The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-09
WEEKLY SHORT STORY
ACROSS THE AISLE.
By IzOla Forester.

That's Eagles Ness Pass, now"
SAID the man across the aisle, eagerly.
mighty pretty in this sunset light.
eh?"
Jess opened her eyes. She had been
browsing for the last hour The view
was gorgeous from the car windows.
she leaned forward, and looked out at
the great encircling mountains. the
sui dark lake far below the track, the
vast, out-reaching distances beyond the
Fass itself. Somewhere over toward
>khe golden sunset lay her brothers
kanch' and the new life that had swept
N1er out of the nut down East. She
rocked toward 1t happily, seeing in the
sunset glory only portent of what
lay ahead of her. After ten years
of school teaching in the country. il
seemed like enchantment that She
should be out here, Swimming over the
last ridge of the Rockies.
1t won't be all easy work, Jess"
Tom had written, but I've got che
upper hand Of things here now, and
think you'll like it. There's lots of
ne people settled around me, and the
Deertoot mines are only seven miles
from us, so you won't be lonesome"
, Lonesome? Jess thought Of the long
!. hool term back at Lamson Center.
ana how her happy Western nature
twas steadily quelled by the stolid, un-
imaginative fathers and mothers of the
young idea. She knew she would
never be lonesome with Tom, anyway.
Ihe man across the aisle was talk
Ing to his fellow passenger. a sleepv
old man, who had been doing com
fortably, and refused to warm up to
the glories of the scenery.
Il wouldn't give a hands braotb 0f
this country up here for all Manhat-
tan"
Where you from?" growled back
tBS other.
tDeerfoot. sir. Finest section and
rlchest out here. Come into the smok-
Hnpg compartment with me and let me
AL you about it,"
He rose impulsively, a tall, strong
limbed youngster, with all the vivid
assurance and hope of the West in his
face. Suddenly he hesitated and look
ed across the aisle at the girl there.
Their eyes met. He almost smiled, and
reached for handbag in the upper
rack.
Gould I lave this with you Just
while l step into the smokerT' he ask
ed. Il won't be more than half an
hour"
D Jess bowed her head assentingly and
he slipped the bag in beside her own
suitcase on the floor. 1t seemed very
heavy. After he had gone Jess threw
Ser fur scarf over it and wondered who
Us owner was.
Z Not ten minutes later the train slow
ed up. There was the sharp hiss of
air brakes. The wheels seemed to
CRATE and grind along on the rails. Al
most instantly shots sounded up for
ward. Some of the men passengers
rose. Jess held her breath and wond-
cred if, after all, she was not to reach |
her new life.
The doors at the end of the car
swung open. A brakeman came |
through on run, calling out that the |
train was held up.
They're at the express car" he |
warned. sit still, everybody You T
amt do any good"
= IL all seemed frightfully ordinary |
and commonplace. There were no |
dramatic heroics, no screams. Jess |
heard him tell somebody that they had |
shot the express messenger and tried |
to get the engineer, too. Then there /
cam into the car TWO men, both armed |
with revolvers.
Hands up and shut up and nobodyll |
be hurt" said one tersely. The
other started Systematically to search,
but in a new way. He passed by offer
ed watches and bill books and ordered
suitcases opened. Over each one he
leaned and took a quick inventory of
contents as if it had been a sustoms
officer. At Jess seat he reached for
her suitcase and saw the girl had
TAINTED. Her pretty head lay back on
the roll top of the seat, white and /
d9ath-like, and it checked him. He
glanced at the suitcase, back at her
face, and passed on. Under her skirts
rested the leather satchel unobserved.
When she came 20 someone was |.
bathing her face in cold water and
talking to her cheerily, anxiously. 1t
was the man across the aisle
''Plucky? Well, rather. That's bet
ger, It's all right now. We're on our
way and the gang didn't get what it
wanted after all, he leaned nearer;