Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-02-04
MISS BAXTER'S BLINDNESS,

The dining car was in a simmer of
light. The dead white of heavy linen,
the opalesccnt glare of glassware, and
the quiet CLEAN of silver trembled to-
gether in the swift motion of the train.
Miss Baxter, who had but recently left
her berth, dropped into a seat and leaned
back moment, dazed by the lavish
waste of color. Meanwhile the insistent
sunlight took liberties with the dull
brown of her severely brushed hair ran
burning fingers through it, and edged it
with coquettish gold Then she FASTENED
to draw the curtain and throw 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-while her eyes grew
misty. She wondered whether she
should have kept the ring, now that it
no longer meant anything. The ques-
ton was yet undecided when she pulled
herself together with visible tremor and
turned 70 the menu card. Dining car
breakfasts were not timed to wait on the
settlement of subtleties in ethics, partic-
ularly after the steward has made his
''last call"
In the few minutes Miss Baxter had
been in the car she had not noticed her
companions AS she raised her head she
was startled to see familiar face dimly
taking shape across the table She had
removed her glasses and was about to
pass her handkerchief to her eyes, but
she put them resolutely on again and
looked fxedly through their misty crys-
tails.
Mr.. Woodson, where did you come
from? she demanded at length, as his
weIl-known features gradually took 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, how
ever resolutely she shut her ips together
Then he said:
From New York, of course. Does
my dress suit look as though I'd boarded
the train in these rural precincts2 |
thought you knew the cut better.n
'Do you mean to say that you've been
on this train all this while--after- after
last night?" Miss Baxter asked, with
slightly heightened color.
Guessed it the first time" Woodson
exclaimed, 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 career-we've discussed that before,
however. And so you've been on this
train ever since have2n she concluded.
refectively.
"A little longer, in fact. | made
mistake and got here half an hour early
read the time table back ward hence
the clothes. But now, see here, small
girl, Woodson went on with great de-
Liberation, shaking out his napkin into
his lap and gazing into the blurred, blue
depth of Miss Bakers glasses. "See
mere, now do YOU suppose just because
glrl pits nc Miss Baxter here inter-
posed depreciating gesture ives.
repeat u. DO you suppose Just because
girl lilts me, and have reason TO he.
lievc is going to the ends of the earth TO
getwhere she will never see me again.
that my sense of responsibility ends till
I've seen her safely where she wants TO
gci No, I've made New York uninhab.
table for you and | shall make what
amends | can by chaperoning you to
Colorado or Kamchatka or wherever it is
you are going. Now, what shall order
for breakfast
Harry, you're cruel. You know Mr..
Filming was going out there for the
color and | thought il would be a good
chance 70 continue my outdoor work
"Flemingf That prig Well, ldidnt
know before that he was going. see
there is still more reason Why / should
g. now and stay"
But | forbid you doing any such fool
ish lhing,n
ITO tell the truth, Grace, / thought %
slal iug al The time al going lnta some
business there
tote
Wen I never Thought of It en- after
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