Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-03-31

SUCH UeIupGluS SpOG W lluSei ol, "AAAo
she was there, that it wasn't easy to go.
Finally asked:
"You are quite comfortable, Miss
Cullen?'
"Sinfully SO" she laughed
"Then perhaps you would like to be
left to enjoy the moonlight and your
meditations by yourself?" questioned.
7 knew I ought to have said more, but
simply couldn't when she looked 30 en-
tioing.
"Do you want to go?" she asked.
MOL calculated, 30 forcibly that
she gave little startled jump in her
chair. "That isl mean" suffered,
embarrassed by my own vehemence, II
rather thought you might not want me
to stay"
"What made you think that?" she de-
manded.
I am not a good hand at inventing
explanations. After moments seeking
for some reason I pumped out, "Be-
cause 1 feared you might not think It
proper to use my car, and I suppose it's
my presence that made you think it. -
She took my stupid tumble very nice
ly, laughing merrily while saying, IF
you like mountains and moonlight, Mr..
Gordon, and don't mind the lack of a
chaperon, get stool for yourself too. !"
What was more, she offered me half Of
the lap robe when I was seated beside
her.
think she was pleased by my offe'
to go away, for she talked very pleas
antly and far more intimately than she
had ever done before, telling me facts
about her family, her Chicago life, her
travels and even her thoughts. From
this I learned that her elder brother
was an Oxford graduate, and that Lord
Rallies and his brother were classmates,
who were visiting him for the first time
since he had graduated She asked me
some questions about my work, which
led me to tell her pretty much every
thing about myself that I thought could
be Of the least interest, and it was a
very pleasant surprise to me to find that
she knew one Of the old team and had
even heard of me from him.
why" she exclaimed, chow absurd
Of me not to have thought Of it before!
But, you see, Mr.. Colston always speaks
of you by your first name. You ought
to hear how he praises you"
"Trust Harry to praise any one, " l
said "There were some pretty low fel-
lows on the old team-men who could
not keep their word or their tempers
and would slug every chance they got
but Harry used to insist there wasn't a
bad egg among the lot
"Don't you find it very lonely to live
out here, away from all your old
friends?" she asked.
had to acknowledge that it was, and
told her the worst part was the absence
Of pleasant women. "Till you arrived,
Miss Cullen" I said, II hadn't seen a
we'll gowned woman in four years. /"
I've always noticed that woman would
rather have a man notice and praise her
frock than her beauty, and Miss Cullen
was apparently no exception, for I could
see the remark pleased her.
Don't western women ever get east
ern gowns?" she asked.
"Any quantity" said. "But you
know, Miss Cullen, that it isn't the
gown, but the way it's worn, that gives
the artistic touch" For a fellow who
had devoted the last seven years Of his
life to grades and fuel and rebates and
pay rolls don't think that was bad.
At least it made Miss Cullen's mouth
dimple at the corners.
The whole evening was so eminently
satisfactory that I almost believe 1
should be talking yet if interruption
had not come. The first premonition Of
1t was Miss Cullen's giving a little
shiver, which made me ask if she was
cold.
"Not ut all, she said "I only
what place are wo stopping at2''
started to rise, but she checked the
movement and said: Don't trouble
yourself. / thought you would know
without moving. I really don't care to
know"
took out my watch and was startled
to find it w>s 20 minutes past 10. 1
wasn't so green as to tell Miss Cullen
so, and merely said, "By the time, this
must be Sanders. "
"Do we stop long?" she asked
"Only to take water" I told her,
and then went on with what had been
speaking about when she shivered. But
as I talked it slowly dawned on me
that we had been standing still some
time, and presently stopped speaking
and glanced off, expecting to recognize
something, only to see alkai plain on
both sides. A little surprised, looked
down, to find no siding. Rising hastily,
I looked out forward. could see NOV
ing figures OH each side Of the train,
but that meant nothing, as the trains
crew-and, for that matter, passengers
arc very apt to alight at every stop.
What did mean something was that
there was no water tank, no station, or
my other visible cause for stop.
"Is anything the matter?" asked Miss
Cullen.
Il think something's wrong with the
engine or the roadbed, Miss Cullen, I
said. "And if you'll excuse me I'll go
forward and see"
had barely spoken when "Bang,
bang!' went two shots. That they were
both fired from an English express"
my ears told me, for no other people in
this world make mountain howitzer
and call it rife.
Hardly were the two shots fired when
"Crack, crack, crack, crackl" went
some winchesters.