The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-16
On the

BY cIcELY ALLEN
Copyright. isOs By 7. c. Mcclure

* Copyright, fes& By I. c. Mcclure !
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Il am very sorry 1t cannot be ar
ranged" said the young man. with q
aeprecatory wave Of his hand, but
"All the latest popular novels! Last
chance to get your reading matter
No books sold on train after II startsr
The newsboy bawied this In Amy Cur
It's ear. and she lost all the young man
said except the words cant climb
those beastly steps"
Not that she cared. She was quite
able to climb the little ladder to the
upper berth. Her lip curled scornfully,
'Oh. II doesn't matter In the least.
you know. II was the conductors idea,
I assure you Only In the south. where
! come from, men. as a rule. are more
obliging."
She picked up her novel and pro
eeeded 70 ignore McKean's presence.
He looked at her blankly. then flung
himself down the sleeper to the smok.
Ing compartment We'll, I do think
she's a bit harshw He pulled out a
paper and tried to forget the scorn in
the eyes but recently lifted to meet
his.
In the meantime the girl in section I
stared wrathfully at the letters In her
book. which fairly danced before her
eyes. "A nice beginning for my trip!
/ never wanted to SO to Colorado
Springs anyhow. l had much better
remained at Bar Harbor than to let
the Carriers inveigle me into coming
west"
With this final reflection she COM
menced 10 read In earnest, but some
how her mind went back to the very
disagreeable young man who had dis
regarded the sleeping car conductors
request that he yield the lower berth
to the young woman, whose Pullman
ticket had been duplicated by care
less employee in an uptown office. She
could not forget the real regret In his
eyes nor the nervous. embarrassed way
In which he had smoothed his hair
while he was offering his halting ex-
PLANTATION. She could not reconcile
this, however, with the fact that he
had declined to climb the little steps
in her stead. 1t was most annoying.
she argued, that she could not forget
certain fascination which his long, firm
hand had held for her and the hair he
had smoothed.
She could imagine that he had spent
hours trying to brush out certain
tendency to crisp curls. She was very
glad there was something that could
iefeat him, II 1t was nothing more than
.urls, and after deciding thus she was
more content.
She did not see him again until she
entered the diner at dusk. The only
place left for her was single seat at
/ table meant for four. The three pas
,engers already seated were men. talk
ng business in rather loud tones. Amy
lesitated. A figure at the table oppo-
lite rose suddenly. The very disagree
lble young man who had sentenced her
o the upper berth was standing beside
Ter.
stake my place." he said eagerly,
and I viii 60 over there with the
men," He had been occupying q seat
It one Of the small tables, and a gray
laired woman was sitting opposite
Tim.
Amy saw all this at a glance, and
With a surprised uplifting Of her eye
,rows and a mechanical Thank your
Iccepted the seat. The young man had
Tot yet been served, and she realized
hat the change had not embarrassed
lim in the least.
"Quite willing to do things that do
lot incommode him." she thought
'cornfully.
The young man did not presume up
IN the reception OF this courtesy. Di-
ectly after dinner he once more retired
o the smoking compartment, and Amy
'arly ordered the porter to make up her
,erth. Once tucked snugly away, she
orgot her grievance. The steady clunk-
lunk of the wheels was singular lul-
ably to which she soon yielded
1t seemed as If she had not been
sleep more than three minutes when
he awoke to the most horrible noises
hat she had ever heard, What had
Had the train run into
.ircus or a jungle Of wild beasts? No,
he train was still moving. Its unre-
hitting clunk-clunk could be heard
It intervals between the awful sounds
which now assailed her ears. II it was
lot wild beasts, then maybe some one
lround her was dying.
This pretty, carefully reared, ever
,rotectad aoIlthePn girl had never sepn