The Democratic advocate., 1907-08-30
nough to ask her if the seat were en-

j
beside her, and asked the question she had
been expecting somebody would be imper-
tinent enough to ask
She had a great mind to tell him she
preferred sitting alone, but he had taken
up the muff and made himself comfortable
before she had quite made up her mind to
be so impolite. Then she looked at him,
and was obliged to confess to herself that
she had never seen finer face. Its clear
blue eyes and blond hair and mustache
just suited Fanny taste, for her own hair
and eyes were black, and her lips and
cheeks were glowing like the heart of
cleft pomegranate. And, of course, she
liked a blonde man best-indeed, how
could she help it? :.
And he had such grave, sweet voice,
and he was SO careful not to sit on her
hounces, and he did not twiddle with the
tassels of her muff in the way most men
do, but held it daintily, just as if he knew
it was real Russian sable, and had cost
5000.
They became very social, and talked of
great many things. They vowed that
they both liked the same authors, and this,
of itself, is wonderfully strong bond of
sympathy. By and by they wandered to
religion, and then to politics, and on both
subjects their opinions agreed. After that
it was plain sailing.
A furious snowstorm set it, for it was
in New England, and the month was JAN
uary, and the wind blew gale from the
northeast; but our young friends were so
much occupied in getting acquainted that
snowstorms were of no account whatever.
After a while it began to be very cold
in the car. The small stove was entirely
insufficient to send out heat enough to COM
bat successfully with the streams of frigid
air rushing in at every crevice; and to
make things more uncomfortable, the
locomotive foundered through the fast in
creasing drifts in way which showed the
passengers that ere long snow would assert
its power over steam.
Night was coming on, too, for the days
in January are very short, you know-and
the train was just entering upon the 20
mile stretch know as Brownslow' Com
mon, and there were not half dozen
dwellings from one end of this desolate
waste to the other.
Fanny began to feel very nervous. She
wondered what she should have done with
out this gentleman who occupied the seat
with her, and who wrapped his travelling
shawl round her so carefully, and insisted
on sitting next the window, to keep off the
cold draught of air.
Fanny thought that if only Mr.. Earle
Rochefort, of whom Aunt Hildred prated
so much, had been like this interesting
stranger, how easily she could have stayed
at Elmwood, and married him, and made
Aunt Hildred happy.
The storm increased, the drifts became
more and more formidable, and at last the
engine gave plunge forward, which
shook most of the passengers out Of their
seats, and demoralized things generally.
They were off the track, and no more
progress could be made that night.
Fanny cried, and clung to her stranger,
who did not appear bit sorry that the
accident had happened. Hecomforted the
young girl, and drew her down on his
shoulder to finish her crying, and took off
her hat so that it would not be crushed
it was a Paris hat-and wound her soft,
white s'cloud'' over her curls in such a
delicate and skilful way.
All, well! Fanny had lost her heart to
him before the crash and now she was COM
pletely subjected.
After all, it was very delightful night.
Fanny dozed little, and her stranger sat
beside her and kept her wrapped up. The
other men in the car swore over the vile
situation they were in, and occasionally
went out on the platform to smoke cigars;
and the women fretted, and the two babies
who were along squalled at intervals all
night; but none of this disturbed Fanny
Shawmut.
In the morning aid came-an extra train,
with a snowplow attached, and a car with
troops of men with shovels, and baskets of
provisions. The stranger secured all the
incest things for Fanny, and she had never
enjoyed anything before as she enjoyed
these sandwiches and seed cakes.
But everything delightful must have an
end, and in due time the train was put on
the track, and Derby was reached.
The stranger put Fanny in cab, and
went with her to cousin Bentley's and
asked permission to call on her, and so
they parted. He had not thought to ask
her name, neither had she thought to ask
his.
The next day Cousin Martha received
Aunt Hildred's letter, and that evening,
when Fanny's stranger called, oddly
enough, Cousin Martha herself opened the
door for him and took his card. Then she
showed him into the parlor, and followed
him in, and shut the door behind her, and
stayed there talking with him full 20
minuted before she called Fanny.
The stranger was introduced as Mr..
Fort, which Fanny thought very singular
name. But then, after all, what's in a
name?'
Of course, they had very delightful
evening, which was but the beginning of a
series of delightful evenings.
Mr.. Forts heart held out just fort
night, and then he told his love in words
too glowing for the cold point of our cynical
pen to write, and the two young people
did very desperate thing-they engaged
themselves, and set the wedding day just
one month ahead
Fanny wrote her aunt very graphic
account of the whole affair, dwelling on
Mr.. Forts kindness and devotion during
the snowstorm, and ending with saying
that her lover was SO far in advance of that
odious Earle Rochefort in all the virtues and
graces that she was sure Aunt Hildred
would be delighted that her disobedient
but ever-loving niece did not stay at home
and marry the California bear.
yUIo, 49, J.1J~oI -o.l Al u