West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-10-18
CHAPTER 1.

rise, but there was no hint Of ear.
ly summer freshness I'm the nox.
n ious air OF the sleeping ear as IL
to!lcd like snail over the infnity Of
prairie. From behind the green striped
curtains OF the berths now the sound
OF restless turning and now a long
drawn sigh siguifcd the uneasy slum-
due to stiGlng air aud discomfort.
Tie only passenger stirring was a
Eirl whose youth dropped under the
tnfnvorable influences OF foul air, fa-
que nnd strained anxiety 20 come
to the end of this fateful Journey. She
had been up while II was yet dark, and
her hand luggage. locked. strapped and
AS pltlfully new at the art OF travelling
as the girl herself. clustered about the
hem or her blue serge skirt like chicks
about a hen. Tho engine shrleked, but
its voice sounded weak and far OF In
that stlll ocean of space: the girl tight
cned her grasp on the largest OF the
satchels and looked at the approaching
porter tentatively.
Were late twenty-f' minutes" he
reassurcd her. with the hopeless pa
ticncc of one who has lost heart I'm
She turned toward the window
pair of shoulders plainly significant Of
the burdensome last straw.
-Four days and nights I'm this train"
they were slower IN those dnys-"and
now this extra twenty-five minutesw
"My dearl My dear" - head I'm
crimpers was thrust from between the
curtains OF the section opposlte--"rve
been awake half the night was so
afraid / wouldn't see you before you
got OF"
The head was followed almost in
sunctivcly by II, "a travelling furtive-
ly 10 the crlmpers that gripped the la
dy's brow like barnacles clingIng TO
keel.
Mary expressed n grieved apprecia-
tion at the loss OF rest in behalf OF her
early departure and conspicuously for
bore 10 glance In the direction of the
barnacles. that being a first principle
as between woman and woman.
Again the locomotive shrieked, again
the girl mechanically clutched the suit
case. as presenting the most difficult
Item In the problem of transportation,
and this time the shrek was not an
idle Formally. The train slowed down;
the uneasy sleepers behind the green
striped curtains stirred restlessly with
the lessening motion OF their uncouth
cradle. The porter came TO help her
with the chastened micn OF one whose
hopes OF lnrgess are small, the lady
with the bnrnacles called after her re-
dundant farewells, and a moment later
Miss Carmichael was standing on the
station platform looking helplessly aft
er the train that toiled and puffed, yet
seemed, In that crystalline atmosphere,
still within arms reach. She watched
II till Its floating pennant of smoke
was nothing but a gray feather blow
ing farther and farther out of sight on
the flat prairie.
The town--lt would be unkind TO
mention Its name-had made merry the
night before at the comprehensive In
vitation OF n sheepman who had just
disposed OF his wool clip and who said,
by way os general summons. What's
the use OK temptin' the bnnk3' Town."
therefore, when Mary Carmichael first
made Its acquaintance, was still sleep
ing the sleep of the unjust. Those
among last nights roisterers who had
had to make an early start for their
camps were we'll into the foothills by
this time and would remember with ex-
hllaratlon the cracked tlnkle Of the
dance hall piano as inspiring music
when the lonesomeness OF the desert
menaced and the young blood again
clamored for its own.
"Town"-it contained I'm all some two
dozen buildings-was very unlovely In
slumber. 1t sprawled In the lap of the
pralrles, a grlmy faced urchin, with
the lines OF dismal sophlstication writ
deep. Yet where In all the health re-
sorts" Of the east did air sweep from
the clean hill country with such re-
vlvifying power7 1t seemed a glad
world Of abiding youth. Surely Town"
was but a dreary illusion, a mirage
that hung In the unmapped spaces Of
This new world that God had made
and called good, an omen Of the abom-
nations that men would make when
they grew blind to the beauty of Gods
world.
Mary Carmichael, with much the
feelings Of n cat in a strange Rarret,
wandered about the sluggard town,
and presently the blue and white sign
OF telegraph Office, with the mythO-
logical hguro OF a Fastening mesgen-
ger, suggested TO her that n reassur-
Ing telegram was only Aunt Adelaide's
due. Whereupon she began TO rap on
the door OF the Office a scared planissi-
mo. which naturally had little effect
on the operator, who was at home and
asleep some three blocks distant. But
the west Is the place for woman II she
would be waited upon. No 90
ratio OF the sexes has tempered the
cbivalry OF her sons OF the saddle A
lettering something I'm n sombrerO saw
rather than heard the rapplng, and, at
the sight went IN quest OF the dream
Ing operator without 30 much as en-
barrnssIng Miss Carmichael with an
offer Of his services And presently
tho operator. whose official day did not
begin for some two hours yet. ap-
peored, much dlsheveled from running
and the cursory nature OF his toilet,
prepared to receive a message OF life
and death.
The wire 20 Aunt Adelaide rams
Practically a. end OF Journey. Take
stage 20 Lost Trail this morning. Am
Won Don't worry about me. MARY.
And the telegraph operator. dlmly
remembering that he had heard Lost
Tran was a ''pizen mean country" and
that Il was tucked some 200 miles back
In the foothills. did not find Il very
hard to forgive the girI who was "prac-