The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-12-02

pocket Wnen the tram DUlleu out. lhSu
he swung OH the car steps and found
himself at her feet. She was standing
Mt 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 lie
found q scat in the observation car and
settled himself to read. Presently
some one took q 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, u 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 n 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 lcisurely over 1t. Another
glance, quickly taken, showed to him
n disappointed frown on the pretty face
and a reluctant resumption Of novel
reading. A few moments later he
turned back to the first page holding
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 1t 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, rs he had left 1t,
on Ii chair, and the lady was porting
owe her novel. AS he passed her he
drew his right hand from his pocket,
and q piece of money dropped to the
| HnN. ~ hA,, foAH Ma, on, -~ 49,,
barraSscd search for the coin-in the
wrong direction, Of course. He knew
precisely where 1t 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 Inc 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-
biS. DIV nav liC Soil III llCl buuu.
81 have It'll" she said gayly, a deli
cious foreign tinge to the words.
~ thank YOU he began, holding
out his hand as If in n dream of costa
sy, but her eyes had fallen momentari.
ly Oh the object of their search.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, the prettiest
surprise in the world coming into her
face. 1t was n 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, n proud flush mount
Ing to her check, q look of cold reserve
to her eyes. He had hoped she would
offer some comment on what she must
have considered n strange coincidence,
but he was disappointed. He wondered
If she eve heard him say:
II am sorry to have troubled YOU"
She had resumed her seat, and ia
him there seemed a thousand miles be.
tween them. Feeling decidedly uncom.
Portable and not n little abashed, he
left her and strobe to the door. Again
n mirror gave him n thrill. This time
1T was the glass in the cars end. He
had taken out Il half dozen steps when
the brown head was turned slyly and
n 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
dom been repulsed, strange to say, and
as he went to his section dizzily he
thought of the good fortune that had
been his in other attempts and asked
himself why 1t had not occurred to him
ant instance. Somehow she was diff.
ferent. There was that strange digni.
ty, hat pure beauty, that imperial
manner, all combining to forbid the
faintest thought of familiarity.
He took out the coin and leaned back
In his chair, wondering where it came
from. "In any case" lie thought, "it
I'll make n good pockctpicce, and some
day I'll find some idiot who knows
more about geography than l do" Mr.
Lorry's w ideas OF geography were
jumbled II vague, as If he had got
them by studying the labels on his
hatboX. He knew the places he had
been to, and he recognized n new coun
try by the a%nnoyanccs of the customs