Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-03-16


In the few minutes Miss Baxter haC
been in the car she had not noticed
her companions. As she raised heI
head she was startled to sec 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 or
again and looked fxedly through their
misty crystals.
Mr.. Woodson, where did you como
fronlp" she demanded at length. as his
well-lnown 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 II staidly back,
and how her cheeks persisted in dim.
pling, 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-.
cincts2 thought you knew the cut
better"
DO you mean to say that you've
been on this train all this while-after
after last nightp" Miss Baxter asked
with slightly heightened color
Guessed 1t the first time" Woodson
exclaimed, Frightening. ~ 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 | havc?" she
concluded, re1ectively.
"A little longer, in fact But now,
see here, small girl" Woodson went on
with great deliberatoncss, shaking out
his napkin into his lap and gazing in
tently into the blurred blue depths of
Miss BaXter's glasses; "see here, now,
do you suppose just because a girl jilts
me"-Miss Baxter here iuterposed a
deprccating gesture-''yes, l repeat IT.
Do you suppose because girl iits 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
toll 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"
'Ilarry, you're cruel You know Mr.
Fleming was going out there for the
color, and thought II would be u good
chance to continue my outdoor work. A"
"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"
ITO tell the truth, Grace, thought
of staying all the time-of going into
some other business there"
why, you never told me of 1t be-
fore"
well, ! never thought OF II till after
left you last night. Then it occurred
TO me | might go into the sheep or cat
tie business or something like that"
Eat Manitou2"
"Why not2"
ITS a summer resort"
$50 much the better. I'd only be
there in the summer, anyhow.
Harry, you're a trifer."
"Well, l can peel an orange, anyhow
If you'll allow me-" Woodson ex.
claimed, taking from her hand the one
she was making u sad mess Of
Harry, can never forgive you for
doing this" Miss Baxter concluded,
after a moments contemplation Of the
whirling blur Of green through the car
window.
"Well, never could have forgiven
myself If hadn't-and there II is" he
asserted, dispassionately, laying the
pulpy, broken sphere Of the orange be-
fore her.
1t is quite a 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 fakes 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 u triae
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 green's, and pur-
Piles 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 chnfed. lie
couldn't paint Ie wouldn't smoke.
He parried Grace's occasional inquiring
glances by explaining that he was me-
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
immensely and made n sinister impress
sion among the blazers and tennis suits
of summering Mauitou.
Grace was absorbed and satisfied
One day an idea struck Woodson.
"Grace,' said he, 81 found a little bit
down here the other day that I'd like
TO have you sketch--to send home, you
know. Ynn'll do Il tHan't vans''