The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-24
MISS BAXTER'S CAREER,
Why Sho Consented 70 500 It
Through woodson's Eyes


tho quiet CLEAN Of silver tremhled to
gether in the swift motion Of the train
Miss Baxter. who had but recently
left her berth. dropped into a scat and
leaned back moment, dazed by this
lavish waste Of color. Then she hast
ened 10 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 notion 70 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 II
no longer meant anything,
The question wus still undecided
when she pulled herself together with
q visible tremor and turned to the
menu card. Dining-car breakfasts are
not timed 10 wait on the settlement Of
subtleties in ethics, particularly after
the steward has made the "last call. .
In the few minutes Miss Baxter he'd
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 fxedly through their
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 hayward ringlcts in spite
Of her efforts TO keep II staidly back,
and how her cheeks persisted In dim
ping, however resoluteiy she closed
her lips together. Then he said:
From New York. OF course. Does
my dress suit look as though ia
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
3 after last night2. Miss Baxter asked
with slightly heightened color
Guessed 1t 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 REORGANIZATION
Never mind. Mr.. Woodson; you
seem to forget that r prefer to make
my own career--wc've discussed that
before, however. And SO you've been
on this train ever since | have2" she
concluded, refectively.
"A little longer, in fact But now,
sec here, small girl, Woodson went on
with great deliberntcness, shaking out
his napkin into his lap and gazing in
.tcntly into the blurred blue depths OF
Miss Baxter's glasses; ''sec here, now,
do you suppose just because Q girl jilts
me- Miss Baxter here in4erposed a
deprccating 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 1t would be d 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
60 now--and stay"
"BGt 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 it be-
fore.
well, never thought Of 1t till after
left you last night. Then 1t occurred
to me might 60 into the sheep Or cat
tie business or something like that"
AT Manitou?"
"Why not?"
TITS q summer resort"
$50 much the better. I'd only be
there in the summer. anyhow.
Harry, you're trider.
"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, can never forgive You for
doing this" Miss Baxter concluded,
after moments contemplation Of the
whirIing blur Of green through the car
window.
well. never could have forgiven
myself If hadn't-and there It 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 wasi The earth
seemed hung in some rarer medium
than common air. The yellow cactus
blossoms were like flakes Of fame. A
scarlet flower fairly burned into the
sight
Grace developed 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 them ~Put in your color pure.
Make her jump"
So they painted from morning till
night keeping two or three studies
under way at once--pntting in blues
where Woodson saw green's, and pur-
- Z - II.