The Carlisle independent., 1906-12-13

means, secured unto himself first class carriage. He had tipped porters handsomely and was watching the guard puff his cheeks preparatory to blowing them empty through the whistle that was to give the engine driver the signal to start when the handle of his carriage door was wrenched violently open.
 The girl who stepped up and in turned to aid the ingress of her com panion, who, however, remained on the platform and, uplifting her hands, cried: Gracious, I have left your hand bag!"
 Then, turning brusquely from the door of the compartment she sped rapidly up the platform and dived into the interior of the station.
 The long-delayed whistle sounded and the guard locked the door of the carriage
 Sir John had been annoyed out of all reason at the invasion; yet here he was, gesticulating, imploring, com manding delay. and offering back sheesh on the intruder's behalf.
 The laws of the Medes and Persians were as nothing compared to the in exorable rules of Company's Time. Sir John ground his teeth while the engine groaned, gasped. spluttered, shrieked, then slid into the comfort able level of long-journey time.
 Sir John experienced feeling of lively annoyance.
 Companionship that has not been o1f ' ho boon, man invariably resents. But when the case is one of enforced com. panionship with the particular woman whom for five years the particular man has carefully sought to avoid, then the case but goes to prove the futility of fighting Fate.
 He turned to his companion. There you see how little ones aid is worth when one can't even delay . train for you"
 She laughed-twas on a major note and the moment of tension passed
 And to think that I have tipped those men for years and years," he deplored, then added:
 Fate having made us fellow-trav- elers as far as Swindon-I presume that you will await your maid at Swindon-we can surely behave like ordinary, courteous beings of the world and discuss such subjects as are not tabooed to the use of stran- gers"
 T have most fragmentary ideas, but perhaps the weather-?" she sug gested.
 The weather! The subject always to hand. I think that, even before we reach Swindon, it would be only polite to offer you the hospitality of my rug. Is that permitted?"
 Certainly, for since your name and condition are advertised by the brass plate on your gun-case, I may be sup posed to have seen them, and, take them as a species of introduction
 The name has, since you remem- Der it, an addition
 You forget that we are strangers, and that the Sir John Hay of the gun case is not necessarily my John Hay" There was perhaps the tiniest point of raillery in her eyes.
 True, that's true. And Sir John Hay"
 Would at this stage of our en- forced acquaintance be anxious to in- form himself of the news of the day"
 Sir John took up the Times. May he be permitted to offer to his com panion-?"
 The Field. Thank you" She ac- cepted it with a smile.
 T regret, for your sake, that it is not the Queen" He became i'm mersed in his journal, thus giving to the woman opposite leisure to inspect his face.
 He was decidedly good-looking, aris- tocratic, istinguished-looking, with the distinction promised at 20, trace able at 30, and now, at five-and-thirty, which she knew to be his age, very decidedly marked. There was long, noisy silence. She broke it with a pretty pretense of hesitation: T beg your pardon" The Times was determinedly put aside, and Sir John, in his turn, looked at his companion, and in an instant things slid into their right propor- tions. r 4 Alter all, how absurd had been his Hdea that on the small income to which five years ago he could lay claim, he could have supposed he might support this exotic flower of womanhood. How had he ever ven tured to suggest to her transplantation to the bleak air of his barren poverty, He had to admit to himself that he had no grievance even against her worldly-wise parents.
 You were going to say"
 That fear the weather is getting