The evening world., 1915-01-18

and the men OF both train crews were
at work trying to get the disabled car
back upon the steel and the track
blocking train out OF tho flyers way
since such problems were acutely in
his line. Ballard thought OF offering
to help: but there seemed to be no
special need, and ne sat down on tho
edge Of the ditch cutting to look on.
The night was picture fine. starlit.
and with the silent Wilderness OF the
great upland plain to give It I'm
monsity. The wind, which for the
first hundred miles Of tho westward
flight had whistlcd shrilly In the car
ventilators. was now lulled to q
whispering zephyr. punGent with the
subtitle soil essence OF the grass land
spring
Ballard found IA cigar and smoked
1t absently. His eyes followed tho
totlings Of the train crews prying and
heaving under tho derailed car, with
tho yellow torch flares TO pick them
out; but his thoughts were far afield.
with his dinner-t table companion to
beckon them.
Companion" was tho word which
fitted her better than any other. Bal
lard had found few men. and still
fewer women, completely companion
able. Some one has said that COM
radeship In the test OF affinity; and
tho Kentuckian remembered with
thrillings OF delight summer fort
night spent at tho Herbert Lassleys'
cottage on the North Shore. with Miss
Craigmiles az one OF his fellow guests.
Margaret I.assley had been good
to him, holding the rsins Of chaper-
onage lightly. There had been sunny
afternoons on the breezy headlands.
and blood-qulckening mornings in
Captain Tinkham's schooner rugged
whale-boat. when tho white horses
were racing across the outer reef and
tho water WAS too rough to tempt the
other members OF the house party.
lia had monOpOlized her crudely
during those two weeks, glorying In
her beauty. In her bright mind. in
her purely physical fitness uniting
the strength and the suppleness OF a
silken cord.
lilo remembered how sturdily their
comradeship had grown in the two
uninterrupted weeks. He had told
her all there was 10 tell about him
self. and In return sho had alternate
Iy mockod him and pretended 20 con-
fide In him: the condolences touching
such sentimental passages as the
devotion OF tho Toms. the Dicks, and
tho Harrys OF her college years.
Since ne had sometimes wished to
be sentimental on his own account,
Ballard had been little restive un-
der these frivolous appeals for sym
pathy. But there IN certain tonic
for growing love even In such bucket
ings OF cold water as the loved ono
may administer In telling the tale Of
the predecessor.
II liz II cold heart, masculine, that
will not be warmed by anything short
OF the ice OF Indifference; and what
ever her faults, Miss Elsa was never
indifferent.
Ballard roCollected how he had
groaned under the testing condolences.
Also. he remembered that he had
never dared TO repel them. choosing
rather to clasp the thorns than to re-
linquish the rose.
From the sentimental Journey past
10 the present stage OF the same was
but IL step: but the present situation
was rather perplexingly befoggei
Why had Elisa Craigmiles changed her
mind 80 suddenly about spending the
summer In Europe? What could have
induced her to substitute n summer
IN Colorado, travelling under Mrs
Van Bryck's wing?
Tho answer To these querylngs
summed Itself up. for the kentuckian,
In u name-the name OF "A man and a
playwright. Ho held Mr.. Lester
Wingfield responsible for the chang
plans, and was irritably resontful.
In the after-dinner visit with tho
sightseeing party in the Pullman
there had been straws to indicate the
set OF the wind, Elsa deferred TO
Wingfeld. as the other women did;
only In her case Ballard was sure II
meant more. And the playwright. be-
oracle, assumed q quiet air Of pro-