The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1901-12-27
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TOO LATE
Copyright, 1901. by Authors syndica.e.)
BY
WHITMAN BnOSS.


Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicate)
For the twentieth time that 1ono
gray day Wetherby yawned, in the very
desperation of deep ennui. The Pull
man was filled with its fair quota of
passengers, one to every double seat,
and, because he was a reasonably we'll
bred person, Wetherby followed his
furtive yawn by a surreptitious
stretching of his arms and legs. 1t is
bad form to tire other people, just be-
cause one is tired oneself. His berth
was lower 1, at the forward end of
the long, luxurious coach, and when in
his seat, looking out into the dismal
sky upon the dismal landscape, his fell
low passengers were not within the
range of his glance. Still, he had al
ready "sized up" most of them. They
seemed hardly worth cultivation-cat-
tie men, hurrying home to their vast
herds of beevess out toward the broad
reaches to the Llano EstacadO, or Ari-
zona sheep owners who had learned the
costly lesson that a Texas steer needs
plenty of grass to fit himself for mar
ket, while the sheep can pick up a fair
ly good living off a hillside whereon a
yearling calf would become a depress-
ing rack of bones. There were some
loud-voiced mountaineers-he retk-
Oned them as such, with that uncohS
scious summing up of tone and maE-
ner and attire a man will accord to
strangers into whose contact he is
thrown upon a long journey-going
back to their mines; and a travelling
man or two, bound for Rio Grande
towns in the interest of iobbing firms
east of the big river. No, they were
hardly worth while, even to smoke
with. Still, he wanted to smoke. It
could be no more duller looking from
the rear of the car than from his win
dow at the side.
So, yawning once more behind a de-
cOrous palm, stretching himself once
more as unobtrusively as might be, he
rose languidly and made his way leis-
urely to the smoking room and OBJ
servation car at the other end of his
car, at the very rear of the train. Here
he selected from a morocco case a cigar
with that care man bestows upon
trif1es, wheE the larger concerns of life
are lacking, lighted it with close atten-
ton to the point, that it burned quite
evenly, and leaned listlessly back in a
cushioned seat, looking back at the re-
ceeding track.
Upon each side somber wall of
heavy live oak and cypress trees,
cloaked in their gray, funereal inves-
Of sch
terminably, rOofess tunnel,
through which the train sped with
mOnotonouS heaviness of heart, as if
it lOnged for free air and a broader
view of the outside world. Only when
the rumbling wheels dashed upon a
trestle spanning some sluggish bayou
did the wearisome outlook vary.
Weatherby bit into his cigar in sullen
remonstrance against so dull jour
Eey.
Looks like a procession of Qua
kers," he muttered, surlily lifting his
glance to the face of the other occu-
pant of the smoking-roOm, who sat
rigidly in an opposite chair, read
ing the New Orleans States. The
stranger scanned Weatherby coldly,
rolled himself another cigarette with
easy dexterity IN one hand, iighteh
it in calm silence and resumed his
reading without response. His face
was hard, from his thin, pointed
beard and waxed mustache to his
sharp, black eyes. He seemed to sug-
gest a stiletto in a jar of vinegar.
Wetherby felt like slapping his face
as a diversion, but eOntented himself
with the reflection that his fellow
traveller was a discOurteOus brute
with whom he didn't care TO talk,
anyway.
"Some of those Creole ducks think
they are Spanish dukes yet" he muir
INJURED under his breath, irritably.
Then he shut his eyes and fell into
a nap, lulled by the rumbling mono
tone of the flying train. When he
awoke darkness had fallen without
doors. The train was at rest at a way
station and a moment late= . dining
car which had stood upon an ada
cent siding was backed down upon
them and coupled to the sleeper.
Supper time thought Wetherby,
with a feeling of relief. Here, at
least. was a diversion. He wOnld eat,
and give thanks that he had an I'M
failing appetite. Perhaps a bit of
red snapper and some gulf coast
crabs would restore his spirits. He
rose quickly and made his way
to his own seat in front.
AS he stopped over his valise to
open it for some accessory of his tot |
let his glance fell upon what seemed |
TO be small piece of gold. lying in
the aisle beside him. He picked it up. |
It was a dainty ornamental pin, a
woman's trife, TO fasten a scarf or
ril bon, in the shape of miniature |