Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-05-05

City newspapers. After breakfast ne
found seat 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. book in her lap,
l.cr eaze bent briefly on the fitting
buildings outside. He studied the re-
fcclioa 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
cr allowing himself to become really
interested in Il 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
q 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.
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
else to him. His paper still hung in
vitingly upside down, as he had left it,
on the chair, and the lady was poring
over her novel, AS he passed her he
drew his right hand from his pocket.
and q 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 1t up.
Finally, laughing awkwardly, he began
to search OH 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 itr she said gayly, deli
cious foreign tinge to the words.
II thank YOU he began, holding
out his hand as If in dream of costa
sy. but her eyes had fallen momentari-
" on the object Of their search.
"Ohw she exclaimed, the prettiest
surprise in the world coming into her
face. 1t was a 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 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
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
acquaintances during his travels, some
times taking risks and liberties that
were refreshingly bold. He had sell
dom been repu!sed, strange to say, and
as he went to his section dissily he
thought of the good fortune that had
been his in other attempts and asked
himself why 1t had not occurred to him
to make the same advances ! / the pres
ent instance. Somehow she was dkf-
ferent. There was that strange digni-
ty, that pure beauty, that imperial
manner, ell 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" he thought, 1T
IL make a good pocketpiece, and some
day I'll find some idiot who knows
more about geography than l do" Mr..
Lorry's own ideas Of geography were
jumbled and vague, as If he had got
them by studying the labels on bis
hatbox. He knew the places he had
been to, and he recognized new coun-
try by the annoyances Of the customs
house, but beyond this his ignorance
was complete. The coin, so far as he
knew, might have come from any one
of hundred small principalities scat
tered about the continent.
Before the train reached st. Louis
he made up his mind to change cars
there and 90 to Washington. 1t also
occurred to him that he might 60 on
to New York if the spell lasted. Dur
ing the day he telegraphed ahead for
Spring Medicine
There is no other season when good