Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1909-04-29
THE KISS.

BY LOUISE 8. CUMMINGS.


ciation.l
They met on the transcontinentai
train going west. He started from
New York, and she got on at Omaha.
She was a dashing girl. He was
bit OF n swell in fancy waistcoat
and light CATERS over his shoes. She
sat near him in the parlor car, and
when the conductor took her ticket
and let 1t down like the steps Of a
coach of 1896 he saw that she was
booked for San Francisco. He was
going to san Francisco himself.
He wished he had some one to in
troduce him. but he hadn't. In little
while. though, something funny oc
Cured, and she smiled, happening to
catch his eye at the same time. He
hadn't been used to having eastern Ia
dies smile at him on a train. He
couldn't make this one out.
They were crossing the alkali plains,
and there was nothing attractive to
look at Even the river Platte, devoid
of a fringe of bushes on its banks,
was bereft of beauty. He couldnt
stand it any longer. He took his news
paper and novels, dumped them on the
seat beside her, lifted his hat. threw
open his coat the better to show the
pattern Of his waistcoat and said:
81 shall be pleased if you can find
anything among those TO help you
while away the time in this desolate
region"
"Oh. | don't wish to readp' she said
ave had enough Of books lately. I'D
much rather talk"
She took up the papers and put them
on the opposite seat. He sat down
beside her
He was quite astonished at the ease
with which the acquaintance had been
made Since he had never thus made
a lady's acquaintance before it was
natural that he should be a little sur
prised.
There was an added zest in finding
her out-plenty of difficulty in it. And
It was an adventure much to his Xix.
ing. although he rather suspected that
she might turn out to be an adven
turess or a ladylile pickpocket. She
was fairly we'll educated, made no slips
/ in grammar used no slang but he had
not been conversing with her an houl
before she treated him as if they had
been introduced, and at the end OF
twenty-four hours acquaintance like
an old friend.
And he was astonished at himself
for the confidence he committed to
her. He told her he had a chum liv.
| H.. x-bo xr-oc a1,o,,f
to be married. He was going out
there to he his friends best man. She
asked him a great many questions
concerning the couple who were to par
ticipate as NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. there
was a romance in it, how old the
groom was. the bride. Was he hand.
some? Was she pretty? Were they
rich or poor? She prattled and ratified
on till she had exhausted all he knew
about the groom and had made up all
he didn't know about the bride, which,
was considerable. BY this time she
knew that his own name was Scarbor.
ough. his friends name Wolford and
the brides Merriam. She was disap.
pointed that he couldn't tell her the
brides first name. though she was
sure It was Rosalie. When he asked
why she said it was because that was
the name she should have. He told
her that Charlie WolfOrd-after this
she always spoke of him as Charlie
was not a romantic chap, so he in.
ferred that there wasn't much romance
in the case She said she didn't be.
lieve it-that she had never known
Charlie that wasn't a good fellow and
Just full Of love and lovableness.
What had Charlie told him about
Rosalie's looks? He couldn't remem-
Der Charlie having written him about
that, but he was sure Charlie thought
her pretty.
When they reached the mountains
and the scenery became grand the girl
had become so interested in the man
that she did nothing but prattie to him,
leaving the canyons to waste their gor-
geous beauty on some one else. She
I treated him with as much unreserve
and unconventionality as If she had
been brought up with him. He could
only understand It on the assumption
that there was something just little
bit queer about her. However, some.
thing, he knew not what, kept him
from acting on the assumption till
they were nearing San Francisco.
Then when they were alone on the car
platform she put her red lips so near
to his that there was nothing left for
him but to take a kiss. Instead OF
blushing or drawing back. she burst
into a merry laugh. Then he was
more mystifed than ever
He asked TO see her TO cab when
they should reach the station, but she
told him that she expected friends
to meet her--very straitlaced friends
who would not like to see her in COM
pany with a man. so he must go away
by himself. He asked If he might call
on her, and she said he might She
= would see that he got her address.
When he saw his friend Wolford he
recounted his adventure. Wolford told
him he could not tell anything about
! the western girls. they were so diff
! ferent from eastern girls--so unconven-
! tional. At that Scarborough stopped
3 short Of telling about the kiss.
! When Wolford took his best man to
meet his fiancee who should she be
but the girl on the trainl
Charlie" she said. her eyes dancing
with mischief 'how came Won TO have