Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-14

5
he decided that very likely the suit
! case belonged to her brother Benjamin
| in whom he felt no interest whatever.
| He went out to supper secured the
only remaining table for two, and was
| giving his order when the young lad
| appeared. She had donned her b:
| and as she stood moment in fii4
entrance, surveying the line of tahi'
| her distinction was undeniable. IT
were but two vacant places in
car one facing Griswold, the OF.
| across the aisle at g. larger table
| where three men were engaged in
animated discussion. The girl viewed
the prospect with evident disappoint.
ment as the waiter drew out the
vacant chair at Griswold's table. She
carried herself bravely, but wore still
a triste air that touched Griswold's
sympathy. He rose, told the waiter
| that he would sit at the other table,
and the girl murmured her thanks
with forlorn little smile as she took
his seat.
The appearance of Griswold aroused
| the Mississippian to a renewal of the
/
| dent He was in excellent humor
/ and had carried to the car a quart bot
| tie, which he pushed toward Griswold:
"As the governor of North Carolina
said to the governor of South Caro-
! lima"
NO thank you," and as he spoke
Griswold's eyes fell upon the girl,
and he saw annoyance written fleet
ingly on her face.
You needn't be afraid of that
whisky. It's all right" the Mississip
| plan protested.
I'm confident of that; but some
other time, thank you"
We'll, sir" the Mississippian de-
clared, after you left us while ago
we got to talking about Dangerfeld
and his trouble with Osborne. There's
something back of this rumpus. You
see, il they lived in the same state
you might account for a fierce rivalry
4 between them, Both of EN-, for ex-
ample, might have the senatorial bee
In their bonnets; but either one OF
'em could make the senate any time
he pleased l guess they're the two
biggest men in the south right now.
They're too big to be touchy about
any small matter; and that's why |
reckon there's something behind this
, little racket over there at New Or
leans. No passing remark would
send men off that way, so wild that
!, they wouldn't travel on the same
train together. Why, gentlemen"
please pass the salt" interposed
Il Griswold.
The Mississippian enjoyed the
sound OF his own voice, which boom
!. ed out above the noise of the train
with broad effects of dialect that these
types will not be asked to reproduce.
Griswold's eyes had again met those
of the girl opposite, and there was, he
: felt, look of appeal in them. The
discussion distressed her, just as the
: kilograms from New Orleans in the
!, afternoon papers had distressed her,
and Griswold began at once to en-
terrain his table companions with his
!, views on a, number of national politi'
: cal issues, that were as vital to Arr
q IONA or Wyoming as to the Caro-
q linas. He told stories to illustrate his
points, and. told them SO well that his
q three companions forgot the estrange
o ment Of the belligerent governors.
e Griswold ran on in the low, musical
7 voice that distinguishes the cultivated
< Virginian in any company anywhere in
$ the world, and the noisy loquacity of
/ the Mississippian went down before
q him. He was so intent on holding
q their attention that his dishes were
0 taken from him almost untouched.
e The others fingered until his coffee
a was brought He was SO absorbed
L that he failed to see the smile that
e occasionally passed over the girls
q face as some fragment Of one of his
> stories found it's way to her. He had
{. undertaken to defect the talk from a
y channel which had it seemed, some
u painful association for her. but he had
q done more in unwittingly diyertine
her own thoughts by his droll humor.
o He did not cease until she had left
II the car, whereupon he followed his
e trio Of auditors to the smoking com
e partment, and there suffered the Mis-
81 sissippian to hold uninterrupted sway.
q When he went back into the car at
t. eleven o'clock he found the girl and
n her maid still sitting in their sections,
e though most of the other berths, i'll
s GLIDING his own, had been made up
s. The train was slowing down, and
n wishing breath of air before retiring
Is he went to the rear platform of the
ID sleeper, which was the last car OF
IS the train. The porter had opened the
% door in the vestibule to allow the
~ brakeman to run back with his tor
1T pedoes. The baggage car had develop
t, ed hot box, and, jumping out Girls
'r, void saw lanterns flashing ahead
i'd (To be Continued).