The Columbus journal., 1910-08-10


I had heard no step outside. The next
instant the curtain hung limp again:
still without q sound. my disturber
had slipped away into the gloom and
darkness. In frenzy Of wakefulness.
l sat up. drew on pair Of slippers and
fumbled for my bath robe.
From a berth across. probably lower
ten. came that particularly aggravat-
ing snore which begins lightly. deli
cately. family soprano. goes down the
scale a note with every breath. and.
after keeping the listener tense with
expectation. ends with an explosion
that tears the very air. I was more
and more irritable: sat on the edge
OF the berth and hoped the snorer
would choke to death.
He had considerable vitality, how
ever: he withstoOd one shock after
another and survived to start again
with new vigor. In desperation
found some cigarettes and one match,
piled my blankets over my grip. and
drawing the curtains together as
though the berth were still occupied, I
made my way to the vestibule of the
car.
! was not clad for dress parade. 10
it because the male Is SO restricted to
gloom in his everyday attire that ho
blossoms into gaudy colors in his pa
jamas and dressing gowns, II would
take a Turk to feel at home before an
audience in my red and yellow bath
robe. a Christmas remembrance from
Mrs. Klopton. with slippers to match.
So. naturally. when I saw . femi-
nine figure on the platform. my first
instinct was to dodge. The woman.
however. was quicker than I: she gave
me startled glance. wheeled and dis
appeared. with a fash of two bronze
colored braids. into the next car.
Cigarette box in one hand. match
+: the other. I leaned against the un-
certain frame of the door and gazed
after her vanished figure. The noun
tain air tapped my bath robe around
my bare ankles. my one match burned
to the end and went out. and still I
stared. For I had seen on her express
sive face a haunting look that was
horror. nothing less: Heaven knows.
l am not psychological Emotions
have to be written large before I can
read them. But . woman in trouble
always appeals to me. and this woman
was more than that. She was in dead.
Il fear.
II I had not been afraid of being
ridiculous. would have followed her.
But fancied that the apparition Of q
man in a red and yellow bath robe.
with an unkempt thatch Of hair. walk
ing up to her and assuring her that
he would protect her would probably
put her into Mysteries. ! had done
that cnce before. when burglars had
tried to break into the house. and had
startled the parlor maid into bed for
a week So I tried to assure myself
that had imagined the lady's distress
or caused it, perhaps-and to dis
miss her from my mind. Perhaps she
was merely anxious about the un-
pleasant gentleman of the restaurant.
/ thought smugly that ] could have
told her all about him: That he was
sleeping the sleep Of the just and the
in a berth that ought, BY
all that was fair and right. to have
been mine. and that if ! were tied to
q man who snored like that I should
have him anaesthetized and soft pal
ate put where 1t would never again
flap like loose sail in the wind.
We passed Harrisburg as I stood
there 1t was starlight, and the great
crests of the Alleghanies had given
way to low hills. At intervals We
passed smudges Of gray white. NO
doubt in daytime comfortable farms,
which Mcknight says Is good way
of putting it. the farms being q lot
more comfortable than the people on
them.
I was growing drowsy; the woman
with the bronze hair and the Mortified
face was fading in retrospect. 1t was
colder. too. and turned with SILVER
to 60 in.
As / did so. bit of paper fiuttered
into the air and settled ON my sleeve.
like a butterfly on a gorgeous red and
yellow blossom. I picked it up curl
ously and glanced at it. 1t was part
of a telegram that had been torn into
bits.
There were only parts of four words
on the scrap. but it left me puzzled
and thoughtful 1t read: "-ower ten.
car scve-" Lower ten. car seven"
was my berth-the one l had bought
and found pre-empted.
CTO BE CONTINUEDJ