Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-12-13
While They
Waited -
BY Virginia Leila Wentz
Couyriuht. 1903 nv q n SptcrTa
BY Virginia Leila Wentz
Copyright, 1905, by c. H. suscline

He jumped out of the little country
rig, leaving 1t In the hands of freckle
faced boy, and rushed up to the ticket
office Just as his train was pulling out
from the station.
"fshaw" he exclaimed irascibIy, and
then to the sleepy looking, contented
ticket agent, when does the next
train leave for New York;"
1.-TWO hours" replied that individual
laconically.
Maverick Oliver wasn't n man to cry
over spilled milk. He sat himself
phtloSophically down In q shady recess
of the waiting room and extracted q
notebook. He would look over some
memoranda he had jotHd down for his
solicited article for the Review and
then take a stroll along the country
hedges. There seemed to be a rather
attractive bit OF woodland just beyond.
How long must l wait for counec-
tions for RoseclffT
Something in the woman's voice, half
contralto, half alto, made the man with
the notebook suddenly start He'd
been so engrossedly coming his mem
oranda that lie had sCayely noticed
the incoming train, with all its attend
ant hustle. Now, however, single
woman's voice made him start aud
caused the Review article TO be as far
from his thoughts as the military af-
fairs of nations 3. c.
The woman's back was turned to-
ward Oliver, but he knew 1t was Flea
nor Who else IN all the world had
that Queenly carriage, that soft slope
of shoulder. that bewitchlng mass OF
colled chestnut hair?
FOR RosecIifr?" came the ticket
agents monotonous voice as he caress-
ed his wrinkled forehead with the
back of his hand a half hour,
ma'am. Trains sixteen minutes late"
The woman turned impatientiy away
from the window
1t was then they came face to face.
"Youl" cried Oliver. springing up
She stood there in the barren waiting
room, filling its emptiness with the
richness Of her charm. To the mans
hungry eyes she was food of the most
satisfying as we'll as of the most deli
cate sort
She did not hold out ler hand. Never
theless she encountered him not in her
old imperouS fashion, but with a smile
including him in some mood too large
70 be wholly personal.
How you have changed, Eleanor
he cried involuntarily.
Are you, too, waiting for a train?"
she answered softly in return. In
which direction DO you go:'
"South-to New York" said Oliver
"And you?"
ITO Rosecliffe, fourteen miles east"
Oliver took her umbrella and tiny
suit case from her. and then they
walked slowly Mp and down the plat
form together. man and woman, in
stead of husband and wife, held apart
by some strange fiat they had both ac-
cepted.
In the fields. all around. the butter
cups were golden and the wild carrot
w us III " IL K" Ifi't4ihf b'Nf'l. Wv Gt
In the woods beyond some song birds,
waking from their summer sicsta, were
beginning to warble \ group Of trav-
cling men was lounging on the railing
at the far end of the platform, ex-
pectorating copiously to punctuate the
points in their stories
Oliver busted the platform steps at
the other end OF the walk with his
handkerchief, and the woman sat Sc
renely down, her delicate profile out
lined against the clear blue OF the sky
like some exquisite cameo. She had
always been beautiful, though. 1t
wasn't that which made the man ex-
claim again irreprcssibly;
you've changed so, Eleanor 1t was
true. 1t was no mere fancy Of his
imaginative writer's eye that dscov-
cred new meanings in the face before
him. 1t had undergone a vague bur
very gracious transformation.
"Changed?" repeated she. with
curious tenderness. I've tried TO
change-tried. do you understand?
Since last winter. when we agreed TO
separate. I've been trying-so hard,
Maverick-to take ceatrol OF my own
stunted nature. turn It where 1t
twists
Dear" broke in Oliver. with a bit
Ter mummy, We weIc UVtu ~ VlulnS--
both, do you hear? And I'm afraid
you've been cleverer than l II you've
unsnarled things where they failed TO
at the pattern I've not changed much,
I'm afraid"
Under her black lashes the woman
smiled at him with 4 reverence he
might have translated (had he been
high plumedl as some loyal acquies-
ceDce in his former state What Oii-
yer felt now, however, was curiosity IN
his young wife, not in himself So
Tell me-" he burst forth. what has
changed you so:"
She rolled up her absurd little hand
kerchiei into a string and, throwing it
over her knee. pulled it unConsciously
by both ends, gazing steadfastly into
the blue distance above divers head.
Il don't know whether l ought 70
tell you" she began.
Oliver recalled that delicious little
habit she used 10 have of tempting the
fates shyly, of hesitating when she
meant to be right down outrageous.
"Of course you ought he urged. F..
You always do in the end, you know.
and it will save time Under her
playfulness he had allowed himself to
grow light hearted.
"WelI. then She began. but her
voice traiied off vaguely. Her cheeks
took on II pinker bloom; she forgot the
handkerchief and finished her thC"ght
with a mature dignity that became he
like the armor of her sex
Our little boy, Maverick-our Hide
10y has changed me"
"AA, our boy Oliver broke off
.l,g1It. lL for. SDIpp'bip,r had s1tIE.uIv