The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-04-04
MISS BAXTER'S CAREER.
Why She Consented to See 1t
Through Woodson's Eyes.

The dining-car was in a simmer OF
light The dead white of heavy linen,
the opalescent CLINT 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 seat and
leaned back moment, dazed by this
lavish waste of color Then she hast
ened to draw the curtain and throw
the blue square of shade over her cor
ner of the table, signing as she settled
down again and all the painful scene
of the evening before came surging
back.
She felt half a notion to lay her head
on the table and cry outright. She
Glanced down instead and fingered her
-ing-his ring-while her glasses grew
misty. She wondered whether she
should have kept the ring now that it
no longer meant anything,
The question was still undecided
when she pulled herself together with
visible tremor and turned to the
menu card. Dining-car breakfasts are
not timed to wait on the settlement of
subtleties in ethics, particularly after
the steward has made the last CALI
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 press her handkerchief to her
eyes, but she put them resolutelY on
again and looked fixedly through their
misty crystals.
"Mr. Woodson, where did you come
fron?" she demanded at length. as his
well-known features gradually took
definite shape before her.
Woodson did not speak at once. He
was noticing how her hair would tum-
BILE down in hayward ringlets in spite
of her efforts to keep it staidly back,
and how her cheeks persisted in dim
ping, 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 pre-
cincts? thought you knew the cut
better"
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 Il tell you,
Grace, you should have gone into the
law instead of art. You'd have been
great on cross-examination."
Never mind, Mr. Woodscn; you
seem to forget that prefer to make
before, however. And so you've been
On this train ever since l have?" she
concluded. refectively.
"a little longer, in fact. But now,
see here, small girl" Woodson went on
with great deliberateness, shaking out
his napkin into his lap and gazing in
tently into the blurred blue depths of
Miss Bakers glasses; ''see here, now,
do you suppose just because girl jilts
me"-Miss Baxter here interposed
1eprecating gesture-''yes, repeat it.
Do you suppose 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
tol No, I've made New York uninhab-
table for you, and | shall make what
amends can by chaperoning you to
Colorado or Kamschatka or wherever
it is you are going. Now, what shall
order for breakfast"
Harry, you're cruel. You know Mr..
Fleming was going out there for the
color, and thought it would be good
chance to continue my outdoor work.
"Flemingl That prigl Well, didn't
know before that he was going. l see
there is still more reason why should
90 now-and stay"
But | forbid you doing any such
foolish thing.
ITO tell the truth, Grace, thought
If staying all the time-of going into
some other business there. "
why, you never told me of it be-
fore"
well, / never thought of it till after
[ left you last night. Then it occurred
20 me might go into the sheep or cat
tie business or something like that"
AT Manitou?"
"Why not?"
TITS summer resort"
$50 much the better. I'd only be
there in the summer, anyhow.
Harry, you're a trifier."
'sWell, can peel an orange, anyhow
If you'll allow me, Woodson ex-
claimed, taking from her hand the one
she was making sad mess of.
Harry. can never forgive You for
doing this" Miss Baxter concluded,
after moments contemplation of the
whirling blur of green through the car
window.
well, l never could have forgiven
myself if | hadn't-and there it is" he
asserted, dispassionately, laying the
PUPPY, broken sphere of the orange be-
fore her.
1t is quite jaunt from Manhattan
to Manitou.
What color there wasl The earth
seemed hung in some rarer medium
than common air. The yellow cactus
blossoms were like flakes of flame. A
scarlet flower fairly burned into the
sight.
Grace developed a new enthusiasm
every day and piled her palette with
cobalt and chrome. Even Fleming,
who had preceded them, smoked trifie
faster than usual and grunted out now
and then; Put in your color pure.
Make her jump"
So they painted from morning till
night, keeping two or three studies
under way at once-putting in blues
where Woodson saw greens, and pur-
pies where he saw nothing but monde
script sand, and doing all the inexpli-
cable things that should be done ac-
cording to the gospel Of the luministes.
Woodson sat by and chafed He
paint He wouldn't smoke
lie parried Grace's occasional inquiring
chances by explaining that he was ne
gotiating to go into the cattle business
"a man was going to bring him herd
on trial.
Meanwhile he arrayed his shapely
figure in cow boyish top boots, blue
shirt and SLOUGH hat, which became him
and made a sinister impress
sion among the blazers and tennis suits
of summering Manitou.
Grace was absorbed and satisfied.
One day an idea struck Woodson.
"Grace, said he, II found little bit
down here the other day that I'd like
10 have you sketch-to send home, you
know. You'll do it, won't your"
''Why, of course. I'll speak to Mr..
Fleming"
"Oh, hang Mr.. Fleming Woodson
broke in. "Fleming's ali right in his
way, but want you-your sketch, you
know"
The place was quite distance away,
over the mesa They set out for it the
next day.