Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-06-12
The Girl from e.
- Philadelphia.
BY w. R. ROSE.

the real platform and was joined by
the motorman. There was some
sharp blows struck at the ironwork
beneath the car. Then silence fol
lowed.
Presently the conductor returned. |
His gloves were off and he was blow
ing on his fingers.
Rod snapped" he said to the soil
tary male passenger. Have to lie
here until they send a motor to push
us ahead to Plympton's crossing"
"And when will that be-" inquired
the passenger.
Dunno" replied the conductor.
ITS begun showing again, an gettin'
colder, too. It'll be slow work pushin'
through if the snow begins to drift.
Motorman's gone ahead to the first
telephone box to call up Miggs.
They'll do the best they can for u.s."
"Where are we?"
"'Bout three miles from the Center,
and a mile-'n-half from Pugsley's.
We're on the curve that runs round
Bald Hill, and the long trestle amt
more'n twenty rods ahead. Good
place for a breakdown, too. The hill
keeps the wind Off"
The passenger looked at his watch.
"Nine o'clock" he muttered.
"Well," said the conductor, philo-
sophically, 1--WE might be a good deal
worse off'n we are. We can keep
warm all right, an the light is good
an tn seats comfortable"
The passenger peered out of the
window. The snow was dimming the
glass. He could hear the wind whin-
ing among the bending trees.
Then his eyes turned back to the
interior of the car. There was but
one other passenger, a woman.
"The wind is rising" the man said
to the conductor, who was COM
fortably seated on the last seat, close
to the door. 'It may keep the track
clear of snow"
It'll keep it clear in some places"
said the official. It'll drift in others.
Guess tn road'H be clear enough on
this long side hill, but there'l be
plenty of snow in the valley below
The man threw his overcoat over
his arm and went forward. He passed
the young woman and then turned
and lifted his hat.
81 beg your PARDON" he said, "but
I fancied you might feel some anx'
iety regarding the cause of this de
lay"
She looked up at him. She was {
very pretty girl, not more than two
and twenty, he guessed, and some
how he remembered just at that mo
ment that he was thirty, and thai
twenty-five and thirty were not 81
very far apart. And then he gave
little start and a sudden flush tinget
his cheek. 'Why it's Miss Ainslee!'
he added.
The girls serious eyes studied hi
face.
pardon me-" she said a little cold
ly, "but I quite fail to recogniz
you"
He dropped his overcoat on tn
back of the seat ahead of her, an
placed himself beside it, half turning
so that he could talk to her comfort
ably.
A slight frown gathered on tn
girls face.
81 don't wonder at your not recoe
nizing me-" he smilingly said, "be
IL l never saw you but once, an
I rather guess you didn't see me a
all. If you did I could scarcely expeo
you to remember me. My name
Marshall, Arthur Marshall"
The girl slightly bit her lip, an
looked out of the car window. BIT
the man was not at all abashed.
at was at the Wilmington recel
ton that 1 saw you,' he said. :
don't like receptions, but I didn
have much chance to form an opinio
regarding this one, because I'd onl
been there fifteen minutes when
messenger called me away on bus
ness of some importance-to me,
lcdSUs anu L lullCu W SCSuiS q "a
s~entation. 1 was sorry, too. Ar
then I have had to be out of tow
for a few days. Just getting bac
you know. But I mean to have An1
ask me to come up the first conve
lent evening to meet you. You al
coming in from the Bellamy's | su
pose?"
The girl slightly nodded.
"Of course they thought it was E
right to let you start alone" he co
tinued. "The car runs by the W
mington door, I believe the stop
exactly opposite the front gate. B
YOU can't foresee these breakdown
Still, there's nothing serious abo
it,"
The girls lip trembled a very lit
"Will we be detained long?" s.
asked.
81 wish I could tell you," ne !
piled. Something's broke and we a
anchored here, in a heavy snowstol
waiting for an extra motor to COZ
along and push us towards town. I
motorman is struggling ahead son
where to get to a telephone and C
for help. But we r very co
Portable, and there is no reason
worry. We could stand a siege he
for several hours without losing
fraction Of our peace of mind"
But can't something be done
= 49,
queried the girl.
Nothing that wouldn't be TO
hardy" replied the man Il
thought it all out. Remember Il
you are quite comfortable here. Y
are not alone. You have some 9