The Somerset reporter., 1903-06-04
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By ROSS FRAME
Copyright, 1909. by T. C. Mcclure
By ROSS FRAME


every creyice In the car, smarting and
irritating the throats and noses of pas
sengers. Miss Mary Appleton was one
of the few Who had not grumbled at the
dust, heat lack of mirages or slowness
of the service. Presumably her time
was too fully occupied. The Mayne
children, her three nephews, demanded
her complete attention.
When Major Mayne of the United
States army was ordered to the Phil
ippines, his wife elected to go with
him. The children We're easily dis
posed of by their little butterfly of a
mother. We'll send them east I'll
telegraph Mary to come out and take
them back. 1t will be a nice trip for
her, poor thing
So the poor thing" who was Mrs.
Mayne's elder half sister, the Cinder-
ella of the household, age reversed, left
her invalid stepmother behind and jour.
neyed to San Francisco for her
charges.
We'll try and make it pleasant for
you while you are with u.s." Mrs.
Mayne had cooed to her upon her ar
rival, but the irresponsible little lady
had left all packing and house clearing
arrangements until the last minute,
and it took all of Mary's time and
sound sense to evolve order out of con-
fusion. Finally all the boxes were
corded, the major and his wife off to
the transport and Miss Appleton, with
her three rebellious charges, seated in
the train for their long ride to the At
lantic coast
One section had been provided for
her and the three boys, Bobbie, Tom
and Grover, lads of twelve, nine and
six They were hearty, healthy young
animals, who regarded the commands
of their gentle, mild tempered aunt in
the light of .. perpetual joke. The Pull
man was crowded, and their fellow
travele, looked with manifest disfavor
upon the noisy, ill behaved boys.
Their section was nearest the draw
ing room and Miss Appleton occasion
ally caught glimpses of the tall, stern
looking man with iron gray hair. He
seemed to be always busy, either read
ing or writing, and her tender con-
science prompted the hope that he
might be too much absorbed in his
work to be disturbed by the proximity
oS her nephews. She had noticed his
critical disappearing glances at her
flock In the dining car, and once she
detected a smile on his face when she
had made Intellectual efforts to curb
them.
1t was the fourth day of the journey
and a particularly hard one. Bob and
Tom had Joined forces and leased Gro
yer, who was quick tempered, into
such fury of passion that he had
sobbed himself asleep on his aunt's
knee. She sat in a cramped, uncom-
Portable position, holding the little tear
stained face against her shoulder.
The man in the drawing room looked
at Ter for moment, then stepped out
and said quietly: Let me take your
little boy. He can rest very comforta-
bly, on my sofa" Suiting the action to
the words he carried the sleeping child
to the couch and set the door ajar.
Miss Appleton's lips trembled, and it
was with difficulty that she kept back
the tears. 1t was almost the first kind
~ words spoken in those hard and dis
agreeable days. There had been ad-
monitions in regard to the boys being
left behind at stations and tanks or
breaking their neeks from windows
and platforms. There had been many
complaints In respect to their noise
and requests that they be kept strictly
to their own seats. but this was the
first kindly interest manifested. The
weary. nervous woman looked out
steadily over the uninyiting landscape
so that the tears that hung heavy on
her lashes might remain undetected.
The occupant of the drawing room
missed nothing of what was going ON.
His heart gave an unaccustomed throh
as he remembered the mute gratitude
expressed by her dark eyes when he
carried off the sleeping boy. 1t was a
strange and by no means unpleasant
sensation.
Bob and Tom sat In virtuous armed
truce Bob's black eyes snapped as he
related to Tom in subdued tones the
Adventures of Snake Eyed Sol the
Terror of the Western Plains" IF we
could only get off this blamed train. we
would be sure to find lots of Indians
and gold and wild horses. We'd have
great time. But there's no use in
trying. Aunt Mary has the porter on
to us The boy looked decidedly wick
ed as he thought of his lost opportuni-
ties. The man within caught the look
and vision of the aunt's sweet face
at the same time. IF | had the man
agement of you, my lad, | would bring
you up with n round turn" he thought
Miss Appleton smothered sigh and
!, leaned back on the luxurious cushions
Her few days of more intimate Hc-
quaintanee with Master Bob had made
her fully aware of the consequences
likely to follow from an interruption
of the narrative. The comparative
peace and repose were provocative of
sleep. She was awakened from a dozt
by a brisk official voice demanding
Your papers, pleaseT'
do you mean our tickets"