Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-04-15
SONG WITHOUT WORDS.
By JOSEPH s. ROGERS.

By JOSEPH 8. ROGERS.
There is disconsolate air about her
as she sits near the window, looking out
upon the broad expanse of prairie COW
cred with deep snow.
She is dressed in tightly fitting trav-
cling suit of gray broadcloth, with a
high collar of dark, rough cloth. Her
hat is dainty little makeup of black
velvet and graceful feathers. A small
cluster of white lace, peeping out from
beneath the crown, lends a soft light to
her calm countenance and deepens the
shade Of her dark auburn hair. Her
wistful eyes are of such deep, intense
blue that in certain lights they seem al
most black.
She has thrown her sealskin cloak on
the seat in front of her, where also rests
her satchel. By her side lies a novel
open-wise; and on the window sill a
bunch of yiolets.
She is Thoughtful, and the dismal land
scape she gazes upon serves neither to
dampen nor reanimate her spirits, for
she sees it not; and it is all one to her
whether the train be snowbound or
speeding swiftly on toward its destina-
ton. Her mind is filled with other
images and impressions The gay sea-
son which Lent had just ended SO cruel
ly-its balls and it's theaters, its teas
and receptions-these hold her
thoughts. Her conquests, her social
triumphs-the homage she has won
from men and the envy she has evoked
from the women-are the subject of the
many pictures that fit before her mind.
And the deepest and keenest of all is the
thought that now she is leaving all
these, homeward bound, where there
awaits her-sackcloth and ashes, and
fasting and prayer. What a change!
She languidly signs and turns from the
window. She picks up the novel, me
chanically reads a page, and then be-
gins staring blankly at the last line, for
the sound of the "twostep" rings in her
ears and the whirl of the dance is before
her sgain.
He boards the train at Helena. AS he
passes up the aisle he casts careless
glance at the form of the young lady,
Who, with a dainty handkerchief across
her face, had long since fallen asleep.
He shrugs his shoulders and passes on
to the seat directly In front of his fair
slumberer. Here, after the porter has
deposited his luggage, he begins to
make himself comfortable. He removes
his great coat, hangs his hat on the rack,
draws a paper from his pocket, sits
down, and begins thinking.
''Well, here am at last. 1t will be a
deuced long time before I'll see amy
of the girls of Helena again. wonder
what this one behind me looks like?
Not much for beauty, I'll wager; other
wise she wouldn't have covered up her
face. Girls are queer creatures any
way. Now. we'll see what the news is. !"
He stretches himself out in the seat,
opens his paper, and begins reading
just as the young lady awakes with a
start. She snatches the handkerchief
from her eyes and looks about her in
half dazed fashion. Seeing the top OF
the newcomers head, she wonders
where he came from. Chen, consulting
her watch:
''Half past two! All, understand;
we must have passed through Helena
while was asleep. How stupid of me!
He boarded the train there, I suppose.
] wonder what he looks like. Horrid
of him to show nothing but the top Of
his head above the top of that seat.
do know something about palmistry,
but phrenology, pshawl He's keeping
mighty still; wonder il he's gone to
sleep. No; there's the corner of paper.
He's reading-reading adj about the
brutal prize fight. I'm sure; men are
such horrid creatures!!"
She picks up the novel and turns the
leaves languidly.
He rests the paper on his knee and
assumes listening attitude.
''Humph! awake at last, and reading
that yellow-covered literature saw ON
the seat by her side. The Duchess, or
Sarah Grandl Sweet stories, SO full of
feeling and pathos,' they say"
He clasps his hands behind his head.
She lowers the novel and
well, there's an addition. They are
rlRnG ldrge-Dalls Well hepU-SeuLS-
manly instinct. Fingerends square
determination. Large knuckles-ma
nal labor. Pshawl how in the world
am ! to tell anything about him from
his nails and his knuckles? How stupid
of me to sleep SO longi"
She removes her hat and smoothes
back her hair.
IT look fright, I'm sure. There.
he's stirring!"
She seizes the novel and Immediately
becomes absorbed.
He sits up. ''Tantalizing! I've just
got to see what she looks like, that's
all there is about it. I'll rise up and
tske that newspaper from my overcoat
pocket"
He rises and, as he reaches for the
paper, carelessly looks down the aisle.
She lowers the book and quite un-
eoncernedly looks up.
Their eyes meet for asecond; then he
sits down.
"Gadi she's as fine as Sikh"
my, isn't he lovelyl" s,
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