The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-04-24


Throws it DOWN.
That night they change at Chicago.
He had been in hopes that he might be
Of assistance to her in making the
change, but the omnipresent porter was
there, who sees to all her luggage. The
sleeper is crowded and they are sep
arated by the length of the car.
The next day they have only occa-
sional glimpses of one another. Once
their eyes meet, and again the rich color
spreads over her face as she diverts her
glance.
He laughs softly to himself as he
strokes his black mustache.
"Ah, well, some fate seems to keep us
apart"
He has found out from the porter
that she is going to Washington, and
she has caught sight of his ticket
marked New York.
They are in the dining-car-he at one
end, she midway up, facing each other.
They are stealing furtive glances at
n another.
"She's a fine creature, fine creatures
and in a few hours she'll be gone. That's
the world! (sighing.)
. How many meet who never yet nave
met,
To part too soon, but never to forget.
"She thinks: "Harrisburg. We reach
there at 4:3O. He goes to New York
and I'll never know who he is,'
He thinks: "Just to think! All this
time together and never a word. Her
iceberg GOODNESS, though, is to blame"
She signs: my appetite's gone"
He gets up. swell, that's all 1 can do
for the internal man."
They go into the sleeper.
She sits down and looks gloomily out
of the window.
He, al the other end of the car, looks
at her.
cts Just a shame that I can't know
him and talk to him. IF love were ALL
L wonder if he has read that sweet story,
The Prisoner of Zenda? ~" She half
closes her eyes and muses.: eff love
were all! If love we're all!' oh, if it
only were!" She suddenly sits up erect
and clasps her hands.
He thinks: "Ill never see her again
and yet perhaps 1 will. The world is
very small"
She thinks: 81 wonder what he's
thinking about? I'm sure he's looking
at me-"
He thinks: "Pity she hasn't some
fresh v~iolets; those are dead"
She thinks; "Tll Just throw these
dead things out of the window. There!
And Alex Vaughn gave them to me.
How nice 1 thought him, and yet I've
scarcely given him a thought for two
days! And here's this box. Candy all
gone. Mckenzie did look sad when he
gave it to me, as he told me good-by at
the depot. Well, I'll throw that out Of
the window. Therel Now I'll steal a
glance at him. All, writing a telegram,
and the porter waiting for it. / won
der what it is2 There, he's signing his
name. l wish I could see it. Imightask
the porter to let me see his name. But,
no; that wouldn't do. Positively, I'm
getting as weak as water!"
"Ha! Now we'll have a little sur
prise party, my lady. Iguess she thinks
I'm a milksop. This will give her a
little better opinion of me, however"
Lays back his head and closes his
eyes.
She steals a glance at him.
"Going to take a nap, or posing for
my benefit. Certainly has a fine face.
Such a lovely high forehead and we'll
shaped nose and mouth and chin! Oh,
he's sweet!"
"She's looking at me now, I'll wager
my life. Look ahead! You won't see
me much longer. Wonder if she is real
ly looking at me? I'll just wake up sud-
denly"
She bushes and turns her head.
Goodness! he caught me that time. /
know I'm blushing f~earfully. 1 really
must be more ci~rcumspect!"
He closes his eyes again and laughs
softly to himself. 'Ha, my lady, I caught
you that time! Cad! Ibelieve it's more
pleasant to feign sleep and have a beau
tiful woman admire your physiognomy
than to sleep and dream about beau
tiful women. 1 still feel her eyes upon
me. III wake up suddenly again" He
opens his eyes. She is, however, look
ing out of the window.
bah! that was my Waterloo"
He gets up and goes into the smoker.
The train pulls into Harrisburg. He
is the first to leave the train. As he
passes out he chances back at her. But
she resolutely keeps her head bent as
she gets her traps together.
He fingers a moment, then moves on
and boards the New York express.
She soon quits the car and is installed
in the Washington train.
The bell sounds and her train begins
TO move. just at that instant a depot
porter comes rushing through the car.
III his hands he holds a magnificent
bunch of La France roses. He catches
sight of the younglady in gray, dashes
up to her, thrusts the flowers in her
hand, and, pointing through the win.
dow, rushes out.
Mystifed, she holds the flowers al
arms length; then, following the GEES
ture of the porter, she looks out the
window.
just opposite her is another train,
u,0Nfrn cIOvrylu np,A fuo1, a. 49, -