brushed hair, ran burning fingers
through it and edged it with coquettish
gold. Then she FASTENED to draw the cur
tain and throw the blue square of shade
over her corner OF the table, signing as she
settled down again, and all the painful
scene of the evening before came surging
back.
She felt half notion to lay her head on
the table and cry outright. She glanced
down instead and fingered her ring-his
ring-whie her glasses grew misty. She
wondered whether she should have kept
the ring, now that it no longer meant any
thing. The question was still undecided
when she pulled herself together with a
visible tremor and turned to the menu
card. Dining car breakfasts are not timed
to wait on the settlement of subtletes in
ethics, particularly after the steward has
made the last call. "
In the few minutes Miss Baxter had been
in the car she had not noticed her compan-
ions. AS she raised her head she was star
tied to see familiar face dimly taking
shape across the table. She had removed
her glasses and was about to press her
handkerchief to her eyes, but she put them
resolutely ON again and looked fxedly
through their misty crystals.
Mr.. Woodson, where did you come
fromP" she demanded at length, as his
well known features gradually took def
mite shape before her
Woodson did not speak at once. He was
noticing how her hair would tumble down
in hayward ringlets in spite of her efforts
to keep it staidly back, and how her cheeks
persisted in dimpling, however resolutely
she closed her lips together. Then he
said:
From New York of course Does my
dress suit look as though I'd boarded the
train in these rural precincts? l thought
you knew the cut better"
"Do you mean to say that you've been
on this train all this while-after-afte
last nicht?" Miss Baxter asked with slight
ly heightened color
"Guessed it the first time" Woodson ex-
claimed, Frightening. II tell you, Grace,
YOU should have gone into the law instead
OF art. You'd have been great on cross
examination"
Never mind, Mr.. Woodson; you seem to
forget that prefer to make my own ca
reer-we've discussed that before, how
ever. And so you've been on this train
ever since l have?" she concluded reflect
lively.
"A little longer, in fact. made a mis-
take and got here half an hour early-read
the time table backward-hence these
! clothes. But now, see here small GIRL"
Woodson went on with great deliberate
ness, shaking out his napkin into his lap
and gazing intently into the blurred. blue
depths of Miss BaXter's glasses.
"See here, now, do you suppose just be-
cause girl fits me'-Miss Baxter here
interposed a deprecating gesture-'yes,
repeat it. Do you suppose just because
| girl jilts me, and have reason to believe
| is going to the ends of the earth to get
where she will never see me again, that
my sense Of responsibility ends till I've
seen her safely where she wants to go?
No, I've made New York uninhabitabe
! for you, and ! shall make what amends
can by chaperonng you to Colorado or
| Kamchatka or wherever it is you are go
! ing. Now what shall | order for break
fastf'
Harry, you're cruel. You know Mr..
Fleming was going out there for the color,
and | thought it would be a good chance
to continue my outdoor work"
"Flemingl That prigl Well, | didn't
know before that he was going. / see
there is still more reason why should go
now-and stay"
But forbid you doing any such foolish
thing"
'To tell the truth, Grace, thou ght of
staying all the time-of going into some
other business there"
"Why, you never told me of it before"
"Well, never thought of it till after
left you last night. Then it occurred to
me | might 90 into the sheep or cattle or
something like that"
AT Manitou."
"Why notS"
ITS summer resort"
$50 much the better. I'd only be there
IN the summer, anyhow"
Harry, you're trifler."
"Well, | can peel an orange, anyhow-if
you'll allow me-" Woodson exclaimed,
taking from her hand the one she was
making "A sad mess of.
Harry, | can never forgive you for
doing this" Miss Baxter concluded, after
"a moments contemplation of the whirline
blur of green through the car window.
"Well, | never could have forgiven my
self if | hadn't-and there it was" he as
serted dispassionately, laying the pulpy,
broken sphere of the orange before her.
1t is quite jaunt from Manhattan to
Mantou, but one morning they exchanged
the cushioned WEAKNESS of the train for