The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-08-18


in the deceiving. All, the hopelessness of ever
making him understand that!
And she had made a conidante of katherine
Adams because it was her nature to make
fdante of someone. She in it element of
dsloyalty. If she had loved him less it would not
have happened But because she loved him so
much, because she was thrilled intoxicated
with it all-it was the inevitable outpouring of
her happiness.
And his letters! Her face burned at the men,
DRY. 1t was only one letter that she had read to
Katherine Adams, and that had been in moment
of impulse, carried away by her pride and JOY in
his love, and the beauty OF the letter itself. She
had often told him that she had written
anything so wonderful as his letters.
And now atherine Adams had betrayed her!
Oh why had she done it? Why had she wanted
to hurt her so? And so through the long sleep
less night her poor tired brain went over it all
again and again.
Once she drew aside the curtains and looked
down the aisle. The lights lowered and
there was no sound except the rumbling of the
train. All those drawn curtains-all the hidden
humanity there Who were they. she wondered
Were they all asleep or We're there. nearby, other
restless, tortured beings tossing and turning and
longing for the morning?
n AVN at last a grey reluctant dawn that looked
- down a snow-covered country, with fine
mist OF still falling. The stirring of passen-
gers and the passing back and forth of porters-
they nearing PittSburg.
She dressed hurredly and to the din
ing car to escape the now disordered sleeper. Ten
more hours Her head ached cruelty and the feel
ing of sick nausea growing stronger She
could eat nothing.
Past Pittsburg and through the deepening
snow. Only two more stops now-Harrisburg
and Philadelphia. 1t made it seem nearer to think
of it that way-just two more stops.
Some wretched looking cattle huddled shivering
together in fence corner. Farther on a hail
starved horse straining before an overloaded
wagon. 1t seemed to her there note of mis-
cry in everything she saw.
The hours dragged She kept her watch
the window sill beside her. The had changed
to DRILLING rain: it blew against the car Win
dow blurring the view of the gray landscape.
She felt that she had to the limit OF her
endurance And yet she knew that even after she
reached New York there would still be almost two
hours before she could see him. She had gone
over it again and again. Forty minutes to her
apartment half an hour for messenger to reach
him, and then the half hour it would take him to
She had not telegraphed him when she started
In spite of her wretchedness. her womans instinct
that clear-that she would be at an i'm
measurable disadvantage to meet him at crowd
ed depot. trave-stained and worm In her own
apartment. in silken house gown under soft'y
shaded lights. she would at least be more herself
But now-the thought of those two more hours.
To bear this suspense and torture two hours long
err after she reached New York. She could not!
She called the porter and asked for some tele-
graph blanks.
Meet train 16, Pennsylvania road. at 6:5O.-
Margaret
She gave the message to the porter
will you see that this is sent from Harris
burg?'
Yes. miss
You will be sure-there must be mistake"
'Ill take it right to the office. miss. We have
ten minutes stop at Harrisburg
She should not have sent it. 1t mistake
perhaps serious mistake. But reckless,
desperate now.
train whizzed suddenly by, cutting through
the air with shrek. For moment her over
wrought nerves gave way and she burst into tears.
With her face turned to the window she forced
back the sobs clencning tightly the arm OF the
The steward passed through with the Last call
for luncheon, dining car in the rear" Even the
thought of food sckening.
The stop at Harrisburg then again with ter
rife speed. They little late she heard the
conductor telling someone the aisle, and
were making it up on this run.
At length they drew into the great throbbing