Middletown transcript., 1907-10-12
M OF =.
By ANNE 0'HAGAN

be stufriisstalled with ii and then He
some trouble with their own
engines which accounted for the icy pipes
that had made the Pulimans mere cold
storage compartments all day. The trou-
Bile bad been discovered -providentialIy
just as the later train appeared to take
the half-frozen travellers into the shelter
Of it's warmth. Oh, there would be plenty
Of room, plenty Of comfort, on the train
behind And the snow plonghs were
even now rushing hitlier, and in v ho
could tell bow miracnlously brief q time
tie interrupted journey would be re.
suined. So spoke the porter IN a mono,
logue Of confidence and cheeriulness.
The second train received them all Will,
boisteroua good hunior. Sections, Of
course, would be scarce but there were
friendly divisions, friendly doubling-up.
The porter arranged with an obliging
man that Molly Brady should share the
section with the obliging mans wife. the
Good Samaritan himself ayoWing the
smoking car quite comfortable enough for
him. Molly, friendly as the sunlight,
was secretly delighted at the accident
which removed--she was quite sure-the
embargo against train acquaintances.
Grateful, smiling, apologetic, she followed
her escort to the compartment assigned
to her.
The lady who occupied the section
measured the young girl with glance Of
anticipatory hostility, which wavered into
politeness and finally disappeared in
ELUSIVE friendliness. The lady had been
steadily snubbed by her feminine fellow
travellers for thirtY-six hours her over
tures of periodical literature bad been
rigidIy declined By the Boston mother
and daughter in the section opposite the
caramels with which she bad tried to
bribe the good will of the child in front
had been returned with icy courtesy by
the child's nurse, emissary from the
child's mother the game OF bridge which
she had tried to inaugurate had not been
started until she was in the dining-car.
Molly, however, her second glance told
her, did not belong to the army of snub-
berry. Although the girl bore herself with
the slender grace of young princess,
there was, the much-rebnffed lady per-
ceived, Kindly warmth and innocence
about her. The consequence was that
the crowded car soon saw the youngest
girl on the train-a girl far too young to
be travelling alone, they all said-in
merry, cordial conversation with person
whose eyelashes were sticky with black
ening, whose golden hair had greenish
roots, and whose heels and perfumes, 50
Boston, opposite, declared, could be ex-
planned only on the theory of innate
deprapity developed to the highest de-
gree by long career OF yiciousness Oh
all Of which things Molly Brady was as
blandly unconscious, apparently, as an
AngoTa kitten.
When Molly had gone into the diner
with the lady and the lady's husband
husband, the vigilance committee, follow.
ing, shook its head forebodingiy. When
they saw champagne cooler borne down
the aisle to Molly's table, their alarmed
eyes and compressed lips communicated
their fears to one another. When Molly
sat through dinner, only once touching
her lips courteously to the rim Of the
yellow bubbles, they sighed in some
relief. But after dinner they took steps
for her rescue from the communicating
association.
In the dtessing-room the delegated
spokesman waylaid the young girl with
an offer to change places with her.
Moily's blue eyes widened in surprise,
She thanked the lady, but she was already
very comfortable The lady explained
delicately. tentatively. Molly's eyes
grew wider, but anyone who knew Joe
Brady would have recognized the sudden
Strengthening Of her lips and the peculiar
little thrusting forward of her chin.
| Thank you very much, said Molly icily.
Her fingers touched her little gold sodal-
ity medal as she spoke. I am sure you
mean to be kind to me, but | am sure
you are mistaken. The lady whose
section | am sharing-I don't know her
name-has not said one word to me half
so Objectionable as Yhat-what you have
been saying. And | know that she is
married: che is wearing very wide
wedding ring. And-Molly's fingers
were very tense and nervous on the
medal now,-I couldn't think OF repaying
her courtesy with rudeness even if
and she choked over the remembrance
OF the convent lesson-I am quite sure
that only nv own conduct can injure my
character. Then she made the little con.
vent courtesy as well as the narrow con.
finesof the dressing-roem permitted and
marched Indignantly back TO the lady Of
the ehetnica CHARMS and the harnessed
eyes.
How dared she fnmed Molly mentally.
My own dear mother would not have
said such things to me.
Iii the observation-car the delegate Of
rescue, little strident and reckless in
her annoyance, told her husband Of her
embassy. The pretty girl, she said, was
very impertinent, pig headed young
person, probably of the came caiibre with
the outrageous creature in section 4 A
buIlet-headed man with the collar Of lis
fur coat turned up about bis ears, who
had been outside. gathering air and in
formation on the station platform, came
ID III time to oyerhear the history OF the
I'Iady's failure as diplomat. When lie
turned his collar down the lady said, in a
Il igttItsned whisper; 6uUd gracious. jim,
that's the man
The man went through to the ear in
Which his bedizened vile sat with Molly.
They we're talking Of Hardanger work
l.