Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-11-28
PRoPINQUITY.

IT couldn't cough. You wouldn't have
heard me"
"You might have sung out"
"Heyp'
Kearney made trumpet of his hands
"You might have sung out"
"You'd have thought it was hotbox
squeaking"
"There was no necessity whatever for
giving warning, captain
"Thanks, Miss Kitty! I'm pleased to
hear it"
"Won't you come and sit DOWN." Kitty q
treble shrilled above the rumbling, rat
thing, humping of the wheels.
The captain bent over her, steadying
himself by the brake. "No," he scream
ed. "I'm not the man to be No. 8, even on
the back platform Of a train. But I'm a
bringer of bad news"
Miss Foster gave an effective start which
resulted in bringing her tiny hand futter-
ing down upon Kearneys shoulder ooh,
WHAT" she cried,
"Only that your good mother says am
to tell you that it is not nice for little girls
to stay out on back platforms at II O'Clock
on a starry night, and that you must come
in"
"But it's so hot and smoky in there, I"
she answered demurely folding her hands
and settling back against the car. II
can't possibly stand it. I've most dread
full headache She closed her eyes and
hoo nho %,i,
Kearney got the full benefit of the length
and curve Of her lashes and of the curls
blowing across her brow.
''Miss Kitty, Miss Kitty, I fear you are
slippery young eel"
mo, Pm not. Really, my head does
ache. Nobody ever believes that can feel
bad or be in earnest. Her round eyes
rested on the starry sky at an angle which
allowed Kearney to see that they were fill
ed with tears.
''Oh, come, captain, don't tease the
child She has headache, and the airs
good for her. Tell Mrs. Foster that I'll
bring her in directly"
Captain Mason shook his head and went
away. appleton is looking fierce, he
called back over his shoulder
"What did he say about Lieutenant APP
pleton?" asked Kitty. Kearney repeated
the captains words. "Fierce? 1 wonder
what about"
"You, perhaps"
Miss Foster smiled frankly. IT don't
believe so, she said.
Doesn't he still hopep"
"Dear, nor and this time there was
ring of unmistakable truth in her tones.
Ls
like?"
81 didn't. He threw me over-truly.
1t was stupid muddle about-about Mr..
SAKE, and a rose, and-things."
"The things leaves room for imagina
tion."
Miss Foster ignored this with smile
and sat silently looking at the plain as it
unrolled before them in the night, like a
wide bale of dark cloth, brocaded with
greasewood bushes. Now and then the
train rumbled over small trestle, and the
white post numbering it shot past The
telegraph poles whisked by, and the wires
rose and fell like the swells of the sea-
Far off across the dark prairie light
CLEANED at long intervals in the window
of q house that was invisible, but for them
~
after hour, the whirling monotony of the
plain In the night, the steady arch of the
gray blue sky glittering with stars. Rum
BILE, thump, rattle, rattle, rumble, thump,
and the ground whizzed past, and the tele-
graph poles darted by, and the cool wind,
heavy with the greasewood odor, whistled
around them, but Kitty sat looking
straight before her, and her tiny hands
were still folded on her knees. She knew
that Kearney was wild over every moment
she was making him waste.
At last she sighed. 1t was mighty
sigh, which cost Miss Foster severe phys
ical effort, but she meant it to be heard
above the rattle and the wind. 1t was
heard, and hand slipping YEARLY and
carelessly from her knee touched the lieu
tenants palm. The hand was caught
and held. There was silence again.
Then Miss Foster struggled properly
hard to release her fingers, but she failed.
"You mustn't hold my hand," she remon
strated.
"Why9'
Because"
"Is there any other good reason?'
Miss Foster nodded.
"Tell me''
can engaged girl shouldn't let her hand
be held"
Kearney dropped 1t as If it burned.
Kitty took advantage Of the noise of the
wheels to speak her mind aloud, but not
60 loud that 1t could reach her companion.
big chumpr' she breathed.
II didn't know you were engaged. or
shouldn't have done ii
Miss Foster, in another aside, said,
"Well, like thatv'
II know you wouldn't" she replied,
with the voice Of forgiving deity.
inlay ask whom 1t isS"
"Well, I'm not exactly engaged yet, but
I'm afraid shall be-"
"That's curioua'.
"Isn't it9''
After lapse of some moments Miss
Foster resumed: "You know when Mr..
Lowell was down at the posts Well, he
he liked me good deal. / liked him,
too-some-so he thought 1t would-would
be a good thing II we were engaged. He
was dreadfully cross. Not cross exactly,
but--well, stern He said needed to be
bound. Did you evera need to b.
bound! As though hadn't bit Of prin-
ciple! Besides it's easy enough to break
an engagement-atl least should think 30,
isn't its'
Even the infatuated Kearney found this