The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-16

SSL euade vi LuOShelJ ~ Lac AI0AhGA
and waved a-tolerant hand to Barcus.
"He has, no doubt" Alan inquired,
"his own private cell aboard this carr"
''Yas, suh!" Barcus agreed, aping
well the manner of his apparent caste
and color. "Ain't dat de troot?"
take him away, them" Alan re-
quested wearily-"if you please"
"Yas, subj" Barcus replied, with
nimble alacrity selling the back of the
wheeled chair and swinging 1t round
for spin up the length of the car.
Before Urine had recovered enough
to curse him properly, the door to his
drawing room was closed and Barcus
was amblIng back down the aisle.
His grin OF relish at this turning of
the tables on the monomaniac proved,
however, short-lived. 1t erased itself
In a twtnkling when Judith shouldered
roughly past him, wearing sullen
and forb1dding countenance, and flung
herself into the drawing room with
her father.
The cause Of her temper was not
far to seek: at the far end Of the car
Alan was bending solcitously over the
chair in which Rose was resting. One
of his arms was around her shoulder.
Her face was lifted confidently to his.
Barcus unused morosely on his ap-
prehension Of trouble a-brew, simmer
ing over the waxing fire Of that strange
woman's jealousy. He didn't like the
prospect at all. II only Alan and Rose
hadn't been SO desperately in love
that they couldn't keep away from one
another! II only Alan had been SEN
sible enough to outwit the woman and
leave her behind when he started in
pursuit of the special! II only there
had not been that light engine in pur-
suit-as Barcus firmly believed 1t must
be-loaded to the guards with Trine's
INSCRIPTIONS hirelings!
No telling when they might catch
up!
The fear Of this last catastrophe
worked together with his fears of Ju.
dith to render that night sleeplesa
one for Barcus. He spent it in a chair
whence he could watch both the door
to the compartment Judith had chosen
for her own (formerly Marrophat's
quarters) and the endless ribbons of
steel that swept beneath the tracks.
But nothing happened. He mapped
uneasily from time to time. waking
with a start Of fright but always to
find nothing aniss, Ever ;, Judith
stopped behind that closed door, and
ever the track behind was innocent of
the glare of pursuing headlight.
Nor did anything untoward mark the
progress OF the morning-unless, in.
deed, Judith's protracted sessions
with her father behind the closed
door of the drawing room were to be
counted ominous.
Ever since lunch.time the girl had
been closeted with her father; Barcus
had been getting some well-earned and
sorely-needed rest in his quarters;
Alan standing his watch on the obser
walton platform, in company with
Rose; and the train booming along
through an uncouth wilderness of arid
mountains, barren mesas, and sun
smitten fats given over to the desolate
genius Of sagebrush.
Whatever had been the tenor of the
communication between father and
daughter, Judith eventually emerged
from the drawing room in IN ominous
temper. Barcus, coming drowsiiy
away from his compartment at the
same time. was Jared wide awake by
sight of the foreboding countenance
she wore; and after q moment of doubt
followed her back to the lounge at the
rear of the car.
He got there in time to see her at
rigid standstill, staring steadfastly at
the two figures SO close together on
the observation platform. But on
his appearance Judith shook herself
together snatched up magazine, and
plunged wrathfully into an easy chair,
burying her nose between the pages OF
the publication with every indication
of deep interest In its text.
Mr.. Barcus, however, had learned
the lesson of bitter experience to the
effect that the outward bearing Of
Miss Judith Urine was no sure index
to her inward humor--unless, that is,
it might be taken to Indicate the d.
rect contrary of its semblance;
though even this was no reliable rule.
Reminding himself of this, he there
fore invented morbid interest in an
other maga2ine-round the edge of
which he kept q wary eye upon the
young woman.
For all her evaporation, Judith con-
tanned herself longer than might have
been expected. Her continued show
of placidity, indeed, lulled Barcus into
a$dangerous feeling of security. Per-
,suaded that she meant TO behave, he
gradually ceased to watch her as mar
rowly as at first, and lost himself in a /,
morose reverle whose subject was the
seemingly permanent mourning into
which he had plunged his face and
hands for the purposes Of his mas.
querade-staining them, shade Of
ebony upon which soap and water and
scrubbing had no effect whatever. And
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