Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-22


there is mother. I'll LAY time to give
her a few dozen kisses. Dear old
mother!"
The girl" confessed afterward that
she liked the "boy" from the moment
he spoke of his mother. 1t is a way
girls have.
so you are a minister's son?" she
interrupted, asking his question with
her lips instead of eyes, as h had
the ones before. "And it's to be a sort
of ~prodigal return, with plenty of veal,
1 Supposed?
We'll, not exactly prodigal," he re-
Piled. I've had mighty few husks In
mine. I'm going to tell you my name,
tho you haven't asked. It's Ransome,
Ralph Ransome,'' and he handed her
a card.
Il am Marina Van Stephen" she
returned. II am sorry, but my cards
are in the compartment" !.
Marina" he repeated: odd name
II 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.
1t rolled, to the tune of an ultra-loud
bell, thru a few miles Of Omaha stock
yards and stopped, with a jerk. at the
big station, which is one of the four
gateways to the great and glorious
west.
Half a dozen young women were
waiting, and when they saw the girl
they began to yell; "W-E-L-L-E-S-
L-E-Y-Wellesley!"
She must have stroked the crew
or bossed the team" thought the boy"
He deserted the platform as they
crowded around, and made his way to-
the club car at the head of the train,
where real comfort Is provided for the
men who have to cross the continent.
/! There he found the man OF this
story, one William Heathcoat Pound,
professor of botany in that great uni
versity which sprang up in a night by
the magic of the Stanford millions.
The man and the boy" had met the
night before when the train was still
shrieking its way thru Chicago's scat
tered suburbs.
Let us have a drink, professor"
said Ransome, as he dropped into Il
chair beside him.
Never drink before luncheon, my
boy"
Nor do I on ordinary occasions" re-
piled the youth, running his hands thru
his straight black hair and making
a face at himself in the mirror opposite,
but this is extraordinary"
What! Getting into Omaha 2" asked
the man." Nothing unusual about
it. You must pass thru Omaha il you
go west over this road"
Omaha has nothing to do with IT,
the boy" fastened to assure him. II
have found her" This last slowly and
with great emphasis.
Il didn't know you We're looking for
any one."
Every man is, tho some of them
do not know it-every man is hunting
for the mi woman In the world who
can be the whole thing to him."
And o have found her?" asked
the man"
The boy nodded, tho he was not
quite sure yet himself. It had been SO
very sudden.
I'm that Ease I will take a drink,
To the waiter: IA high ball with a
piece of lemon peel"
Bring me the same, only make 1t rye
instead of Scotch" said the boy" and
then without a pause, Il have found
her. or at least I think 1 have. Will
know before we get to Frisco"
Then she is on his train?"
"Rather!" the boy exclaimed.
Here, WI will drink to her eyes big.
brown eyes, full Of depth and mystery
and-well, here's to her eyes!"
They drank to them.
"An6 are hor nvac tho nnYx, ot,o ~,
that we drink to them aloae?" asked the
professor.
Not that any one has heard of" he
replied quickly, with an indignant fash
of the eyes. why, IL we lowered a high
ball to every single charm they would
have to carry us to our berths before
the train crosses the Platte"
People have written about the little
world which is formed by a trans
Atlantic liner and her passengers-a
world with all the elements of the big,
real world; it's rich cabin class; Its
miserable, poverty-stricken steerage.
and the great middle class in the sec
ond cabin. The overland limited is also
a little world of itself, and a happier
one, for 1t is all cabin. The suffering
steerage, the emigrants, are following
on q slower train, and the middle class
in tourist sleepers nave a schedule mid
way between the flyer" and the
poke"
A voyage across the ocean Is a likely
Iplace for heart affairs. There is a ro-
nance about the sea for those who do
not get sick. There is an ease about
steamer chairs that invites IN exchange
of condolences. and many secluded deck
hooks to impel "towsing," to use a term
that is new and sadly oyerworked.
On the overland it is much the same,
but there are more difficulties. The
journey is shorter than the voyage, but
the passengers are thrown together
more closely. One day at least, the day
spent In crossing the desert, with it's
alkali dust and its magnificent monoto-
ny of miles of sage brush, would try the
temper of a saint. The continual rip
rap of the wheels over the railends Is a
nuisance, and promenading Is limited
to ten-minute stops twice q day to
change engines.
After a time Ransome returned to the
comfortable observation section and
found Marina playing with a baby. The
mother, her tired eyes and the semi
disorder Of her dress proclaiming ner
Ownership, looked on with pleased IN
~terest. He tried to make friends. put
the baby would a none Of him.
"Why Billy" he began, playfully,
won't you come to your uncle?'
What did YOU call it," Marina
asked.