Sharp County record., 1907-11-15
THEIR BRANCH Line
To PARADISE
BY JAM ES BRAYNE

! =
kyar on de line. Whaffor dey put
dinin' kyar on?"
Lambert looked at the car occupied
only by himself and Miss Fulton and
agreed. A diner would have been
useless luxury. 1t was only a 100
mile branch, and they were supposed
to do it in five hours.
The conductor was on the steps,
putting at cigar, and Lambert sat
down beside him.
How far are we to the next sta.
tion?" he demanded.
We're in a station now" explained
the conductor. ITS on the other side
of the train"
do you suppose | could get some
thing to eat over there?" he asked.
ITS store" was the noncommit.
tai answer Il remember we put off
box Of crackers last week"
Lambert dropped to the dusty road
bed and strobe across the strip of
sand. The store was closed and dark,
but the light shone from the kitchen
in the rear and grumblingly the pro-
prietOr consented to accommodate the
stranger
The stock was small and uninviting.
"Hog and hominy," the staple foods,
were produced locally. A barrel of
-four, small cheese and limited
stock of canned goods constituted the
grocery department, but search dis
covered a can of Vienna sausages,
some canned peaches, some soda
crackers and cheese, and the store
keepers wife promised a pot of cof.
fee.
Lambert sat on the steps and
smoked while he waited for the cof.
fee and pondered the situation.
All winter he had sought an intro
duction to the girl who was his one
fellow passenger in the parlor car. He
knew that her name was Jessie Full.
ton and that she lived down south. Be.
yond that his information did not 60,
A dozen times he had run across her
in the city, but the opportunity for an
introduction never came.
Here they were, joint occupants Of
the parlor car and blocked by
wreck that promised to hold them for
hours, If not all night. The freight
had gone up in the forenoon and had
broken through a rickety bridge A
temporary bridge must be built be.
fore they could 60 ahead
The porter came across the road
and smiled as he saw Lambert. "Ahm
lookin' for some sandwiches for ma
lady" he announced. "She done
offer me dollah."
"1ll give you the dollar" he prom.
ised."You go back and rig up table
III be right there"
The girl looked expectantly as Lam.
bert entered bearing aloft his plum.
der with your permission he
said, with bow, I'VE will have sup.
per such as 1t is"
THE porter promised to get me
something she protested.
II have cornered the food supply OF
the town." he explained. "If my com.
pany is"
mot at ALL she fastened to pro.
test. ut will be more pleasant this
way"
Lambert laid out the food together
with the knives and forks he had Dor.
rowed, and opened his various cans.
Hunger gave them appetitos even for
the coarse fare and the girl was soon
chatting merrily,
Your face seems familiar" she
said, the faint color mounting to her
cheeks,
II worked in the building where you
used to call on your lawyer he ex.
planned readily, II have seen you In
the elevator more than once"
1T seems almost like knowing you
to meet down here In Georgia." she
said, smilingly
Lambert beamed, TO think that,
after seeking her all winter, he
should find her down here and under
circumstances that made for success
seemed too good to be true.
He sent the porter back with the
dishes and settled down to entertain
the girl. II was almost midnight be.
fore they realized how time had been
Aying and he arranged with the por
ter for makeshitt bed for Miss Full
ton In the drawing room, while he oo.
oupied the smoking room,
They were just drawing into the ter.
minal station when they met in the
morning,
1T seems that we are out of trouble
at last" he said In greeting. The
track was cleared about Ave o'clock"
~ am rather sorry for IT, sho con.
fessed ut has spoiled our picnic"
Lamberts face glowod,
81 am glad YOU enjoyed It." he said
earnestly, Perhaps we may arrange
another picnic here before 20 back
north, have u title to look up, 10
may tOko week, rather think II
will"
II shall not wait for the pienie," she
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