New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-10-26

A REAL ROMANCE OF A RAILROAD JOURNEY
THE YOUNG MAN FINALLY FOUND OUT TIE FACTS RE-
GABDING HIS FELLOW TRAVELLER

Hhaghihcent distances. and most jourheS " :
urea oy days and nights instead % 49, rtt
owing to this and to the natural lie'uO,'
Is III everything Western, that the ''o"N
overland Limited unstinens ana sea-
talk TO seat neighbours until the spirit VI "
sweeps IN" train from end to ehu-
luf hoy, a son of the West re'"7
adopted East for short visit. knew 'h'S' Tor ne
had been ,r,sst, ,b continent at intervals ever
since ne could remember. II vas the 'S' ''''''''E
out from Chicago, and as was his custom NJ went
Slowly through the train, 'stzhs UP aus 'e"""
passengers and Specializing on the Solt Oh rlp nd'
was to come. Not girl he modhed as ms quick
eye swept the last Pullman. "Htrd "'es- mere
nothing ef, but the commitment car with its old
women and nvalids."
lie had forgotten the observation PLATFORM on '''e
very erd Of the train He fouhd tle siri Se".eu
there. ana he knew that he would ne taking WIN
her before the train an hour "eSI "i Oindhd'
She look. pretty good TO me. 100 ne salu 10
himself SWINGING. an leg over the polished railing
of the platform
For ten minutes he surveyed the passing show Of
alternating corn and wheat fields ana watched the
polished rails unwind thense ives between rows OF
Iowa sun1owers. at a rate OF SlAty-nVe miles the
hour Then he yentured TO look at her more closely
The girl was wonderfully fresh and cean-look-
Ing. considering the dusty night on the train Tie
could not see her face. for her back was toward
him. He noticed that her hair, brown like corn
silk. was twisted tightly in "A way that was her
the band of a blue skirt. These vital points
in his scoring Of women. One of her brown OK
fords perched in railing notch for steadying
effect. and there showed an ankle turned just so
and tightly covered with open work silk So much
he and so much pleased him
Now for her facel' he whispered. How can
make her look around? Ask her il l may smoke?
Eo-that's TOO evident III get cinder in my eye
that's the business"
Forthwith he peered into the cloud of smoke
which rushed past. his lids wide open TO welcome
the cinder which 10 start things for them
Bits of coal haIfcoo sparks and other things blew
into his and mouth and nose but because there
were wanted in at least one eye none landed there
IN have to play the part he thought. and with
a smothered OH he sank back in mis- chair lie
could hear her turning about. knew she was look
ing a him. but dared not look up. He CROPPED for
his handkerchief. Jabbing one corner into the I'M
offending member he WINGED in earnest
rs it a cinder?' she asked in low voice. with just
enough sympathy.
Feels like whole car load" he answered but
IL will be in "A minute" He made another jab
with his 'kerchief.
Not if you go at it that way" she said. Let
me help you"
She did seem notice the eagerness with
which he turned up his face nor the half-concealed
smile which he tried hard to suppress. The bit Of
linen with which she operated was scented just
enough to remind him of distant hay fields and
bowers and things. He noticed. too. that her hands
small and very white
Here 1t Isl she cried joyfully after probing for
a moment. "a horrid. big. black cnder. 1t must
have hurt dreadfully."
The boy" was surprised. for he had felt Gin
der at all Then he looked UP at her and forgot all
about It. and everything else. even himself. He
pair OF brown eyes, the sadness OF their
depths beied by the laughing pucker OF her lips and
the smiling dimple in her over-white cheek 4
loop OF brown hair crossed her brow Just beneath
the roll Of green stun which helped make the brim
OF her jaunty straw hat.
He called her attention to a farming scene TO the
right Of the track over the suniower fringe Of the
roadbed. This that he might glance at her pro-
file when she turned II was as dencately drawn
are the lines OF those bewitching which
pen and ink impressionists turn out She small
of figure. but the proportions were perfect and the
boy" remembered that he never had cared for big
women.
Then she asked him: What they doing to
that hay?''
And he had TO laugh. for the hay was wheat and
they were thrashing. He told her all he knew
about it. and little more. in bright. breezy way
he had
BY the time the Limited pulled into the lonely
yards at Council Bluffs he had looked her enough
TO know that II would take most desperate effort
to keep from loving her before the train reached
San Francisco. While the train was loaing. try
ing make up its midland its baggage-to cross
into Nebraska the struggling bridge which spans
the muddy dvider OF the continent. he told her all
about himself.
I'm going home" he said. First time in five
years
Did ii take you that long TO get through col
leGe2' she asked quickly.
How did YOU know it college? But l didn't
get through. They-the faculty. l mean-tired OF it
nrst I've been working d year in the city. What
city? There's only one-New York"
She interrupted with long-drawn OH She
was from Chicago.
My but it will be good TO get homer he went
ou. speaking rapidly and with play OF expression
across his face that interested her more than his
words only three weeks vacation. and ten days
Of it on the train Doesn't give much time
does 1t? But enough hear the governor preach
another sermon To me? oh. no. 10 his congre
cation. And then there is mother. I'll have time
To give her few dozen kisses Dear old mother"
The girl confessed afterward that she liked the
boy from the moment he spoke of his mother. 1t
rs way girls have.
So YOU a minister's SON. she interrupted
asking this question with her lips instead of eyes
IS she had the ones before And it's 10 be sort
Of prodtsal return with plenty OF veal. l suppose
We'll. not exactly prodigaL' he replied I've
had mighty few huSks in mine. I'm going to tell
) GU my name, though you haven't asked Its Ran
some. Ralph RansOme." and he handed her a ca-I-
Il am Marina Van stephen" she returned II
am sorry but my cards are in the compartment
Marina he repeated. odd Edme.
I was born at sea. and that accounts for IT,
By this time the train had made up It's mind and
was crossing the bridge. IL rolled To the tune of
an ultrd-loud bell through few miles of omaha
STOCK NaI"S anu stopped. with "A jerk at the big
station which Is of the four gateways TO the
great and glorious West
hali dozen young women were waiting. and
"h,h they saw the girl they began TO yell.
ELL E-S-L-E Wellesley
She must have stroked the bossed the
m, he ,,,x- L.. Mat
form as they crowded around. aud made his way To
"- Cl4o car at the head OF the tram, where real
The continent
~, lhelt ne found the man of this story.