Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-25

UUuIcu NtE11 Nuillun stuICell u De
described as beautiful. yet undenlably
attractive, obviously Il daughter of the
well to DO, one of that American type
which f1ourishes in families to which
American politicians unetuously refer
as the bach bone Of the nation out
wardly, gazing riverward through the
dusty pane, she bore herself with ut
most serenity. lnwardly she was fun
Of misgivings.
All of which Is merely by way Of
stating that Miss Estella Benton was
young woman who had grown up
quite complacantly in that station OF
life in which, to quote the Philistines.
1t had pleased God to place her and
that chance had somehow. tos her as
tonished dismay, contrived to thrust 4
spoke in the smooth rolling wheels of
destiny. Or was it destiny! she had
begun to think about that, to wonder
II a lot that she had taken for granted
as m ordered state of Thugs was
not, after all, wholly dependent upon
chance. She had danced and sung aud
played light heartedly, accepting Ger.
tain standard Of living, a certain posi-.
ton in certain set, pleasantly or
Gered home life, as her birthright, a
natural heritage.
Just so. But broken steering
knuckle On heavy touring car set
things In different light. many things.
She learned then that death is no re-
specter of persons; that big. income
may be lived to its limit with nothing
left when the brain force which com
manded it ceases to function. Her IA
ther produced perhaps fifteen to TWEEN
ty thousand dollars year i'll his broker
age business, and he had saved moth
ing. Thus ut one stroke She was put
on an equal footing with the stenog-
rapher in her fathers office. Scarcely
equal either, for the stenographer earn
ed her bread and was technically equip
ped for the task, whereas Estella Ben
ton had no training whatsoever except
in social usage. She did not yet fully
realize just what had overtaken her.
Things had happened so swiftly, 50
ruthlessly, that she still yerged upon
the incredulous. Habit clung fast. But
she had begun to think, to try and es-
tch'iHh some working relation between
herself and things as she found them.
She had discovered already that GER
tain theories Of human relations are
not soundly established in fact.
She turned at last In her seat. The
Limted's whistle had shrilled for a
stop. At the next stop-she wondered
what lay In store for her just beyond
| the next stop. While she dwelt men
tally upon this her hands were gather
/ ing up some few odds and ends Of her
belongings on the berth.
Across the aisle large. smooth faced
young man watched her with covert
admiration. When she had settled
back with bag and suit case locked
and strapped on the opposite seat and
was hated and eloved he leaned over
and addressed her geniully:
Getting off at Hopyard? Happen to
be going out to Roaring Springs!'
Miss Benton's gray eyes rested i'm
personally on the top Of his head, tray
elcd slowly down over the trim front OF
his blue serge to the polished tan OK
fords on his feet, and there was not IL
eyes or on countenance the slightest
sign that she saw or heard him. The
large young man flushed a vivid red.
Miss Benton was partly amused, part
" provoked The large young man had
been her vis-a-vis at dinner the day be
fore and ut breakfast that morning
He had evlnced a yearning for CONVEX
satlon each time but 1t had been dip
lomatically confined to salt and othel
condiments, the weather and the seen
cry. Miss Benton had no objection t,
young men In general, quite the con
trary. but she did not consider 1t quite
the thing to countenance every amiabl'
stranger.
Within few minutes the porte
came for her things, and the blast o
the Lmteds whistle warned her tina
It was time to leave the train. Tel
minutes later the limited was n van
ishing object down an aisle slashe'
through forest Of great trees. ant
Miss Estella Benton stood on the PLAN