University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-22

midst of nothing, as who should say
"You came down to see the South,
didn't you? Well, look about YOU"
The Palm Beach Special on which
Mr. Minot rode was no exception to
this rule 1t entered Florida and a
state of innocuous desuetude at one
and the same time After a tremen-
dous struggle, it gasped its way into
Jacksonville about nine o'clock of the
Monday morning following. Reluc-
tant as Romeo in his famous exit from
Juliet's boudoir, it got out of Jack
sOnville an hour later. And San
Marco was just two hours away, ac-
cOrding to that excellent book of light
fiction so widely read in the South
the timetable.
1t seemed to Dick Minot that he had
been looking out Of a car window for
couple of eternities. Save for the
diversion at Jacksonville, nothing had
happened to brighten that long and
wearisome journey. He wanted, now,
to glance across the car aisle toward
the diversion at Jacksonville. Yet il
hardly seemed polite-so soon.
Wherefore he continued to gaze out
at them notOnous landscape.
For half a mile the train served its
masters. Then, with a pathetic groan.
it paused. Still Mr.. Minot gazed out
the window. He gazed so long that
he saw a family of razor-backs,
passed a quarter of mile back, catch
up with the train and trot scOrn-
fully by. After that he kept his eyes
on the live oaks and evergreens, to
whose topmost branches hung gray
moss like whiskers on western sena-
tor.
Then he could stand it no longer.
He turned and looked upon the di-
version at Jacksonville. Gentlemen
of the jury-she was beautiful. The
custodian Of library of books on So
ciology could have seen that with half
an astigmatic eye. Her copper-col-
ored hair flashed alluringly in that
sunny car; the curve OF her cheek
would have created a sensation in the
neighborhoOd where burning Sappho
loved and sang. Dick Ainots heart
beat faster, repeating the perform
ance it had staged when she boarded
the train at Jacksonville.
Beautiful. yes-but she fidgeted. She
had fidgeted madly in the station at
Jacksonville during that hours wait:
now even more madly she bounced
about on that plush seat. She opened
and shut magazines, she Strengthened
her pleasant little hat, she gazed in
agony out the window. Beauty such
as hers should have been framed in
serene and naughty dignity Hers
happened to be framed in a frenzy o.
fidget.
In its infinite wisdom, the train
saw fit to start again. With a sign
of relief, the girl sank back upon her
seat of torture. Mr.. Minot turned
again to the uneventful landscape.
More yellow sand. more bearded oaks
and evergreens. And in a moment.
the family of raZor-backs, plOdding
along beside the track with a deter
mined demeanor that said as plainly
as words: you may go ahead-but
we shall see what We shall see"
Excellent train, it seemed fairly to
fly. For a little while. Then another
stop. Beauty wildly anxious on the
seat of ancient plush. Another start |
"a stop-and a worried but musical |
voice in Dick Minot's ear:
81 beg your pardon-but what
should you say are this trains
chances for reaching San Marco by
one o'cl ,ok?'
Minot turned Brown eyes and |
troubled ones looked into his. A
dimple twitched beside an adorable
mouth. Fortunate Florida, peoEled
with girls like this.
81 should say" smiled Mr.. Minot.
"about the same as those of thu Ia
nous little SNOWFALL that strayed far