The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09

said something that made him think
he ought to try. But it's no use. 1t was
only a little summer idyl, and we
have both outlived it."
She was still gazing steadfastly upon
the wall of outer darkness when the
porter began to make down the berths
and Penelope came over to sit in the
opposite seat. A moment later the
younger sister made a discovery, or
thought she did.
why, Elinor Brentwood she said.
81 believe you are crying"
Ellnors smile was serenity undis-
turbed.
What vivid imagination you have,
Nell, DEAR" she scoffed. Then she
changed the subject arbitrarily: rs
mother quite comfortable? Did you
have the porter put a screen in her
window?-You know she always insists
she can't breathe without it."
Penelope evaded the queries and took
her turn at subject wrenching-an art
in which she eXcelled
I'VE are on our own railroad now,
aren't we?" she asked, with purposeful
lack-interest. "And-let me see-isn't
Mr.. Kent at some little town we pass
through"
1T is a city" said Elinor. And the
name is CASTOR"
Il remember now" Penelope rejoined.
II wonder if we shall see him."
1T is most unlikely. He does not
know we are coming and he wouldn't
be looking for u.s.
al
times Elinor's thought processes were
as plain as print to the younger Sis
ter; at other times they were not.
ST should think the least we could do
would be to let him know" she ven
tured. Does anybody know what time
the train passes Gaston?"
''At 7:15 o'clock tomorrow evening""
was the unguarded reply; and Pene-
lope drew her own conclusions from the
ready answer and the folded time table
in Elinor's lap.
well, why don't you send him a
wire? I'm sure 1 should"
why should II" said Elinor warily.
"Oh, 1 don't know; any other young
woman of his acquaintance would, 1
fancy. I have half mind to do it
myself. 1 like him, if you don't care
IOr MIN any more.
Thus Penelope: and Il little while
afterward, finding herself in the IL
brary compartment with blanks and
pen and ink convenient and nothing
better to do, she impulsively made the
threat good in a ten-word message to
Kent.
IF he should happen to drop in un-
expectedly it will give Ellie the shock
of her life," she unused; and the tele-
gram was smuggled into the hands
Of the porter to be sent as occasion
offered.
Those who know Mr.. Brookes Orms-
by best were wont to say that the world
of action, world lusting avidly for re-
sourceful men, had lost the chance Of
acquiring a promising leader when he
was born heir to the Ormsby millions.
Be that as it may, he made the most
of such opportunities for the exercising
of his gift as came to one for whom the
long purse leveled most barriers-had
been making the most of the present
Lacquer OF a woman's heart-a citadel
whose capitulation was not to be COM
passed by mere money might, he would
have said.
Up to the final day of the long west
ward flight all things had gone well
with him. True, Elinor had not thawed
visibly, but she had been tolerant;
Penelope had amused herself at no
ones expense save her own-a boon
for which Ormsby did not fail to be
duly thankful; and Mrs. Brentwood
had contributed her mite by keeping
hands off.
But at the dining-car luncheon on the
last days run Penelope, languishing at
a table for two with an unresponsive
Ormsby for a vis-a-vis, made sly men
ton of the possible recrudescence of
one David Kent at a place called Gas
ton-this merely to note the effect upon
an unresponsive table mate.
In Penelope's observings there was no
effect perceptible. Ormsby said "Ah?"
and asked if she would have more of
the salad. But later, in a contempla-
tive half-hour with his pipe in the
smoking compartment, he let the scrap
of information sink in and take root.
Hitherto Kent had been little more
than a name to him-a name he had
never heard on Elinor's lips. But if
love be blind in the teens and twenties,
it is more than apt to have a keen gift
of insight in the thirties and beyond
Hence by the time Ormsby had come
to the second filling of his pipe he had
pieced together bits of half-forgotten
gossip about the Croydon summer, cu-
rious little reticences on Elinor's part,
vague hints let fall by Mrs. Brentwood
enough to enable him to chart the
rock on which his love argosy was
drifting, and to nan- it-David Kent.
Now, to a well-kniy man of the world
who happens to be heaven-born
diplomatist into the bargain-to be
forewarned is to be doubly armed At
the end of the half-hour of studious
solitude in the smoking-room Ormsby
had pricked out his course on the chart