The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-01-26
&EHOw177
A Password to Paradise.
BY GWENDOLEN OvERTON.

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There are a number of ways in which
you can test womans beauty and prove
| that it is vain. You can see her after she
has danced until dawn and drives home
in the cold, blue light. You can drop in
| upon her when her negligee is such in
reality and not matter of ruffles and
lace. You can see her rise dEipping from
the surf, no daughter of foam and fire,
but creature of dank locks and purple
lips. Or you can look at her after she
has gone twice round the links in the
blazing sun and the dust fraught wind.
All these are likely to convince you of the
deceitfulneSs Of beauty. But some wo-
men are so fair as to bear each and all of
these tests. Yet if you were to put them
in smoky, close sleeping car anywhere
between, say, Tucson and Yuma, Mt the
middle Of an August day, they might
then become, as every one else, so ugly
that it would increase your ugliness and
bad temper to be forced to look ut them.
When n woman under these last condi-
tions is still pleasant to contemplate, you
may set it down that her charms are real
and enduring.
girl in section 2. He was in section
himself, and her back was turned to him,
but she faced the beveled mirror so con-
siderately built in the end Of the car, and
he sat so that he could watch her re-
Elected in it. Besides which he could see
her back hair, which was brown and
looked soft and which escaped in wisps
that curled up tighter and tighter as the
day grew hotter and hotter. Harrington
thought about French novel he had
once read, whose heroine had "boucles
folles qui frissoient autour de ga nuque."
He had always liked that idea, but had
never seen it realized until now.
There were only four people in the
Pullman-a man and a woman who were
not interesting. Harrington and the girl.
Harrington entered the train at Ell Paso.
The girl was there already. The only
mark on her traps was n silver tag strap
ped to her satchel, and Harrington had
not been able to get within reading dis
lance of it. He had tried hard enough
Neither had he been able to screw I'D
his courage to the point of questioning
the conductor. He did not believe in dis
cussing women with the first conner. So
he put his feet up on the opposite seat
and leaned back and watched the boucles
follss, and noted how prettily her skin
flushed, and what a nice shadow her
lashes made on her cheeks. Life would
have been a far pleasanter thing il he
could have talked to her.
The prospect beyond the cinder guard
was so monotonous. That, of course, is
putting it very much more mildly than
Harrington did. "Ben Bolt" began to
run in his head, which is bad enough in
itself, but when it times itself to the te-
rumpety-rump, te-rumpety-rump, te-
rumpety-rump Of the wheels, is enough
to drive a sober man to drink. The only
reason Harrington did not drink now was
because he had already had one bottle
Of beer, and he was afraid Of the opin-
ion of the girl. Besides, it flushed his
face. "And trembled with tears at your
frown"-the wheels were turning more
slowly. There was that ugly hush Of
uncertainty, Of interruption in the natu-
raj sequence of things that falls when
train slows down in the midst of the
prairie. The sensation of dying must be
rather like it. The train stopped, and the
airbrake Kissed. Then all was q silence
that let you hear the blood running in
your veins until there was the crunch Of
footsteps on the cinders beside the track.
4AtiA put up
looked out. A group of men STOPPING
about a wheel of the forward car and
the ringing taps of hammer upon iron
told the story. 1t was a hot box. Har-
rington said Hang it" and drew in his
head. Pretty soon he got up and put on
his hat and loitered out. When he had
Joined the group, he glanced along at his
car. The girl was leaning out of her
window. He felt that in time Of emer-
gency one should not handle a situation
Ia Somers and Peter Gray. He put
his hands in his pockets, which is al
ways the way you show that you are
just being casual and offhand and max
ing no particular point Of it, and saun-
tered back along the cinder bed until he
stood beneath her window. Then he
raised his hat and told her it was hot
box. She said, THANK you very much"
and hoped it would not delay them and
was very sweet and civil about 1t, but it
was borne in upon him, for all that, that
1t would not be expected of him to con-
tinue the conversation. 'And Peter
takes the north again, and Somers takes
the SOUTH" he murmured as he contin-
ued on down to ask the conductor how
long they would have to stop and lighted
a cigarette. The conductor did not know.
Harrington had not supposed that he
would. But he went back into the train
thoroughly Disguised with everything.
He flung himself into section 6 with a
sigh that could be heard in section 2 and
looked out disconsoiately over the prairie,
so dull and dreary to those who see 1t
with dull and dreary eyes. The air went
in heat waves SO that the distance SEEM
ed to CULVER, and the whole prospect was
vile. He sat up and pressed the electric
button. The bell fairly pealed in the 81
lence, reverberated to the horizon. The
girl started and looked away from the
window. Harrington told the porter to
bring some iced beer. The girl was
watching him in the mirror. 1t was the
first time she had paid the smallest at
tention to him. He caught her eye-and
perhaps she did not smile, but it was not
quite n stony stare either. He felt ell
Outraged, and that to the extent of or
dering another glass, filling it and taking
it to section 2. Might he offer She
looked startled. but also uncertain.
"It's awfully cold and nice"
She reached out hcsitating hand and
flushed yet more pinkly ut the reckless
brazenness Of it. She raised her glass
and Harrington raised his and said
"Howw
Then both stopped, with the cups at
their very lips, and there was an inter-
val of sound which her eyes filed with
beautiful light.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she cried.
"Are you he began.
"Yes, of course. My fathers Major
Hill. l might have known you were,
too, il had seen your academy button"
"You never took the trouble to look at
me-" Harrington suggested. I'm Har-
rngton of the Fourth. l came on from
Bliss"
"Pm going to the Presidio."
Harrington was going to the Preside,
too, by virtue of all Of which he went
back to his section and got the beer bot
tie and sat himself down in section z
with it beside him on the window ledge.
The old Indian salutation was password
to the ranks of friendship. BY virtue Of
1t they had known each other and all OF
each others friends and traditions for
half a century at least.
"I'vc been down to Bliss on court
MARTIAL" Harrington explained. "Where
| have you been"
"I'vc been east at school. It's very
| funny, isn't it? We might never have
| known one another until We had both
| reached the post. And we are in the
| same regiment too. What year were
| you?"
He slipped off his class ring and held it
| out to her. She studied it intently.
'Ninety-seven. Then you are a sec
| ond lieutenant?