The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-23
TICKETS FOR TWO

| Pullman window where he wanted
| flower" for Chicago Just ahead OF
him was very pretty girl, and he
could not help ovcrhearing the CONVEX
sation. She, too, was buying a ticket
| to Chicago and wanted q berth as well.
| She had made q mistake in the
amount necessary to secure sleeper,
and when the ticket seller called for
the additional. 50 she discovered that
her purse was empty. 1t was an en-
barrassing position for the girl but
there was no help for it, and she took
her railroad Ticket and passed on to
the waiting room.
Rod could not help noting the out
come. He bought his own ticket arid
then saw the girl standing in the ad-
Joining room examining her empty
pocketbook.
!: His sy1ppathies were aroused; she
looked so forlorn, and he thought of his
own little sister and wondered how she
would feel under similar circumstances.
toward her and, raising his hat said:
Pardon me, but l could not help sec
Ing the trouble you were in at the tick-
ct window Won't you allow me to be
your banker in the emergency"
She looked up at him shyly. He had
good. honest face.
"Oh, thank ycu; but don't like
"Of course you don't" said Rod; "but
I'll give you my card and you can send
the money back to me when you get
home"
Her face frightened up You are
very kind My father was to have been
with me, but was detained at the last
moment l thought had all the money
needed to get home"
well, Fortunately have plenty"
SAID Rod, $50 let us get the ticket"
Of course he saw that it was i'll the
same car, and it was natural that they
should occupy the same seat.
1t was all too soon for Rod when the
berths had to be made up, but he ar
ranged that they should have break
fast together. =.
Rod says lie will never forget that
breakfast He never did know what
he ordered but he Toasted upon pair
of gray eyes which took shy. glances
across the little table. All the time
he was trying to summon up courage
to tell how much he wanted to meet
her again.
Another hour and they would reach
their destination, the pleasant tete-a-
tete would be over, and he did not even
know her name. Rod was getting des-
perate.
''By the way, do you expect any one
TO meet you at the station, or may p
ooh. yes; papa said he would wire,
so, you see l won't have to trouble you
any mors"
Trouble! ] know you don't mean
that. 1t has been great pleasure to
me, and l only wish COULD
Don't say anything more, Mr.. Scott.
am under many obligations to you,
but papa will write you when he re-
turns"
Poor Rod He wanted to say more,
but politeness prevented him from
pressing a matter which he felt might
embarrass her.
When the train pulled into Chicago
and lie saw her affectionately greeted
by an elderly lady, he awakened to the
realization that his pleasant day dream
was over.
Rod was assistant freight agent on
the B. and A. road, with headquarters
at Omaha. He spent week in Chica
go, and ION his return home he found
the following letter awaiting him:
Dear Sir-My daughter has given me
your card and asked me to thank you for
your courtesy to her when she was rer
turning home. 1 inclose draft for IS,
which will reimburse you for the amount
you expended on her. The general freight
agent of the road, Mr.. Fletcher, is a very
old friend of mine. Kindly remember me
to him, and whenever you are in Chicago
l will be glad to have you call on me.
Yours truly, JOHN H. MASON.
1t was astonishing how much atten-
ton the Chicago end of the B. and A.
road required. Rod found it necessary
to make weekly trips there, and he
never failed To call and inquire for
Mr.. Mason's health and incidentally to
accept the hospitality of the Mason
home.
Alice, she OF the gray eyes, always
welcomed the guest with such winning
smiles that he thought he was in para
disc. On one such evening she was
singing an old. Scotch ballad with the
refrain, 'Lassie, could you lo'e me%
He stopped over her as she sat at the
piano, and, looking into the gray eyes
that were turned toward him. he wills
peged, Alice, dear, could you lo'e meY' |