The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1906-11-08
VIII.

THE HOTEL LOUIS LIE GRANDE.
All Of that Thursday afternoon the
Daylight Special, overcrowded and
belated, hurried on toward New Or
leans. Every south-bound train bore
its thawing burden-refugees in furs
and sealskins who fed from snow and
sleet TO a land Of palm and pines be-
side the gulf OF Mexico.
The dusk came gently on, and pas
sengers began opening their windows
20 the h-ower-scented winds. Already
they looked w~istfully ahead to the
shores Of summer seas upon whose
heaving bosoms the purple islands
sleep.
Mrs. Ashton was negatively con
tent. smacking her lips In that com
placent way she had when things went
to suit her. Alice perched on a hdgety
pinnacle OF delight. She was going
TO Mardi Gras. and that ought to make
any girl supremely happy. Like a ten
nis-ball she bounded back and forth
between her mother and Anita, almost
as II the cushions were too springy
for her to sit upon.
But Anita gazed so dreamily into
the twilight. without seeming to hear
or heed. that she was no fun at ali.
Alice couldn't comprehend such a
girl She buzzed around until she was
tired, then settled down beside her
mother, as restless as a bumble.bee
in q bucket Of tar.
Anita did not want 10 talk; she
wanted 10 think. And the farther the
tram carried her, the more persist.
emily her thoughts chung TO Yicks-
burg The chain heightened. but Il
did not break. What a goose she had
been 70 write such a motel How com.
pletely II had been ignorodi II must
have been the music. the lights. the
e%Xhilaration Of dancing that made her
do H. Then she remembered the Jon.
quill; Anita loathed herself when she
thought OK that Very possibly he had
flung II down in the street and
laughed.
She wondered Il Mamie Kerr hadn't
some lurking suspicion that she had
expected 10 meet Noel Gt her house.
Girls are so very sharp. Gossips in
Yicltsburg were busy coupling their
names, talking about how Mrs. Ash
ton hated Duke, how he and Anita met
at the houses of their friends. how
a thousand singing little "hows" and
why's" and whispers that maddened
her, Anita's face flushed; what a fool.
what a fool she had been!
Mamie would laugh. Ellen would
laugh, every old -long-tongued thing
in town would laugh. But Joe Balfour
would not laugh-dear old Joe. He
would be sorry for her. and Anita
would hate that most Of all.
Even when the lights OF New Or
leans glimmered across the level hori-
zon, and Alice pointed 10 them excit-
eddy, they reused no interest Ia Anita.
She didn't want to go to New Orleans
she didp't want 10 80 anywhere; she
wanted 10 80 hack home. to Virginia.
where she could be alone.
BEFORE the puhng locomotive came
20 a fan stop al the station. a man
stepped on the front platform OF the
smoker. Duke had sat on the front
seat on the way from Jackson. his hat
pulled down over his eyes. speaking TO
nobody. ne glanced anxiously about
the platform. A blue uniform gtalked
by and startled him. l. was only the
conductor OF q sleeping car. lie
ahrank back out OF the light. stopped
in the shadow Of q post and watched
the passengers c%rowdiQg past him.
ANITA came 50 cllse he might easily
have touched her.
He followed her cautiously through