The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-01-25
MISS BAKERS BLINDNESS.


light. The dead white of heavy linen,
the opalescent glare of glassware and
the quiet CLEAN of silver trem bled 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. 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 surg
ing 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 glasses 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 to the menu card.
Dining-car breakfasts were not timed
to wait on the settlement of subtleties
in ethics, particularly 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 press her handker-
chief to her eyes, but she put them re-
solutely on again and looked fxedly
through her. misty crystals.
"Mr. Woodson, where did you come
from?" 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 wayward ringlets in spite
of her efforts to keep it staidly back.
and how her cheeks persisted in dimp-
ling however resolutely she shut 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.. Woodson, you
seem to forget that prefer to make my
own career-we've discussed that be-
this train ever since have?" she con-
cluded reiectively.
"a little longer, in fact. I made a
mistake and got here half an hour
early-read the time table backwards
hence the clothes. But now, see
here, small girl" Woodson went on
with great deliberation, shaking out
his napkin into his lap, and gazing in
to the blurred, blue depth of Miss
Baxter's glasses. "See here, now, do
you suppose just because a girl jilts
me" Miss Baxter here interposed a
deprecating gesture-"yes, Irepeat it.
Do you suppose, just because a 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 goP No, I've made New York unin-
habitable for you, and l shall make
what amends l can by chaperoning
you to Colorado or Kamchatka or
wherever it is you are going. Now,
what shall l order for breakfast"
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"
Fleming! That prig! Well, 1 didn't
know before that he was going. l 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, 1 thought
of staying all the time-of going into
some business there"
"Why, you never told me of it be-
fore"
"Well, never thought of it till after
1 left you last night. Then it occurred
to me that might go into sheep, OF
cattle, or something like that"
"At Manitoue"
"Why not?"
."lt's a summer resort"
$50 much the better. I'd only want
| to be there in the summer, anyhow.
Harry, you're trifer."
"Well, 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, never can forgive you fo1
doing this" Miss Baxter concluded
after moments contemplation of the
whirling blur of green through the cal
window.
"WeI, l never could have forgiven
myself if l hadn't-and there it was,
he asserted dispassionately, laying thu
pulpy, broken sphere of the orange be
fore her.
1t is quite a jaunt from Manhattan