Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-16


enssA eye ORR conpoisseur, was q re-
cent model 81 one Of the most ex'
ysastvs and popular foreign makes:
bailt % lines that promised D deal IN
IL way OF speed. and furnished with
engines that we're pregnant with multi
paied horse power All In oil not the
style OF car one would expect to md
controtled by . solitary woman. es-
pecialy after ten Of summers night.
Nevertheless the lone occupant OF
this car was q woman. And there was
that In her bearing. an indefinable
neutrality-suspicious. II law. in the car
Rage Of her head. which impressed
one as both spirited and independent.
or In an equally certain but less tan
gible air Of self.confidence and re-
nance--to set Mad Maitland's pulses
drumming with excitement. For. I'M
less indeed he labored grayely under q
Misrepresentation. he wac observing
her for the second time within the
past few hours.
Could he be mistaken. or was this In
truth the same woman who had las
he beiieved made herself free OF his
rooms that evening?
In confirmation Of such suspicion he
remarked her costume. which was al
together worked out In soft shades OF
gray. Gray was the misty veil. drawn
in and daintily knotted beneath her
chin. which lent her head and face
such thorough protection against pry'
ing glances: Of gray suede were the
light gauntlets that hid all save the
slenderness OF her small hands: and
the wrap that. cut upon full and flow
ing lines, cloaked her figure beyond
suggestion, was gray. Yet even its
ample drapery could not dissemble
the fact that she was quite small.
girlishly slight. like the woman In the
doorway; nor did aught temper her
impersonal and detached compOsure.
which had also been an attribute OF
the woman In the doorway. And again
she was alone. unchaperoned, unpro-
tected.
Yes! Or no! And. II yes. what to
do? Was he to alight and accost her.
accuse her of forcing an entrance to
his rooms for the sole purpose las far
q ascertainable) Of presenting him
With the outline of her hand In the
dust of his desks top? On.
hardly! II was all very we'll to be
6aringly eccentric and careless OF the
worlds censure: but one scarcely
cared to lay ones self open either to
an unknown girls derision or to
sound pummeiing at the hands OF fell
low passengers enraged by the insult
offered to an unescorted woman.
The young man was stiil pondering
ways and means when a dull bump ap'
prised him that the ferry boat was en-
tering the Long Island City slip. The
devil!'' he exclaimed tn mingled dis
gust and dismay. realizing that his
distraction had been 50 thorough as to
permit the voyage to take place almost
. without bis realizing II. So that now
worse luck!-it was too late to take
any one Of tho hundred fantastic steps
he had contemplated half seriously. In
another two minutes his charming
mystery. 30 bewitchingly incarnated.
would have slipped out Of bis life. r.
nally and beyond recall. And he could
do naught to hinder such q finale TO
the adventure.
Suikily he resigned himself % the
inevitable. waiting and watching.
while the boat slid and Numbered
clumsily. paddle wheels churning the
filthy waters over side. to the floating
bridge: while the wtnches ratified. and
the women. sitting up briskly In the
drivers seat OF the motor car. bent
forward and advanced the spark: while