Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-05
DAILY. SHORT STORY
AN UNoRTRuslvE PROTECTOR.
tOriginal.1

too refined to think of going to bed IN
the same car with other persons, es-
pecialry men. She had always been
model Of purity. At sixteen Oh at
tempting to ride the pony of young
friend and admirer she had fallen and
displayed considerable lingerie. Those
who saw her arise from the ground,
her cheeks flaming, her eyes glittering,
and stalk into the house have never for
gotten the sight.
1t became necessary for Mrs. Seguine
to make a night journey on a train.
She was not due to arrive till morning.
and, disdaining a sleeper, took a chair
In the drawing room car. There were
but few persons In the car, most of the
passengers preferring berths. In the
chair next to Mrs. Seguine sat young
man of perhaps twenty, a meek lock-
ing fellow, with timid manner. Up
posite sat gentleman who was pass
ing the middle point in his threescore
and ten years-a well dressed looking
person, evidently of the highest type
of American gentleman. He occupied
himself reading a magazine Of the dry
as dust and good English kind and was
quite well bred enough not to look ut
pretty Mrs. Seguine when she was
stealing glances at him from under her
long lashes.
AS the hours waxed every one of the
half dozen persons in the car either
slept or appeared to sleep except Mrs.
Seguine, who made frequent use OF her
vinaigrette and kept constantly wiping
the dust from her face with her cam
brfc handkerchief and heavinS signs or
discomfort The porter came along and
the lady asked him to tIlrn the lights a
little lower, since she never could sleep
except in q dark room. The porter
complied with her request, but as he
did not turn them low enough the gen
tleman opposite Mrs. Seguine, who had
heard her request, gave him coin to
turn them lower. The widow witness
ed the transfer of the coin and was
grateful This time the porter left very
little light IN the car, and those who
had remained awake slumbered.
Suddenly all were aroused by
shrek. The lamp nearest the widow
had been turned SO low that it had
gone out The shrek seemed to come
from her direction, and to her all eyes
were turned, though imperfectly pene-
trating the gloom. The widow arose
and. turning to the young man beside
her, said Indignantly:
"How dare your
"W-h-a-t?"
What? You know very well! You
kissed met
"No. 1 didn't
do you mean to question my word
in addition to taking such liberty"
az certainly didn't kiss you. was
asleep"
Meanwhile the gentleman opposite
awoke, looked about him in semicon-
scious condition, arose and. seeing the
lady in trouble, stepped forward.
MAY 1 ask the cause of your annoy
ance?' he said to the widow.
This man has been brutal enough
to- EITHER her wrath or her modesty
prevented her speaking the word.
''She says 1 kissed hen said the boy.
"She is certainly mistaken
did any one dare really profane
those lps?'' asked the gentleman,
cold horror at such an act in his voice
and manner.
''Some one certainly did, and who
could have done it except this man
who was sitting beside me?'
True, he is In the position to be |
first suspected. But just before being |
awakened / dreamed that q man was |
standing holding the car door open.
admitting Il cold draft of air. When |
he shut it l distinctly heardahim do SO |
as one half awake. May not some one |
have committed the outrage while pass |
ing through the carp
a passenger who was very sleepy |
and anxious to be permitted to re-
sumo his slumbers declared that he
also had heard the door shut, and tine |
widow gave q reluctant assent that |
this might possibly be the explanation,
though she did not apologize to the |
young man for having accused him. |
On the invitation of the gentleman OPP
poSite she took a vacant seat beside |
him, he turned up the lamp, and she
finished the night under his protection. /
There was something so delicately |
deferential in the gentleman's manner
that the widow, herself the perfection
of unobtrusiveness, knew surely that
he was one to whom she might trust
herself in every particular. She per-
mitted him on arrival to call a car
riage, to hand her in and to give her
number to the coachman.
The gentleman made a note of the
found out all about the lady,
secured an introduction, and all with
so unassuming demeanor that she was
delighted with him. Thus sprang love.
Several years after the marriagesthe
wife's dream of her husbands delicacy
was shattered. He came home one
evening to find her in no affable mood.
'My dear" she said, emphasizing the
dear" Jelly, John has told Mary, and
Mary told me-"
"What?"
THAT 1t was you who kissed me that
night we met on the train"
$50 I did"