The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1906-12-28

and, more than that, she was travelling
alone. Though unchaperoned, she was
not a lone passenger in the drawing
room car that whirled her across the
prairies. Opposite her sat a young
man whose appearance pleased her at
first sight. That he was a gentleman
she Immediately decided. He made no
opportunity to speak to her. There
were six OF eight other passengers, all
more or less sociable, and, in one way
and another, all but the young man
came to make the acquaintance of
Miss Lawson before the first day of
the journey ended.
After the very first glance at the
young man the girl was puzzled. She
felt sure she had seen him before, and
che cudgeled her brains in vain to re-
member where and when. This i'm
preston grew stronger whenever she
stole a glance at him, and by and by
she was much vexed at herself for her
failure to recall him. If the truth
was known, she was a bit vexed with
him as well. If he wanted an intro
duction he could have had it easy
enough, and that he didn't rush to Sc
cure it rather piqued her.
Next morning after breakfast a
tough looking fellow, who was riding
in style for the first time in his life,
entered the car and a few minutes
later was ogling Miss Lawson and max
ing himself obnoxious. The young
man opposite politely requested the
6ashy youth to desist and was prompt.
~ consigned to a climate that is hotter
than this. He didn't go. He simply
took the disturber by the neck and
dragged him into the smoking car and
flung him into a seat with a bang.
That was the last of the disturber.
He didn't like the atmosphere of a
drawing room car. Miss Lawson would
have thanked the stranger, but he gave
her no opportunity. He simply return
ed to his seat and resumed his reading
as il nothing had happened.
That evening as the passengers left
the eating house where they had had
twenty minutes for dinner" a COW.
boy with a couple of guns belted about
him and too much liquor within him
freshly halted Miss Lawson and pre-
tended to recognize her as a Miss
Thompson. 1t was a lamenta5le fail
ure. He was picked up some way,
somehow, and dropped OF the platfor--.,
and the young mar who did it nevc:
ever looked back to see if there was to
be any shooting. He might have been
thanked again if he hadn't been so
busy with his, W affairs.
Things We're coming to a head, how
ever. At midnight that night the train
was held up at a water tank, There
were five in the party of rutflans, and
three of them entered the sleepers and
commanded passengers to ''shell out
The command was promptly obeyed in
the first two cars. but the man who
started to woyl: the trick in the Idaho
ran up against n snag. The reserved
young man brought out a gun and did
some shooting. He went outside and
did some more. In fact, led by him,
the passengers rallied and killed two
robbers and drove the others into the
woods. Miss Edith Lawson was n Of
the many passengers who offered her
hand in congratulation, and thus it
came about that the two finally intro
duced themselves. When the stranger
said that his name was Benny Hope,
but that the public insisted on calling
him Tommy, the girl flushed up and
exclaimed:
"Why-why. there vas a Tommy
Hope at the interstate meet of athlete
six weeks ago!"
eyes, l was there"
"And you j-jumped?"
II jumped, Miss Lawson"
"And you-you sprinted?"
81 sprinted. Did you happen to be
there i'll persona"
eyes. and 1 told my chum. Isabel
DAVIS. that l hated athletes. IL said
that an old horse could beat you all at
running or jumping and that you
YOU w.
'That / ought to be saving wood,
perhaps:' he laughed. "Well, l shan't
hold it against YOU"
And he didn't. If he had, how could
they be engaged at the present time,
as announced in the society columns?
1t is more than likely also that Miss
Edith has changed her opinions and is
a warm champion of the ''cause."