The Monroe journal., 1907-01-22
While They
Waited ~
By Virginia Leila xsntI
3, virsiAi. Lsil. Went



rig leaViHs il In the hands u freaks
faced boy. and rushed NJ 10 tn ticket
orice Just A. his train was pulling oul
from the station
"rshaw.' b. exclaimed iraSclbly. aud
then 10 the SLEEPY hooking. oontentel
ticket agent When does the next
train leave for New York;
Two hours" replied that individual
laconieally.
Maverick Oliver wasn't a man 10 cry
over spilled milk He sat himself
phll0sophically down In a shady reeess
Of the waiting room aud extracted a
notebook lie would look over some
memoranda he had jotted down for his
solicited article for the Review and
then take a stroll along the country
hedges There SEEMED 20 he rather
attractive bit Of woodland Just beyond.
How hong must I wait for cunnec.
tons for RoSecllfg"
Something In the woman's voice. half
contralto. half alto. made the man with
the notebook suddenly start. He'd
been 50 engrosse,lly coming his mem
oranda that he had scarcely noticed
the incoming train, with all It's attend
ant hustle Now, however. single
womans voice made him start and
caused the Review article TO b. Ms far
from his thoughts as the military AZ
fairs Of nations r. c.
The woman'S back was turned to
ward Oliver. but he knew Il was Flea
nor Who else In all the world had
that gueenly carriage. that soft slope
o. shoulder. that bewitchlng mass Of
colled chestnut hair.
For Rosecliry came the ticket
agents monotonous voice as be careSs
ed his wrinkled forehead with the
back OF his hand "a half hour.
ma'am Trains sixteen minutes late"
The woman turned impatiently away
from the window.
II was then they came face 10 face,
You" cried oliver. springing up.
She stood there In the barren waiting
room. filling It's emptiness with the
richness OF her charm To the mans
hungry eyes she was food Of the most
satisfying as well Ms OF the most deli.
| cate sort.
She did not hold out her hand. Never.
thelcSs she encountered him not In her
old imperious fashion. but with a smile
Including him IN some mood too large
| to be wholly personal
How you have changed. Eleanor
he cried involuntarlly.
Are you. teo, waiting for traln?"
she answered softly In return. In
which direction do you goy"
South to New York" said oliver.
And your"
TO Roseclifie. fourteen miles east"
Oliver took her umbrella and tiny
suit case from her. and then they
walked slowly up aud down the plat
form together. man and woman. In.
stead Of husband and wife. held apart
by some strange Hat they had both ac-
cepted
In the fields. all around. the butter.
cups were golden and the Wild carrot
was In white. lacelikc flower over
IN the woods beyond some song birds.
waking from their summer slesta. were
beginning 20 MARBLE \ group Of trav.
cling men was lounging on the railing
at the far end Of the platform. ex-
pectorating coplously TO punctuate the
points In their stories.
Oliver busted the platform steps at
the other end u the walk with his
handkerchief. and the woman sat Sc
renely down. her delicate profile out
lined against the clear blue ~ the sky |
Ike some exquisite cameo She had |
always been beautiful though. II |
wasn't that which made the man OF.
claim again lrrepressibly;
You've changed SO, Eleanor" II was
true, II was no mere fancy OF his |
imaginative writer's eye that dlscov.
cred new meanings In the face before |
him. II had undergone vague but
very gracious Transformation.
"Changed?" repeated she. with
curious tenderness. 1--WE tried 10
change-trled do you understand
Since last winter, when we agreed to
separate. I've been trying so hard.
Maverick to take control OF my own
stunted nature, turn il where II
twists
Dear" broke In Oliver. with a bit.
ter humility, I'VE were both 10 blame
both do you hearl And I'm afraid
you've been cleyerer than II you've
unsnarled things where they failed to
tit the pattern I've not changed much.
I'm afraid"
Under her black lashes the woman
smiled at him with reverence he
might have translated chad he been
high plumeD as some loyal acquies-
cence In his former state. What on.
yer felt now, however. was curiosity In
bis young wife, not In himself. So
Tell me" he burst forth, what has
changed you sou
She rolled up her absurd little hand.
kerchief into string and. throwing II
over her knee, pulled II unconsciously
by both ends. gazing steadfastly into
the blue distance above divers head
Il don't know whether ought to
tell you" she began
Oliver recalled that delicious little
habit she used to have OF tempting the
fates shyly. OF hesitating when she
meant to be right down outrageous.
"Of course you ought" he urged
'You always do in the end, you know.
and II will save time" Under her
he had allowed himself TO
grow light hearted.
well. then she began. but her
votea frofIaI an voguaiy IIar ,ha.l. |