The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-03
THE GIRL OPPOSITE
BY LRa&xE GRFT%

AS the woman passed he caught among
her mutterings the word twenty third"
Evidently that was the station where she
wished to get off. Some one would have
to help her. Who? The motorman stood
stoidly on the platform between the cars.
Aston comforted himself with the reflec-
ton that 1t was no business of his If a
woman got so jolly drunk she could not
take care of herself. City life superinduces
a certain hardness.
To quiet his guilty conscience he turned
again to the girl.
She, too had caught the word twenty
third" It was the next station. She
looked around appealingly. She was the
only woman in the car. The men were
engrossed in their papers or smiling
broadly at the fun.
Her face whitened into determination.
She got up hastily and touched the woman
on the arm The wretched creature turned
| aggressively, but something Of the pain
and pity in the young face seemed to
pierce her befuddled brain.
Twenty street." she said thickly,
while a fatuous smile spread over her
face.
You want to get off at Twenty third"
the girl repeated gently. Eyes; know. I
will help you off,
Aston sprang to her side. Let me
help" he implored.
The girl turned to him defiantIy. mo:
IIlanh you, she SAID IN cool, even tones.
She drew her slender figure to its full
height and took the woman's arm in hers.
AS she piloted the trembling figure down
the long length of the car the smiles died
away There was such unveiled contempt
in her flashing eyes that every man cow
cred.
Aston watched her In shamefaced Won
der. This creature of fire and passion,
this avenging goddess, was very different
from the shy girl who had shrunk before
his gaze.
Almost before he realized the train had
stopped, had started and Twenty-third
was left far behind. The girl opposite
did not come back to her seat She had
| left the car with her charge. AS he
| thought Of the gray eyes that had not
| f1inched during that journey down the
aisle the satisfied look of the self-appoint-
| ed judge had given place to a new HUI
| mility.
"Alston, I want you to meet Miss Far-
court" his sister Ursula said as he
| strolled into her drawing room a night or
| two later. He a slender figure in
| pale gray and a delicate face framed in
| soft hair. His heart gave great throb.
| you have often heard me speak Of
| Elizabeth But she broke Oft in as
| constituent. A slow flush had crept up
to the roots Of her brothers hair. and
| turning she saw it was wildly reflected
in the cheeks of the girl at her side.
"Oh, then you have met before? And
I had been congratulating myself that
would be the first to make you friends.
Yes, we have met BEFORE" Aston an
swered unsteadily, in pity for the blush
ing girl. and he bent down in his courtli-
est manner and kissed hand that trem-
bled.
Ursula, observant sister. saw that ex-
, | plana tons were DUE she stole away.
, Aston promptly sat down beside Miss
! Harcourt on the big divan.
Can you forgive my impertinence in
staring at you the other day." he asked,
! too impetuous to waste time prelim-
! mary conventionalities. 'Oh, If you could
= only know how often I have thought or
, you since that afternoon and how have
loa thed myself. Every man of US in that
car was cad, too fearful of public opin-
, ion to show that poor creature the COM
monest humanity. You put US all to
shame by your courage. I dared not tell
. my sister that we were friends, but want
to be. Will you let me show you that
I am not utterly coward?' He held out
his hand appealingly.
The girl gave him her hand. IT have
l thought about you, too" she confessed
shyly, but not as a cad. I was afraid
n that you would think too forward
n And I was rude, too. You see. recog-
niZed you from one Of your photographs
and I knew you were not a coward.
. knew should meet you when came here
d to-day"-She paused, and a rich tide Of
G color swept over her cheeks.
Aston meant to take her hand, but
e: sudden intuition made him draw her tc
, him instead.
d 1--WE shall be friends-and lovers" he
whispered. And she did not say him nay