The Lamar register., 1910-05-04
In the Car
Ahead
By CLARA A. GRADY

No Joined inc mO-0fm8o, VINO was
swearing softly to himself because the
car Immediately ahead Of him was
playing havoc with his schedule.
Not being particularly anxious to
reach his lonely lodgings. Frank. It Il
to be feared. did not sympathixe very
deeply with the motorman's feelings.
Instead. he watched with mild amuse-
ment the -tantalixing antics Of the 9th
er car. the movements Of which
seemed to consist Of succession Of
stops and starts. When street car
tranic goes wrong there Is usually .
reason for It. but Frank. who was Just
becoming interested In one Of the pas
sengers on the preceding car. did not
bother to look into the cause.
The object Of his interest was Q
woman. She was tightly wedged into
a crowd of men near the rear door.
and he could not make out her fea-
lures through the thick veil she wore.
But the poise Of her head. and some
thing about her shoulders. vaguely
reminded him of . girl he had once
known.
Whether or not he had loved Mar
gerry Vane was q mooted question
which Frank had often debated with
himself. Perhaps. II her father had not
died so suddenly. or II Frank. on his
return from a long business trip. had
been able to trace her. ne might have
found solution to the question which
bid fair to remain unanswered.
He sighed unconsciously a. he
watched the girl in the car ahead. But
In the past three years he had been
too often misled by fancied resem
blance. to become unnerved over the
way q woman held her head. Mos
OF the passengers had secured seats
and there were only q few, including
the girl who had excited Franks in
terest. standing. Suddenly Franz
started. A man who had been stant
ing just in front Of the girl and VII.
had not once. SO far az Frank couI
see. raised his eyes from the new,
paper. was making his way to the res
platform. apparently unconscious
the fact that the girl. ~ he passes
had skillfully extracted from his owe
coat pocket a small paper parcel.
Just then the conductor, q big bur
fellow. started toward the front of Il
car and obstructed Franks view
the girl But only for an instant WI
she hidden: when he could see b.
again she was tucking the parcel In
her mum. Apparently. Frank was IL
only witness II her act, and he fair
gasped At the GOODNESS Of the procee,
ing. At any rate. he reflected grimi.
the resemblance to Margery was Eon.
He wondered what the parcel cor
tanned. Evidently II was something's
value. else the girl would not hav
possessed herself Of II In such a risk
manner. Here the other car shot foi
ward once more. and when his ca
caught mp with It the girl was alighi
ing. Well. woman or no woman
Frank reasoned a thief ought not ts
be allowed to escape. 20 he. too
alighted.
The girl was q good walker, ano
he was almost out Of breath when b.
finally caught up with her at the en-
trance Of = rather shabby looking
apartment house. He had been turn
ing over 4 plan Of procedure. but she
spared him the trouble by taking the
initiative. BY turning suddenly and
facing him
"Wellr she demanded, sharply
What do you mean BY following me p
Then. why. Mr.. Donne!"
"Margery vane!" he muttered, in.
credulously. He wondered that the big
tenement did not topple over and bury
him: for. OF course. parcel or NO par
col. Margery vane was above sus-
picion. He wondered whether he had
not imagined the episode in the car,
and he took the hand she extended a.
n he were in Q dream.
Margery had nung back her veil,
and with the FIRST glance Of her merry
brown eyes Franks question was an
swered. He felt, all at once, a. n he
had always known that be loved Mar
gerry.
This 10 such q delightful surprise, -
she was saying. when did you nrst
see met"
Margsry had always possessed lively
sense Of humor. he concluded to tell
her.
She laughed. ~ he had suspected
she would. 80 you followed me,
thinking I was . thief Really, Mr.
Dome. you deserve punishment, and
II could think Of anything sufncient.
~ severe would inflict It The parcel
contains nothing more romantic than
some handkerchief. which l bought
Just before We got on the car. Bob
had to stop At his tailor's and he told
me to take the parcel out Of bis
pocket But forgot; you have never
met Bob. He II N.Y.
Frank had raised . protesting hand
Don't put It into words. please" hs
begged. 81 know that you never had
. brother. 20 ] can guess who Bob Il.
She gave him Z startled glance
then she broke into . merry laugh. II
was the same old laugh that had lin
gered in his consciousness for three
years. but somehow. It gave him nc
pleasure now.
"Oh, very well" her tone was care
iessiy polite. only thought you
might be interested to know what haa
happened since We last met
Il am: you don't know how much. :
he began. eagerly; then he remem
bered. when did 1t happen?" h