Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-01
CHAPTER I-6o.ontinued.)


The first page of his paper was fairl
!. alive with fresh and important dis
patches. chiefly foreign. AT length, aft
er allowing himself to become reall
Interested in Paris dispatch of som
international consequence. he turne
his eyes again to the mirror. She wa
leaning slightly forward, holding TIL
open book in her lap, but reading. witt
straining eyes, an article In the pape
he held.
He calmly turned to the next pag'
and looked leisurely over it. Anothe
glance, quickly taken, showed to hin
Il disappointed frown on the pretty hc,
and a reluctant resumption Of move
reading. A few moments later IL,
turned back to the first page, holdin,
the paper in such 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 ant
thought nothing more of 1t. 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 1t 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
willingly upside down, MS he had left it,
OH the chair. and the lady was porting
over her novel. AS he passed her he
drew his right hand from his pocket.
and 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 It up.
Finally, laughing awkwardly, he began
to search on 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 aud smll-
ing. She had the coin in her hand.
81 have I'll" she said gayly. deli
cious foreign tiuge to the words.
II thank you he began. holding
out his hand as II in dream OF costa
sy. but her eyes had fallen momentari-
ly on the object OF their search.
"Ohw she exclaimed. the pretdest
surprise in the world coming into her
face. 1t was coin from her faraway
homeland, and she was betrayed into
the involuntary exclamation. Instant
~, however, she regained her conpo-
sure and dropped the piece into his
outstretched hand, proud flush mount
ing to her cheek. q look of cold reserve
to her eyes. He had hoped she would
offer some comment on what she must
have considered strange coincidence.
but he was disappointed. he wondered
II she even heard him say:
II 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
n mirror gave him thrill. This time
It was the glass in the cars end. He
bud taken but a half dozen steps when
the brown head was turned slyly and
a 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
1Oor.
Grenfall had formed many chance
during his travels. some
lines taking risks and liberties that
we're refreshingly bold. He had sell
iom been repulsad, strange to say, and
IS he went to his section dizzily he
thought of the good fortune that had
)een his in other attempts and asked
himself why it had not occurred to him
o make the same advances in the pres
mt instance. Somehow she was diff
erent There was that strange digni-
y, that pure beauty, that imperial
manner, all combining to forbid the
aintest thought of familiarity.
He took ont the coin and leaned back
II his chair. wondering where it came
rom. "In any case" he thought, "it
Il make good pocketpiece, and some
lay I'll find some idiot who knows
more about geography than do" Mr..
4orry's own ideas of geography were
umbled and vague, as IL he had got
hem by studying the labels on his
atbox. He knew the places he had
cen to, and he recognized new coun-
~ by the nnnoyances Of the customs
ouse, but beyond this his ignorance
vas complete The coin. so far as he
new, might have come from any one
hundred small principalities seat
cred about the continent.
Before the train reached st. Louis
e made up his mind to change cars
here and go to Washington. 1t also
ccurred to him that he might 80 on
, New York If the spell lasted Dur
~ the day he telegraphed ahead for
and when the flier ar
we'd in st. Louis that evening he hur-
eddy attended to the transferring and
of his baggage, bought