Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-11-09


Grenfall was smoking his cigarette
and vigorously jingling the coins in his
pocket when the train pulled out. Then
he Nung on the car steps and found
himself at her feet. She was standing
at the top. where she had fingered a
moment. There was an expression of
anxiety in her eyes as he looked up
into them. followed instantly by one of
relief. Then she passed into the car.
Doubtless she would have been as so
licitous had he been the porter or the
brakeman, he reasoned. but that she
had noticed him at all pleased him.
At Abilene he bought the Kansas
City newspapers. After breakfast he
found seat in the observation car and
settled himself to read Presently
some one took a seat behind him. He
did not look back, but unconcernedly
cast his eyes upon the broad mirror
in the opposite car wall Instantly he
forgot his paper. She was sitting with
in five feet of him. book in her lap,
her gaze bent briefly on the fitting
buildings outside. He studied the re-
Election furtively until she took up the
book and began to read.
The first page of his paper was fairly
alive with fresh and important dis
patches, chiefly foreign. At length. aft
er allowing himself to become really
interested in a Paris dispatch of some
international consequence, he turned
his eyes again to the mirror. She was
leaning slightly forward, holding the
| open book in her lap. but reading, with
straining eyes, an article in the paper
he held
He calmly turned to the next page
and looked leisurely over it. Another
! glance. quickly taken, showed to him
a disappointed frown on the pretty face
and reluctant resumption of novel
reading. A few moments later he
| turned back to the first page, holding
| the paper in such position that she
could not see and, full of curiosity,
read every line of the foreign news,
wondering what had interested her.
Under ordinary circumstances Lorry
would have offered her the paper and
thought nothing more of it. With her,
| however, there was an air that made
| him hesitate. He felt strangely awk-
ward and inexperienced beside her
| Precedents did not seem to count. He
arose, tossed the paper over the back
of the chair. as if casting it aside for
ever, and strolled to the opposite win
dow and looked out for few moments,
| jingling his coins carelessly. The jim
| gle of the pieces suggested something
| oil TO CT; IN,
willingly upside down, as he had left it,
on the chair, and the lady was porting
| over her novel. AS he passed her he
drew his right hand from his pocket,
and piece of money dropped to the
floor at her feet. Then began an en-
barrassed search for the coin-in the
wrong direction, of course. He knew
! precisely where it had rolled, but pur-
| posely looked under the seats on the
other side of the car. She drew her
skirts aside and assisted in the search.
Four different times he saw the little
piece of money, but did not pick it up.
| Finally, laughing awkwardly, he began
to search on her side of the car, where
upon she rose and gave him more ROOM
She became interested in the search
and bent over to scan the dark corners
with eager eyes. Their heads were
very close together more than once
At last she uttered an exclamation, and
her hand went to the floor in triumph.
They arose together, flushed and smil-
ing. She had the coin in her hand
81 have it!' she said gayly, a deli
cious foreign tinge to the words.
81 thank you he began, holding
out his hand as if in dream Of costa
sy, but her eyes had fallen momentari-
ly on the object of their search.
"Oh! she exclaimed. the prettiest
surprise in the world coming into her
face. 1t was coin from her faraway
homeland. and she was betrayed into
the involuntary exclamation. Instant
ly, however. she regained her compo-
sure and dropped the piece into his
outstretched hand, proud flush mount
ing to her cheek. look of cold reserve
to her eyes. He had hoped she would
offer some comment on what she must
have considered a strange coincidence,
but he was disappointed. He wondered
If she even heard him say:
81 am sorry to have troubled you"
She had resumed her seat, and to
him there seemed thousand miles be-
tween them. Feeling decidedly uncom-
Portable and not a little abashed. he
left her and strobe to the door Again
a mirror gave him thrill. This time
1t was the glass in the cars end. He
had taken but half dozen steps when
Ge brown head was turned slyly and
a pair of interested eyes looked after
him. She did not know that he could
see her, so he had the satisfaction of
observing that pretty, puzzled face
plainly until he passed through the
door.
Grenfall had formed many chance
acquaintance during his travels. some
times taking risks and liberties that
were refreshingly bold. He had sell
|