The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-08-05


postal and a book to write on.
Tell Marguerite how you fouad
me, while l scribble TO my brother"
she said.
Beverly sat hopelessly before the
postal. His few weeks of wandering
about the Pacific coast had not re-
suited In any relation to intimate as
to demand a postal bulletin of his
progress; yet the thing must be COW
cred.
After some consideration he pulled
out his pencil and wrote:
Dear Ned:
Have you seen anything of my
strop? II seems to have vanished, and
| may have left It at your house dur
ing that very jolly Sunday spent
there. Send IT to me in New York If
1t turns up Yours.
X b.
He eyed that with some pride. for
the strop being safely I'm his bag, he
could write tomorrow and explain its
temperance, IL this autocratic young
woman insisted on another postal.
Ibid you say nice things about
me?" she demanded.
so that the porter wouldn't be too in
terested." he answered promptly.
/ He had cut the last rope between
himself and truth. and was prepared
TO lie his way through without fall
tering or looking back.
LET me address It for you with
my Fountain" and she held out her
hand with a matter of course air that
paralyzed his ingenuity.
He meekly handed IL over. and saw
Mrs. Charles Porter Craven" writ
ten firmly across It.
well it's a good thing to know
my name" he comforted himself, as
the two postals went off in the por-
ter's charge TO be mailed. only /
hope Marguerite won't go to any
trouble about that strop."
Not long after, tired with the
strain. Beverly went back to the
smoking room. content for once to be
alone.
At small oasis Of grass and trees
he saw her walk brislily past the win
dow. threading her way among the
lettering passengers with an evident
desire for exercise He decided re-
gretfully that he must avoid her as
much as possible for the rest of the
day.
Ton minutes later, when the train
started. he was back in his own sec
tion with his eyes on the door.
She came in burriedly and went
straight up TO him with bright cheeks
and an angry light in her eyes.
please tell me-" she began alb
ruptly. do look like the kind of
girl that would strike up train ac-
Quaintanccs with strange men? Do
/ give you that impression?"
Poor Beverly grew red to his col
lar button.
mo. no! Not in the least!" he
stammcred. II never-please don't
think IL WAS"
"Of course there must he something
in my bearing. People don't do such
things quite without provocation."
she went on, ignoring him. "Td he
very grateful TO any one who would
tell NE"
But you don't! There isn't Be-
lleve be. It was all"
"He had been staring at me all
the morning anyway. but | thought
| Just imagined II. Then. out on the
platform. IL he didn't come up and
try 10 enter into a conversation! o,
/ hate such things!"
Some drummer, probably. You
know they are professionally friend
ly." he said soothingly "Show me
who he is and I'll see that he doesn't
trouble you again"
20, 1T doesn't really matter" she
said. "You see. / never travelled
alone before and I'm silly about
things. Probably he was Just
fresh. Anyway, | think froze him
sufficiently"
what sort OF looking MANI"
"Why, rather nice-you've seen
him. He got on at Sacramento which
you did"
TIL now he had been so busy with
his own part that he had not given a
thought to the real Marguerite's hus-
band. who was, of course, looking
anxious for his charge. II the two
/ came together, 1t would be all up
with him.
II know-he sits down near the
end" he said slowly, 81 think. II I
were you, | wouldn't have anything
to do with him. I've seen him in the
smoking room, and-well, | think
I'd rather he didn't talk with you"
Indeed, ! wouldn't speak 10 him
| for worlds" she Naid, and Beverly
/ breathed easier.
Her quick acceptance of his ver-
diet pleased him foolishly. He liked
girls that looked up TO men for prac-
tical guidance. and wives that used
"Wel. Dick says" to clinch the
argument.
His ideal was to build up crack
! ling fire where some dear little per-
son, still undiscovered. might warm
her toes and smile at him while he
piled on the logs.
A day on the desert is like a day on
a haystack for getting acquainted
Every hour represents at least week
or ordinary town intercourse. BY
that reckoning their acquaintance
was fully two months old when they
reluctantly crawled behind the stuff
fy curtains of their berths that night
And a great deal can happen In two
months
Beverly leaned on his elbow and
stared thoughtfully out over the gray
desert, mottled with sage brush and
ending in dreary little hils-a mis-.
erable amateur desert, endlessly
drawn out, but lacking the noble
yastness that awes human atom In.
to respect.
Marguerite, my dear, I'm afraid