The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-05-13

ished looks of the eonvulsed passen-
gers. Ii seemed incredible to her
that an inanimate object could ex-
press such insolence.
As she reached to pick it up, a gen.
tleman sitting opposite who had been
apparently absorbed in the morning
the offending edible, deftly rolled it
in its scanty wrapping and handed it
paper, sprang forward, snatched up
to her with a profound bow. Not a
culver of an eyelash betrayed his
amusement.
She took it in naughty silence,
with bare inclination Of her head
in acknowledgment of the courtesy.
A goodnatured but sympathetic
smile flickered around the car. She
flushed crimson, but smiled back.
This wretched picket" she
laughed in spite of her embarrass-
ment. You see," she began to ex-
plain, and then checked herself. She
had suddenly become aware by an
infallible feminine instinct that the
immaculate and shiny black shoul-
ders of the aristocratic Mrs. Van
Houten had stiffened into rigid lines,
and that the head surmounting them
was poised at an angle that no longer
brought her discomfited neighbor
within the range of her vision. Then,
too, as gauzy handkerchief was
raised languidly to the averted face
Margery caught glimpse in one
corner of an elabortely embroidered
family crest.
Her lips closed tightly. There
should be no explanations from her
She settled back in her seat and chung
in grim silence to her pickle, at the
same time glancing across resentfully
at the man behind the paper.
He was deeply engrossed in his
reading, and showed no further in
terest in either pickle or passenger.
Margery was strangely silent the
rest of the way, answering the per-
functory remarks of her neighbor
with grudging monosyllables. When
she left the car, eager to escape the
scene of her humiliation, she shot a
quick, backward glance at the man
behind the paper.
A hurried walk of three blocks
brought her to a small cottage whose
shabbiness was softened and all but
concealed behind a tangle of climb
ing vines and roses. AS she was
about to knock she discovered to her
dismay that the precious pickle was
missing. She searched for it with
desperate eagerness among her par
GELS, but it had quite disappeared.
After all the humiliation it had cost
her to think that the perverse green
thing had escaped at lastt She began
to think it had life and deliberate in
tent to annoy and mortify her. With
an angry exclamation she looked
about wondering what she should do.
As she turned, a startled cry broke
from her, for there HE stood-the
man behind the paper-mutely hold
ing out to her, like a green olive
branch, the lost offender She only
stared. They looked at each other
in silence, her sensitive face betray-
ing all sorts of emotions, he with a
faint suspicion of smile lurking in
his eyes.
"Oh, Bob" she cried. where
how-why?" and she burst into a
ringing laugh in which he finally
Joined.
Where did you find it?" she de-
manded, pointing tragically at the er-
ratio object
Bob shook his head solemnly, but
said nothing.
why don't you speak," she urged
with guilty look.
May II" he aswed with twinkle
that contradicted his meekness.
'Of course, you foolish fellow! II
was mean of you not to recognize me
ON the ear" and a suspicion OF a
pout began to hang about her lips. II
was quickly dissipated, though, when
she looked up at him and said with
bewitching sweetness: I'm sorry
was so silly and unreasonable this
morning, Bob"
He placed a silencing finger ovei
her lips.
Il was a brute, dear, for laughins
at you,' and he caught up her hant
and kissed it eagerly.
You haven't told me where yov
found the pickle she reminded hin
after they had read forgiveness ii
each others eyes.
why, just where you dropped i
L ,Ff FrJl -