The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-16


ments, but the conductor and porter
hustled out, with Difference in their
every movement, and assisted the one
lady into the car with much bowing.
The train was already in action
again when Enos stumbled breath.
lessly up the steps and sought to
enter the car. The conductor was
standing inside the door.
"This is parlor car, sir, !" he said.
'sOh, that's all right" Enos an
swered quickly. Extra, I s'pose ?"
"Of course; but l doubt if there's
any unoccupied space, Porter !"
The car attendant was just return
ing from the lady S chair. He stopped
inquiringly, busting cloth in hand.
Have you any spare seats {"
"Just one, sab, down t'other end. !"
Every we'll. Give it to this gentle
man."
The conductor turned as he spoke
ard preceded him few PAGES down
the car, then stopped and bent over
the chair of lady. AS he passed,
Enos leaned toward her with a diff
dent Hello, Martha,' but the in
creasing noise of the train drowned
his voice. and he stumbled on with a
crimsoning face. The lady had not
even perceived him.
Enos followed the porter through
the car, hat in hand, with feeling
that he was intruding into some ones
drawing room. Passengers were seat
ed or reclining in various attitudes
some reading, some talking, but most
of them with their attention fixed
upon the chair over which the con-
ductor was leaning. Enos had never
been in drawing room car before,
but even amid all this elegance and
among these strangers he perceived
that Martha was understood and ap-
preciated better than he had under
stood and appreciated her himself.
He heard subdued Who is she 7"
from one side and Don't know,
but evidently a somebody, T" from the
other.
He turned his chair so that he could
watch her and still not be especially
conspicuous. The conductor or porter
was at her chair every few minutes
trying to devise new means for her
comfort. Curtains were drawn or
raised, ventilator opened to let in
more air, the window closed to keep
out a draft. Even the paper boy
seemed to catch the infection, for he
was continually leaving periodicals
for her to examine at her leisure.
Enos watched her with mingled
feelings of surprise and pleasure and
perhaps with some depression. Here
tofore he had looked upon her as in
a way belonging to him. Now, with
the entire car paying her homage, he
wondered at his audacity. He wished
that he had been bold enough to ask
straight out to be her escort on this
little trip instead of watching over
her, as be was, from distance. He
wished that he had pressed his suit
more assiduously and marveled at his
presumption in pressing it as strongly
as he had.
The conductor came through the
car, and man in the next chair
reached out and touched his arm.
"Cau you tell me who she isl" he
asked in low voice. "The car seems
to be getting curious over SO much
attention"
The conductor answered in voice
equally low, but Enos caught the
words.
"She's Mrs. Roche, wife of Cattle
King Roche, you know. He's max
ing deal for our railroad. That's
why our management is anxious to
show him attention. We received
notice that she would take our train
at certain point and for US to show
her all the courtesy in our power.
Seems very nice little woman, but
little, just little, too pleased with
everything. Gives one an impress
sion that she hasn't travelled much.
But I have heard that Roche made
his money very suddenly, SO perhaps
the attention is a little overwhelm.
ing"
Enos had turned away before this
and was again watching Martha. He
had heard that a man of the name oi
Roche was negotiating for the rail
road, and he now allowed his glance
to wander up the car, finally fixing
upon a richly dressed woman in the
chair beyond Martha as the one who
was little overwhelmed by atten
ton. She did look self-conscious
and, he thought, just little super
cilious too.
As they stood upon the platform a
their destination a half hour late
watching the train glide away Marth:
saw Enos turn toward her, not slowl,
and dif6dently, as was his wont, bu
with head erect and both hands out
And somehow after the experience OF
the train it did not seem strange, bu
rather a natural sequence. To hav'
seen him awkward and i'll at ease jus
then would have been a shock. l
was so much nicer for men to be cas-.
and courteous, and Enos was KIM
among men.
She put her hands into his naturally
impulsively.
ooh, Enos." she breathed, "wasn'
it beautiful? / never imagined
could be so nice in a train. VIII.
didn't you tell me 7"
"Well, / don't reckon ! knew,
he acknowledged frankly. II wa