Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13

Two American flags futtered at the
shoulders of the big black flyer that pulled
the northwestern limited out that glorious
Fourth of July morning; and miniature
flags were IN the caps of the enginemen.
Tiny bits of glory We're pinned to the coat
lapels Of the conductor and brakeman The
mail agent and messenger, the porter and
the barber, all showed their patriotism in
a similar way
AS Freda entered the drawing room, the
passengers. men and women, dropped their
books and papers and looked up. The girl
hesitated, glanced back, as though afraid
OF the grandeur of the car and the com
pany lnstinctively the people in the car
felt that she was alone, but SO fair a wo-
man need have no fear of being lonely long
An elderly gentleman rose and offered his
seat, which happened to be next the door.
inc porter, smiling, was coming back
through the car, The CONDUCTOR following
her in, had touched her arm and nodded
toward the seat calamity surrendered by
the elderly gentleman, A sweet-faced lady
whose WaVy brown hair frosted by the
touch of time showed that she was APP
preaching the autumn of life, smiled up at
the beautiful girl, and put gloved hand
upon a vacant chair beside her. Freda re-
turned the smile, bowed slightly to the
elderly gentleman, thanked him in a whis-
per- and took the seat near the sweet
faced lady.
Freda was one Of those rare creatures
who are always beautiful. She had seem
+.
but the girlish distress-the momentary
embarrassment-dbecame her. She was radi-
ant nov" For moment she stole shy
Chances at the rich furnishings of the car,
at the weI-dressed men and women and
out at the fields and farms that were
racing back toward Chicago under her win
dow. AS she looked the earth began to
circle. the far horizon whirling forward
the near fields running back 1t made her
dizzy. She withdrew her glance, and saw
to her confusion that half the people were
looking at her
Now the sweet-faced lady began to talk
with her. The lady's home was at Normal
where F'reda had attended school, so they
were good friends-almost old acquain-
tances-at once. But in spite of the inter-
esting lady and the grandeur that sur
rounded her, Freda's mind would wander
back to the little statfon-to the agent
She could not forget that she had held his
head on her knee, brushed back his brown
luxuriant hair and bathed his forehead
with her hands. She had known all along
that he was handsome. but she did not
know until now that he was so unlike other
men. She would gladly forego the day and
its pleasure to return to the deserted vii
lage and battle his fevered forehead and
hear his voice again
When she could endure her secret no
longer. Freda. glancing about, nestled yet
little nearer and told the lady. in an art
less, impulsive way, of her experience at
the station. of her momentary embarrass-
ment, and finally how she had bathed the
young mans forehead with her lace hand
kerchief-the one her mothers mother had
brought from far-Off Sweden-and asked
the lady if she had done wrong.
Now Freda had told, parenthetically, with
little smiles and bushes a great deal more
than she had intended to tel-more per
haps. than she knew herself: but the SYM
pathetic lady had been through it all She
understood. This had been the first meet
ing. 1t would not be the last. Spite of the
smile upon the gentle face there were tears
and a look of sadness in the soft brown
rested upon the arm of the chair mo, my
dear" she said, you did not do wrong
AS she looked upon the sad yet happy girl,
so full of her sweet distress, these lines of
Fields came to her:
You are too young to know it now
But some day shall know