Evening star., 1908-01-26

alone We had already travelled far from home,
and were racing through what was, at least to me.
and beautiful country. The itself was
fresh, and the air was clean and a most pleasant
contrast to the coach of the night before. Outside
it was wonderful cloudless day in early January,
and under the blue sky the trees, dripping with
cicles, shmmered and sparkled in the morning sun,
and the land stretched out as one great field of un-
broken snow.
Before my breakfast had been served Alice
Abercrombie came in and sat down across the little
table from me. She dressed in simple shirt
waist and a short cloth skirt, and her eyes as
bright and her skin clear and fresh as the winter
Good morning And what do you think of
trouping?" she said, reaching out her hand to me
ITO be candid" l replied 1t apparently varies
little. had the pleasure of meeting the company
after left you last night and the car they were
in to have left rather unpleasant recoections
of fiat beer and stale smoke But this is fine, isn't
it? What you going to have for breakfast?"
Miss Abercrombe looked out of the window at
the stretches of glistening and the smile left
her lips Il haven't met many of the chorus, she
said. Il thought they seemed rather good sort
Il didn't refer to the company l interrupted
" only said the stuffy. AS matter of fact.
they seemed rather too engrossed in their game of
cards last night for to interrupt. l thought Miss
Ryan very pretty to look at
Miss Abercrombie raised her eyebrows. Il sup
pose she is pretty
Did you ever travel like that! asked, nOddlng
"You ask such simple, direct questions" she
said If you mean did ever travel in day coaches
with the company, l certainly did Personally
not partial to cards, and l prefer clear air to
tobacco smoke; but read a good book,
helpful book and at the same time breathe
bad air. l never had any choice,-ths is the first
time ever had compartment in sleeping car
You weren't always in this business?" said
The girl shook her head. You're naive that
really can't help answering you No, my life had
nothing do with the stage until the last few years
but few years is long enough to appreciate the
drawing room Pullman. It has all the privacy
y,o11h r1,Cco
and the furnishing is wonderfully better"
But you prefer the hall bed room and-and
Broadway"
The girl looked up sharply, and her big eyes
flashed at me- II didn't anything about
Broadway-there many other streets in New
York, although there men who think because
is the stage she doesn't know it."
Il am sorry l said, and meant it.
Miss Abercrombie shrugged her shoulders. There
are other Streets she said land there other
restaurants than Martins and Rector's, and there
other places to take afternoon tea than the
Waldorf. For instance there is the hall bed room
l was talking about 4Sth-st, way the
West Side, where you get a cup of tea. The
kettle is made of tin and badly dented, and the
cups are Clipped and the oil lamp smokes but it
doesn't smell of musk, and one is not wedged in by
hundred other befurred and bevOleted ladies from
the upper West Side. You probably wouldn't care
for the room, because it's different different from
what you know and different from what you would
expect. The carpet IS ragged and full of holes but
love every hole in it. There is also rip in the seat
of the rocking chair and everything says, even the
bed; but have slept there SO long that every bump
and every bilow is an old friend''
1T must be wonderful room' said, "to have
you care for it as you do. What else is there?"
The girl pushed her plate away from her and
talked doggedly Well matter of fact
there isn't much else There photographs
which l take away the road. and shelf of books
that few men sent who know that there are
shops in New York where you buy something
else besides American Beauties and bunch Of
violets with purple tassels"
And now that you STAR, asked, "you
will go back to 48th-st?"
The girl rested the tips of her fingers of both