Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09

are. old fellow, you're precious to me
as-as you to the police-if they could
only get their hands on yoU-well. Tom
drew off the crowd having passed the old
gentleman's watch to me, and l made for
the women's rooms.
The station was crowded. as it always is
in the afternoon. and in a minute l was
.strolling into the big. square room, saying
slowly to myself to keep me steady:
Nancy, you're a college girl-just in
from Bryn Mawr to meet your papa. Just
see If your hats on straight"
l did. going up to the big glass and
looking beyond my excited face to the
room behind me. There sat the woman
who can never nurse her baby except
where everybody can see her. in a railroad
station. There was the woman who's al
ways hungry. nib5lng chocolates out of a
box; and the woman fallen asleep with her
hat on the side. and hairpins dropping out
OF her hair; and the woman who's beside
herself with fear that she'll miss her train:
and the woman who is taking notes about
the other womens rigs. And
And l didn't like the look of that man
with the cap who opened the swinging door
bit and peeped in. The women's waiting
room is no place for a man-nor for girl
who's got somebody elSe's watch inside her
waist. Luckily. my back was toward him,
but just as the door swung back he might
have caught the reflection of my face in A
mirror hanging opposite to the big one.
retredted. going to an inner room where
the ladies were having the maid brush their
gowns soiled from suburban travel and the
dirty station.
The deuce is in IL the xav woman s4,ro
took off my hat and jacket for a reason to
stay there. and hung them up as leisurely
as | could.
Nance" I said under nv breath.
10 the alert-eyed pug-nosed girl in the
mirror who gave quick glance
ABOUT the room as l bent to wash my
hdhdS' women stare cause they're wO-
men. There's no meaning in their look If
theN were men. now, you might twitter"
smoothed my hair and reached out my
mana to get my hat and jacket when
Oh 1t was long; long enough to cover YOU
from your chin to your heels, 1t was a
dark. warm red. and it had a high collar OF
chinchila that was fairly scrumptious And
Just above II the hat hung a red cloth toaue
causht up on the side with some OF the
same fur.
The black maid misunderstood my invol-
untdfy gesture. had all my best buds on,
and when lot of women stare IL makes
the woman they stare at peacock naturally.
and-and well, ask Tom what he thinks of
my style when I'm on parade At any rate
II was the maids fault She took down
the coat and hat and held them for me as
though they We're mine. What could | do
'cept Just slip into the silk-lined beauty
and set the tOque on my head? The fool
girl that owned them was having another
maid mend a tear in her skirt, over in the
corner; the little place was crowded Any
way | had both the coat and hat on and
was out into the big ante room in jiffy.
What nearly wrecked me was the cut of
that coat 1t positively made me SILVER
with pleasure when | passed and saw my
self in that long mirror. My, but | was
great. The hang of that coat, the long,
incurving sweep in the back, and the high
Iul collar UP 10 one s nOSe-eNeu If If a
turned-up nOse-Oh,
| stayed and looked a second too long.
for just as was pulling the fiaring hat
bit over my face the doors swung as an
old lady came In, and there behind her was
that same curious mans face with the cap
above il.
Trapped? Me? Not much, 1 didn't wait
minute, but threw the doors open with a
gesture that might have belonged to the
Queen or Spain. | almost ran into his
arms. He gave an exclamation. | looked
him straight In the eyes, as | hooked the
collar close to my throat, and swept past
him.
He weakened. That coat was too jolly
much for him. 1t was for me, too. AS
ran down the stairs its influence 80 worked
on me that | didn't know just which VAN
derblIt was.
/ got out on the sidewalk all right.
and was just about to take a car.
when the turnstile swung round and there
was that same man with the cap. His face
was funny mixture of doubt and dcterm-
nation. But II meant the correction for
me
self
hut it wasn't For it was then that
caught sight Of the carriage. 1t was fat,
low. comfortable. elegant sober carriage.
wide and well-kepJ. with rubber-tired
whe'.s. And the two heavy horses wers
fat and elegant and sober. too, and " de
and well kept. | didn't know il was the
bishops thcn-l didn't care whose it was.
1t WIS empty, and it was mine. I'd rather
-
to the place you're bound for. Tom Dorgan
in 1t than in the patrol wagon. At any
rate. 1t WAS all the chance had.
| slipped in. closing the door sharply be-
hind mo. The man on the box-he was
wide and we'll kept. tuo-waS tired waiting,
l suppose. for he continued TO dOZe gently.
his high coachman's collar up over his
ears. cursed that collar, which had pre-
vented his hearing the door close. for then
he might have driven off.
But 1t was great inside; soft and warm.
the cushions Of dark plum the seat wide
and roomy. a church paper, some notes for
the bishops next sermon and copy OF
Quo Vadis l just Struggled down, trust
me. | leaned far back and lay low. When
l did peek out the window. l saw the man
with the brass buttons and the cap turning
TO go inside again.
Victory! He had lost the scent Who
would look for Nancy Olden In the bishops
carriage?
Now. you know how early l got up yes
terday to catch the train SOS Tom and
naturally mingling with them? And you
remember the dance the night before?
hadn't had more than three hours sleep
and the snug warmth OF that coach was
Just nuts TO me. after the freezing ride
into town. ! didn't dare get out for fear
OF some other man in cap and buttons
somewhere on the lookout. | knew they
couldn't be on to my hiding place or they'd
have nabbed me before this. After u bit
didn't want to get out, | was so warm and
northumberland elegant. o Tom, you
should have seen your Nance in that coat
and In the bishops carriage.
First thing l knew, / was dreaming you
and | were being married and you had
brass buttons all over you. and l had the
cloak all right. but ii was a wedding dress
and the chinchilla wormy sort Of
orange blossoms. and-and l walked when
the handle Of the door turned and the
bishop got in.
Asleep? That's what. I'd actually beer
asleep.
And what did do now?
That's easy-fell asleep again. There
wasn't anything else to do. Not really
asleep this time. you know; just, just
aseep enough to be wide awake to any
chance there was in II.
The horses had started. and the car
rage was halfway across the street be-
fore the bishop noticed me.
10 ittla IA