The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-04
CHAPTER /.
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$3.50 precious to me as-as you
are 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 made for the women's rooms.
The station was crowded, as 1t al
ways is in the afternoon, and in min
ute was strolling into the big, square
rooms saying slowly to myself to keep
me steady.
Nancy. you're college girl-just In
from Bryn Mawr to meet your papa.
Just see IL your hats on straight"
l did, going up 10 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 rail-
road station. There was the woman
who's always hungry, nibbling choco-
iates out of box; and the woman fal-
len asleep, with her hat ON the side,
and hafrpins 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 I didn't like the look of that
man with the cap who opened the
swinging door bit and peeped in. The
womens waiting room is no place for
a man-nor for a girl who's got some
body clse's watch inside her waist
Luckily, my back was toward him, but
Sx.ut no Aoa srh
have caught the reflection Of my face
In a miiior hanging opposite to the
big one
| retreated. going to an inner room
where the ladies were having the maid
brush their gowns, soiled from subur.
Tan trave, and the dirty station.
The deuce is in 1t the way women
stare. I took off my hat and jacket for
reason to stay there and hung them
up as leisurely as | could.
Nance" said under my breath to
the alert-eyed, pug-nosed girl in the
mirror, who gave quick glance about
the room as | bent TO wash my hands.
'women stare cause they're women
There's no meaning in their look If
they we're men. now. you might twit-
ter"
smoothed my hair and reached out
my hand to get my hat and jacket when
when
Oh, it was long. long enough to
cover you from your chin to heels!
1t was a dark, warm red. and it
had high collar OF chinchilla
that was fairly scrumptious. And
just above it the hat hung, red-cloth
foque caught UP on one side with some
of the same fur.
The black maid misunderstood my
involuntary gesture. had all my best
duds on, and when lot of women stare
at makes the woman they stare at pea
cock naturally and--and--well ask
Tom what he thinks Of my style when
I'm on parade. At any rate, 1t was the
maids fault. She took down the coat
and hat and held them for me as though
they were 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 tear In her skirt. over in
the corner; the little place was crowded
Anyway, had both the coat and hat on
and was out into the big anteroom In a
5iffy
What nearly wrecked me was the cut
OF that coat. 1t positively made me
shiver with pleasure when passed and
saw myself In that long mirror. NV.
but was great! The hang Of that coat,
the long. incurving sweep in the back,
and the high fur collar UP to ones nose
even II It is a turned-up nose-oh!
| stayed and looked for second too
long. for just as was pulling the far
Ing hat a bit over my face. the doors
swung. an old lady came in and there
behind her was that same curious mans
face with the cap above II.
Trapped? Me? Not much! didn't
wait q minute, but threw the doors open
with gesture that might have belonged
TO the queen OF Spain. almost ran into
his arms, He gave an exclamation
looked him straight III the eyes. as
hooked the collar close to my throat ant
swept past him.
He weakened That coat was too ioll,
much for him II was for me, too. A,
! raT down the stairs, IT'S influence :,
worked on me that didn't know ius
which Vanderbilt was.
! got out on the sidewalk All right nm,
was Just about to take car when III,
turnstile swung round, and there wa,
that same man WITH the CAP, HIS fac,
was funny mixture Of doubt and ID
termination. But 1t means the Cor
rectIon for me.
Nance 0lden, it's over | said t
myself Ms
But II wasn't. For It was then tha
caught sight Of the carriage. II wa
fat, low, comfortable. elegant. sobe
carriage. wide and well Kept. wit
rubber-tired wheels. And the tw
heavy horses were fat and elegant an
sober top, and wide and well kent
didn't know II was the bishops then
didn't care whose II was. II wa
empty and II was mine. I'd rather 4
20 the Correction being too young (.
get to the place you're bound for, Tor
Dorgau--in 1t than in the patrol war
on. At any rate, 1t was all the chanc
had.
slipped In. closing the door sharpl
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