Bridgeton pioneer., 1907-02-07
ON BOARD THE
FLIER
BY Marion Benton
Copyright, 1905, by E. c. PARCELS

.vell take those three seats. l sup
oso IFS the best you can do. Law
3oncn vou sit there. No, noon this
,do There's a draft on that side"
81 nput | want to see the river" said
4bo elderly man querulously and with
"a gesture akin to throwing aside de-
$oinng hand, though his florid and
sSverdressed wife had not laid so much
Is a finger tip on his arm.
81 ~ tell you there's draft on that
q ide" she said sharply.
81 "Well, you don't want to sit in
hraft either" persisted her husband.
"No; Emily can sit there. She is
1oung. Drafts won't hurt her."
q David Marston raised his paper sud
3Aenlv to hide the smile that would
rome. He was sitting on the drafty
%ide, too. right behind the chair in the
barlor car which had raised the dis
fussion. He, too, wanted to see the
Hudson. the Palisades and other points
bf interest of which he had read and
which he was enjoying for the first
time.
"Where is Emily?' asked the hus-
band. now settled unwillingly in the
chair selected for him.
"She's making sure that there's
nice man in the baggage car to look
after the dogs. She'll be along in a
minute"
By this time David Marston was not
The only passenger interested In the do
Smestic drama. Every man and woman
In the car had laid aside paper or book,
roused to attention by the piercing
Zones 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, PARISH
IA Evidently the couple were going
back to New York after a brief stay
sat their lodge in the Catskills, for the
limited had stopped at the small town
Close to fashionable mountain fast
snesses 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 trainv' shrieked
his wife. Il told her to stay until all
three Of the dogs had been properly
chained. You remember the time we
game Oh, there she isr'
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 at the
girl, his hands gripped hard on the
arms of the chair.
She was slender, refined looking
girl, dressed in black from her dun
calfskin ties to her stiffiy tailored trav-
cling hat. At her throat and wrists
were fine linen bands. Marston recall
ed with shudder that a maid who
had opened the door for him at fash.
ionable Denver home had worn just
such black frock with white bands.
The girl carried bundle Of canes,
umbrellas and golf sticks. AS she
tilted them in the corner beside the
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
contented air.
There's your chair, Emily" said the
woman. waving her hand across the
aisle, Tie girl turned. stepped across
the aisle, looked at Marston, caught
her breath sharply and sank into her
cha1r, which she wheeled so that her
PACK was turned squarely upon him.
by this time David had recovered
thought and speech. He rose, DELHI
erately walked in front of the girl and
extended his hand
Don't tell me that a mere trifle like
a beard mates me unrecognizable. EN-
lily. | should have known you even If
you had dyed your hair"
The girls hand lay Imply in his.
then she pulled herself together and
it
"Oh, l knew you at once. But the
shock
Precisely 1t was a shock to me-
to find you with them"
Ihe 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
d moment later they sat side by side,
racing the river bank, their backs to
MISS Emily's employer, who shifted in
oalned curiosity and gazed their way
through jeweled lorgnon
"oh, the story is short enough said
Emily bitterly. Selling daubs and
teaching youngsters in a Colorado town