The Huttig news., 1910-04-30

It IS quiet here, l suggested. If you VIII sit down on the bank l will go back and make some inquiries. I've been criminally thoughtless. Your travelling companion"
 She interrupted me, and something of her splendid boise was gone Please don't go back she said T. am afraid it would be Of no use And -I don't want to be left alone"
 Heaven knows I did not want her to be alone. was more than content to walk along beside her aimlessly, for any length of time Gradually, as she lest the exaItation of the moment. was gaining my normal condition of mind was beginning to realize that had lacked the morning grace of a shave that l looked like some lost hope of yesterday, and that my left shoe pinched outrageously A man does not rise triumphant above such handicaps. The girl, for all her disor- dered hair and the crumrd d linen of her waist, in spite of her missing hat and the small gold bag that hung for lornly from a broken chain, looked ex. eeedingly loye.y
 Then l went leave you alone" I said manfully, and we stumbled on to- gether. Thus far we had seen no. body from the wreck, but we'll up the lane we came across the tall dark woman who had occupied lower II. She was half crouching beside the road, her black hair about her shoul. ders, and an ugly bruise over her eye. She did not seem to know us, and re- fused to accompany us. We left her there at last, babbling incoherently and rolling in her hands dozen peb. bles she had gathered in the road
 The girl shuddered as we went on Once she turned and glanced at my bandage Does it hurt very much?' she asked.
 Its growing rather numb But it night be worse" I answered menda. ciously. If anything in this world could be worse, I had never expert eneed it.
 And so we trudged on bareheadee under the summer sun, growing parched and dusty and weary, dogge. v leaving behind us the pillar smoke. I thought knew of a trolley line somewhere in the direction we were going. or perhaps we could ffne ! horse and trap to take us into Bal timore. The girl smiled when I sug gested it.
 We will create sensation, won't we9 she asked Isn't it queer-or perhaps it's my state of mind-but keep wishing for a pair of gloves, when l haven't even a hati''
 When we reached the main road we sat down for moment, and her hair. which had been coming loose for some time, fell over her shoulders in little waves that were most alluring. 1t reemed a pity to twist it up again, but when l suggested this. cautiously. she said it was troublesome and got in her eyes when it was loose. So she gathered it up, while I held row of
 title shell combs and pins, and when 1t was done 1t was vastly becoming too. Funny about hair: A man never knows he has it until he begins to lose it, but it's different with girl Something Of the unconventional situ ation began to dawn on her as she put in the last hair pin and patted some stray locks to place.
 T have not told you my name, . she said abruptly. q forgot that be- cause l know who you are, you know nothing about me. I am Alison West. and my home is in Richmond
 So that was it. This was the girl of the photograph on John Gilmorcs bedside table. The girl Mcknight ex- pected to see in Richmond the next day, Sunday She was on her way back to meet him, Well, what differ ence did it make, anyhow? We had been thrown together by the merest chance. In an hour or two at the most we would be back in civilization and she would recall me. if she re membered mo at all. as an unshaven creature in a red csavat and tan shoes with a soiled Pullman sheet tied around my neck. l drew a deep breath.
 Just twinge," I said, when she glanced up quickly. .'sts very good of you to let me know. Miss West have been hearing delightful things about you for three months
 From Richey Mcknight" She was frankly curious.
 Yes. From Richey Mcknight assented Was it any wonder Me. Knight was crazy about her? I dug my heels into the dust.
 q have been visiting near Cresson. in the mountains, Miss West was say ing. The person you mentioned, Mrs. Curtis, was my hostess. We've were on our way to Washington to- gether." She spoke slowly, as if she wished to give the minimum of expla- nation. Across her face had come again the bafiling expression of per plexity and trouble I had seen before.
 You were on your way home, sup pose? Richey-spoke about seeing you.' l fioundered. finding 1t necessary to say something. She looked at me urif