Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1906-10-10
While They
Waited @
By Virginia Leila wsnn
Copyright, irOA BY c. II. sutorno

rig. leaving II IN the hands OF a frecllle
faced boy, and rushed up to the ticket
Office just as his train was pulling out
from the station.
"Pshawr he exclaimed irasclbly, and
then to the sleepy looking, contented
ticket agent. "When does the next
train leave for New York;"
Two hours" replied that individual
lacorically.
Maverick Oliver wasn't a man 20 cry
over spilled milk. He sat himself
philosophlcally down In a shady recess
OF the waiting room and extracted a
notebook. He would look over some
memoranda he had jotted down for his
solicited article for the Review and
then take q stroll along the country
hedges There seemed TO be rather
attractive hi woodland just beyond.
"TIow long must l wait for connec-
tons for RoseclifrT"
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 he had scarcely noticed
the Incoming train. with all its attend
mt hustle. Now, however, a single
woman's voice made him start and
caused the Review article to be as far
from his thoughts as the military af-
fairs OF nations b. G.
The voman's back was turned to-
ward Oliver but he knew II was Flea
nor. Who else In all the world had
that queenly carriage. that soft slope
Of shoulder. that bewltchlng mass OF
coiled chestnut hair?
"For RoseclffY came the ticket
agents monotonous voice as he caress-
ed his wrlnkled forehead with the
back OF his hand. "a half hour.
ma'am. Train's sixteen minutes late"
The woman turned inpatlently away
from the window.
Il was then they came face to face
Your cried oliver. springng up.
She stood there in the barren waiting
room. filling rs emptiness with the
richness OF rcr charm. To the mans
hungry eyes she was food Of the most
satisfying as well as of the most dell
cate sort.
She did not hold ont hcr hand. Never
I ti.clc-s she encountered him not IN her
old ir,periors fashion. but with a smile
inclvdlng him IN some mood too large
to be wholly personal.
SLOW you have changed, EleanorT'
4 he cried fundamentally.
Are yon. too, waiting for train7''
she an,wc-cl softly IN return I'm
which direction do you eofp
"south-t5 Sew York" said Oliver
And youT'
ITO fic9eclirc. fourteen miles cast"
Oliver took her umbrella and tiny
b suit case from her, and then thel
walked slowly Up md devn the plat
forrn tigethcr man had woman. in
stead OF husbani and wife held apar
by some strinsc fiat they had both &C
ceoted.
= In the lelds. al around, the butter
2 cups were golden and the wild caro-
d was IN white. lacelike flower. Owe
q In the woods beyond some song birds
= waking from their summer siesta, wer'
g beginning 10 MARBLE group Of tray
Z cling men was loupg'ng on the railinl
! at tie far cnd OF the platform, ex
pecto-atlng c3plorsly to punctuate tn
r points IN tNer stories.
Olive tel the platform steps q
the q rl OF the walk with hi
e hcrdA X ana the woman sat Sc
reaclyA fn. her delicate profile out
lined "a nst the clear blue Of the SIX.
e lie some exquisite cameo. She hal
+. always been beautiful, though. I
wasn't that which made the man ex
claim again irrepressibly:
you've changed so, EleanorP II wa
true. It was no mere fancy Of hi
Imaginative writer's eye that dlscov
cred new meanings in the face befor
him. 1t had undergone a vague Blu
very gracious transformation.
"ChangodY' repeated she, with 4
curious tenderness. i've tried q
change tried, do you understand
Since last winter. when we agreed Il
separate I've been trying hard
I Mave-ic..-to take control of my owl
n stunted nature. turn It whore q
: twists
Z "Dear," broke in Oliver. with bit
ter humility. eve were both to blame
4 both, do you hearg And I'm afrais
8 you've been clererer than l II you've
= unsnarled things where they failed {,
fit the pattern. I've not changed much
9 I'm afraid"
3 Under her black ID hes the woman
smiled at him with a reverence hi
4 might have translated chad he bee.
l. high plumpd) as some loyal acquies
cence in his former state. What OH
yer felt now. however. was curiosity Il
his young wife, not in himself. So
''Tell me-" he burst forth, what hai
changed you SOP
She rolled up her absurd little hand
kerchief into a string and, throwing 1
over her knee. pulled Il unconscious,
by both ends, gazing steadfastly int
the blue distance above divers head.
h Il don't know whether l ought t
tell you" she began.
Oliver recalled that delicious littl
habit she used TO have Of tempting III
~ fates shyly, Of hestatlng when sh
M meant to be right down outrageous.
i "Of course you ought he urged
- "You always do in the end. you know
and it will save time" Under he
playfulncss he had allowed himself I
grow light hearted
!, well. them she began. but he
voice troitpd off vaguely Her cheeF