The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-09-25

went away. shaking his head and look
ing at the tickets. as much as to say
that an American is never satisfied
not even with the best.
Brock lowered window seat in the
passage and sat down. staring blankly
and blackly out into the whzzing
night The predicament had come upon
him so suddenly that he had not until
now found the opportunity to analyze
It in its entirety. The worst that could
come of it, OF course. was the poor com
fort of night in chair. He knew
that 1t was train Of sleeping coaches
All! He suddenly remembered the lug
gage van. As last resort he might
find lodging among the trunks
And then. too. there was something
irritating in the suspicion that she had
laughed as If it were huge joke. Per
haps even now she was doubled up In
her narrow couch sitting the giggle
that would not be suppressed.
When the garde came back with
the lugubrious information that moth
ing. positively nothing, was to be had
it is painful to record that Brock swore
in a manner which won the deepest re
spect Of the trainman
AT O'Clock in the morning. m'Sieur
an old gentleman and his wife will get
out at Strassburg. their destination.
They are in this carriage. and you may
take their compartment If m'sieur will
not object to sleeping in room just
vacated by two mourners who today
buried beloved son In Paris. They
have kept all Of the flowers in their
-Four O'Clock. Good Lord. what am
l to do till them" groaned Brock. glar-
ing with unmanly hatred at the door
Of the MedcrOft compartment.
Perhaps madame may be willing to
take the upper ventured the guard
timOrOusly. but Brock checked him
with peremptory gesture. He pro-
posed. instead. the luggage van. where
upon the garde burst into a psalm Of
| utter detection. 1t was against the
rules, irrevocably.
Then guess I'll have to sit here all
night" said Brock family. He was
| forgetting his English.
IF m'sieur will not occupy his own
bed. yes" said the guard. struggling
his shoulders and washing his hands
Of the whole incomprehensible affair.
"M'sieur will then be up to receive the
customs officers at the frontier. Per-
haps he will give me the keys to ma
danes trunks so that she may not be
disturbed
ASK her for 'em yourself" growled
Brock. after one dazed moment of dis
| may
The hours crawled slowly by. He
paced the length Of the wriggling cor
he sat on every window seat In the
carriage: he nodded and dOzed and
grOaned and laughed at himself in the
deepest derision all through the dismal
| night Daylight came at 4. He saw
| the sun rise for the first time in his
life. He neither enjoyed nor appre
ciated the novelty. Never had he wit
messed anything 50 mournfuIly depress.
ing as the first gray tints that crept up
to mock him in his vigil. Never had
be seen anything so CHASTITY as the soft
red glow that suffused the morning
sky.
iii sleep all day il l ever get into
that id bed" be said to himself. bit
terry wistful.
The customs officers had eyed him sus
piciOusly at the border. They had evi
IDENTITY been told of his strange mad
ness in refusing to occupy the berth
be had paid for. Their examination OF
! his effects was more thorough than
| usual 1t may have entered their heads
| that he was standing guard over the
repOse Of u fair accomplice. They ask
ed so many embarrassing and discon
| certing questions that he was devoutly
relieved when they passed on. still sus
piciOus. siHtg
The train was late. and at 5 o'clock
he was desperately combating an i'm.
pulse to leave it at Strassburg. find
lodging in hotel and then. refreshed.
oct Jul lOt lLOuuOu W nave IL OUT VIII
the malevolent Medcroft The disem-
barking of the venerable mOurners.
however. restored him to a degree Of
his peace of mind After all. he re-
| viewed. 1t would be cOwardly and base
to desert trusting wife He pictured
her as asleep and securely confident in
his stanchness No. be would have it
out with Medcroft at some later day
He was cOngratuIating himself on
the acquisition Of bed-although it
might possess the odor Of a bed Of
tuberOses when all of his pleasant
calculations We're upset by the appear
| ance of German burgher and his
family 1t was then that he learned
that these people had booked lie COM
parchment from Strasshlrg to Mu-
Mich
To be Continued