Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-05

lfl7I.
Doubtless she would have been as So
slicltous 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 a seat in the observation car and
settled himself to read. Presently
some one took 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
err allowing himself to become really
interested in 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 1t. Another
glance. quickly taken, showed to him
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 a 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.
Prccedents did not seem to count. He
arose, tossed the paper over the back
of the chair, rs If casting it aside for
ever, and strolled to the opposite win
dow and looked out for a few moments,
jingling his coins carelessly. The jim
gle of the pieces suggested something
else to him. His paper still hung 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,
ard 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 lie 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.
II have it," she said gayly, deli
cious foreign tinge to the words.
Il thank YOU he began, holding
out his hand as II In dream of costa.
sy, but her eyes had. fallen momentari-
! ~ on the object of their search.
"QhW she exclaimed, the prettiest
surprise in the world coming into her
face. 1t, was q coin from her faraway
i homeland, and she was betrayed into
the involuntary exclamation. Instant.
/ Is, however. she regained her compo.
sure and dropped the piece into his
outstretchcd hand, q 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
II she even heard him say:
II am sorry to have troubled you.''
She had resumed her seat, and to
him there seemed a thousand miles be-
tween them. Feeling decidedly uncom-
Portable aud not a little abashed, he
left her and strobe to the door. Again
q mirror gave him thrill. This time
it was the glass in the cars end. He
had taken but half dozen steps when
the brown head was turned slyly and
a pair OF interested eyes looked after
him.. She did not know that lie 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
i 4cquaintances during his travels, some.
times taking risks and liberties that
We're refreshingly bold. He had sci,
dom been repulsed, strange to say, ant
as he went to his section dizzily b,
thought Of the good fortune that hat
been his in other. attempts and asked
/ himself why 1t had not occurred to hin
to make the same advances in the pres
ent instance, Somehow she was diff
1 ferept, There was that strange digni
IT,, that pure beauty, that imperia
manner, all combining to forbid tn,
faintest thought of familiarity.
He took out the coin and leaned bacl
IN his chair, wondering where 1t cam
from. in any case" he thought, 81
i III make good pocketpiece, and som
day I'll find some idiot who know
more about geography than do" MI
Lorry's own ideas Of geography wer
! jumbled and vague, as If he had go
them by studying the labels on BIZ
hatbox. He knew the places! he hat
been to. and lie recognized a new coun
try by the annoyances of the custom
house, but beyond this his Ignorance
was complete. The coin, SO far rs III
knew. might have come from any on