Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-01-30
ON BOARD THE
FLTER
copyright, 1895, BY. E. c. PARCELS
BY Marion Benton

"We'll take those three seats. sup
pose it's the best you can do Law
renee. you sit there No. noon this
side. There's a draft on that side"
but want TO see the river" said
the elderly man querulously and with
gesture akin to throwing aside a de
tanning hand, though his horid and
oyerlressed wife had not laid 50 much
rs a finger Tip on his arm.
Il tell You there's a draft on that
side" she said sharply.
well you don't want to sit In a
draft either" persisted her husband.
no; Emily can sit there She is
young. Drafts won't hurt her"
David Marston raised his paper sud
denly TO hide the smile that would
come He was sitting OH the drafty
side. too. right behind the chair in the
parlor car which had raised the dis
cussion lie too. wanted TO see the
Hudson the Palisades ana other points
of interest OF which he had read and
which he was enjoying FOR the first
time.
where is Emlly?" asked the hus-
band. now settled unwillingly in the
chair selected for him.
"She's making sure that there's a
nice man IN the baggage car TO look
after the dogs. Shell be along in u
minute"
BY this time David MarstOn was not
the only passenger interested in the do
nestle drama. Every man and woman
in the car had laid aside paper or book.
reused to attention by the piercing
tones and dominating bearing OF the
woman The shrill speech might have
been forgiven on the plea that the hus-
band was evidently very deaf. The
manner was less forgivable. Newly
acquired riches were stamped all over
the tightly laced. middle aged figure.
The characterless face. due to much
electric massaging, spoke of hours
spent with beauty experts. Her frock.
wrap and hat shrieked, "Parisr'
Evidently the couple were going
back to New York after brief stay
at their lodge in the Catskills. for the
limited had stopped at the small town
close to fashionable mountain fast
nesses on special orders.
you don't think anything will hap
pen to Emily trying to cross the plat
forms?' asked the man anxiously.
Its a vestibuled train shrieked
his wife. Il told her to stay until all
three of the dogs had been properly
chained. You remember the time we
came Oh. there she isl
There was much craning of necks as
the third member of this interesting
party came through the narrow pas
sageway around the drawing room
Her advent promised further enter
tainment to travel bored passengers
Only one of the latter did not crane
his neck. He simply sat staring ut the
girl. his hands gripped hard on the
arms of the chair.
She was slender refined looking
girl, dressed i'm black from her dun
calfskin ties to her stiffiy tailored tray
cling hat. At her throat and wrists
were fine linen bands. Narston recall
ed with a shudder that maid who
had opened the door for him at a fash
ionable Denver home had worn just
such n black frock with white bands.
The girl carried n bundle Of canes.
umbrellas and golf sticks. AS she
elderly man she said something to him
which he seemed TO hear. though she
did not follow his wife's example and
raise her voice. He settled back with
n contented air.
There's your chair Emily" said the
woman. waving her hand across the
aisle. The girl turned. stepped across
the aisle. looked at Marston. caught
her breath sharply and sank into her
chair. which she wheeled so that her
back was turned squarcly upon him.
BY this time David had recovered
thought and speech. He rose. delib-
erately walked I'm front OF the girl and
extended his hand.
Don't tell me that a mere trifie like
Il beard makes me unrecognzable. En-
lily. should have known you even II
you had dyed your hair"
The girls hand lay Imply in his.
then she pulled herself together and
withdrew il.
"Oh. knew you at once. But the
shock
"Precisely II was shock to me
TO find you with them
The gesture was slight. but Emily
Hunt knew what he meant. and her
cheeks crimsoned.
Il can explain
LET me turn your chair around SO
we can talk" Marston suggested. and
Il moment later they sat side 0y side
facing the river bank. their backs 10
Miss Emily's employer. who shifted In
bafiied curiosity and gazed their way
through jcwcled lorgnon.
oh the story is short enough" said
Emily bitterly. SELLING daubs and
teaching youngsters in Colorado town
and making good with your brush In
New York city are entirely different