Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-04
ACHARMINC LOVE STORY
BIASED ON THE BEST PLAY SINCE SECRET SERVICE
INSIDE THE LINES
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almost deserted, they went. A
guards whistle shrilled. The stranger
tucked helping hand under Jane Ger
sons arm to steady her in the sharp
sprint down long aisle between
tracks to where the Paris train stood
It began to move before they had
reached its midlength. A guard
threw open carriage door, in they
hoped, and with a rattle Of chains
and banging of buffers the Express
du Nord was off on its arrow flight
from Calais to the capital.
The carriage. which was of the sec
ond class was comfortably filed.
Miss Gerson stumbled over the feet
of a puffy Fleming nearest the door,
was launched into the lap Of COM
Portable upholstered widow on the
opposite seat, ricochetted back to jam
an elbow into a French gentleman's
spread newspaper, and finally was
catapulted into vacant space next
to the window on the CARRIAGES far
side. She giggled, tucked the skirts
of her pearl.gray buster about her,
righted the chic sailor hat on her
chestnut.brown head, and patted a
stray wisp of hair back into place.
Her meteor fight into and through the
carriage disturbed her not whit.
As for the Samaritan, he stood I'M
certainly In the narrow CROSS aisle,
swaying to the swing Of the carriage
and accommodating seating possibili
ties. There was place, a very mar
row one, next to the fat Fleming; also
there was vacant place next to Jane
Gerson The Samaritan caught the
girls glance In his indecision, read in
lit something frankly comradely, and
chose the seat beside her.
Every good OF you, I'm sure" he
murmured. II did not wish to pre-
sumo"
you're not" the girl assured, and
there was something SO fresh, so In.
genuous, in the tone and the level
glance of her brown eyes that the
Samaritan felt at once distinctly sat
isfied with the cast Of fortune that
had thrown him in the way Of q dis
tressed traveller He sat down with a
lifting of the checkered Alpine hat
he wore and a stiff little bow from
the waist.
IF may, Miss Gerson-I am Cap
tain Woodhouse Of the signal SER
vice."
"Oh!" The girl let slip little gasp
the need Of admiration the femin-
inc heart always pays to shoulder
straps. "Signal service; that means
the army?"
Ellis majesty's service. yes, Miss
Gerson."
"You are. Of course, OF duty?" she
suggested, with the faintest possible
tinge OF regret at the absence of the
stripes and buttons that spell sol
der" with the woman.
"You might say 80, Miss Gerson.
Egypt-the Nile country is my sta
ton. I am on my way back there
after bit Of vacation at home-Lon-
don, mean, OF course"
She stole quick side glance at the
face of her companion. A soldiers
face 1t was, lean and school-hardened
and competent. Lines about the eyes
and mouth-the stamp of the sun and
the imprint OF the/habi to command
had taken from Captain Wood
houses features something of fresh
ness and youth, though giving in re-
turn the index of inflexible will and
lust for achievement. His smooth
lips were a bit thin. Jane Gerson
thought, and the out-shooting chin. al
most squared at the angles, marked
Captain Woodhouse as anything but a
trifer or flirt. She was satisfied
that nothing Of presumption or for
wardness on the part of this hard
nodded chap from Egypt would give
her cause to regret her unconvention-
al offer of friendship.
Captain Woodhouse, in his turn, had
made satisfying, though covert, ap-
praisal of his travelling companion by
means of narrow mirror. inset above
the baggage hack over the opposite
seat. Trim and petite figure, which
was just a shade under the average
for height and plumpness; small
head set sturdily on q round smooth