The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-05-19
IA E|y,s,: 81 Opener. n.
by Alice de Garrett.

/
Miss Gilchrist had boarded an eli
waited train on her way to the shot
ping district. II was crowded wit
men and women gong to bushes,
hut she was fortunate enough to re
q corner seat. next to those runnin
crosswise. II was not . O'Clock yet
but Miss Gilchrist was anxious /
get TO the shops early and have he
purchases sent home before night
There We're several things, an even
Ing waist or two, Fashionable
wrap, and hat, that she must hav
before she could let herself be seel
by anybody.
| ANYBODY" meant Horace Whit
Ing. the dashing New Yorker whom
she had met the summer before q
her home In Pineville. His adven
had made her extremely critical o
the men she had known before par
ticularly OF Oliver leighton, tn,
greatest catch OF Pineville. At an,
time previous she would have taker
Oliver joyfully for better or worse
had she been able to bring him Il
the point OF asking Her to. but nov
she began to keep him at bay with
discreet mixture of coynegs and
coquetry that bewildered him. and
| naturally his ardor grew as she be-
came more Indifferent.
Whiting WAS certainly no better
looking. than her Pineville admirer,
and not half as well bred, but his air
OF knowing 1t all, his clothes and
the way he wore them, quite dazzled
her. She began to have brilliant tis-
ions OF life In New York that made
life In Pineville seem unendurably
dull and tame
She couldn't say that Whiting had
made love to her. but he had taken
her TO drive. singled her out ON every
occasion, paid her many horid com
pltments, and made her promise
again and again that she would let
him know the minute she came to
New York. So she could easily pic
ture his delight at learning that sha
was here
Miss Gilchrist's pleasing medita-
lions on new frocks and hats, and
the theatres and operas to which she
would doubtless be invited to wear
them, were rudely broken In upon
by someone's tramping on her toes.
Two men were pushing past sew
eral women In their eagerness to
get possession of the cross seat next
her, which was just being vacated.
Indignant at their rough manner, she
cast look of contempt at their
backs as they settled themselves
comfortably.
We'll. this is luck" said one. 1--WE
been out every night this week, and
amt fit to stand"
The voice made her start and
shrink back into her corner In dis
may For moment she was con-
scious OF nothing but the danger of
being discovered In her out-of-date
attire by the man who had spoken,
The very one upon whose approval
lung all her plans, but, remembering |
Ter thick veil, her mind grew easier |
md she began to study furtiyely the |
'rofile that was so familiar, and yet |
70 different from her recollection OF |
t. Somehow he did not look as he |
lad In Pineyille. He had pushed his
lat back on his head, which gave
i'm boorish air, and as for clothes
nd admirable grooming. there were
alf a dozen men In the car who sur
assed him on that ground
"How's business" inquired the
of the man she was
Rotten" growled the latter. I'm
lex OF 1t. Makes me feel like crawl
az into cave and staying there.
'ut no matter what happens, people
blink you've got money to burn.
iris are the worst. Pay them the
highest attention and they think ,
on must keep it up. That reminds
le," feeling In his pockets, II had
letter this morning from a girl just
! from the country. Met her last
lmmer Not a bad little thing; the !
CO.. Ahtit do INC Didtts lNOt u
adj note either. is IT," handing II to
Is friend.
Not at all, CHANGING over II and ]
anding II back. Quite clever, IN /
let"
Just so. Means, of course, that
le wants me to take her TO the =
ieatre and so on So I would II
lings were easier But | amt n
lape to do it now. I'll just walt q
w days till she's gone back, then
rite her nice letter saying I've 4
zen out OF town. ayfully sorry to
iss her, and all that sort Of thing.
IS too bad. but fellow must draw |.
e line somewhere"
The speaker wound up with
eat yawn. and threw his head back !.
It'll such a jerk that his hat fell !
the lap Of the girl behind him. n
Il beg your pardon. madam" he
led. waving an arm wildly in an
tempt to regain his derby. why, r
ELS treading all over It. What's the
after with the woman"
The other passengers grinned. but =
e object OF his remarks. was al i
adv out OF the car They were still 4
long way from the shopping dis
ct. but Miss GiIchrist had lost ali n
ferpst in her nurchases Her onlv