The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-12-13

49,
In kindly sympathy an entire car of
strangers.
"By JoyeI that was great thing to
do,v sud Tom enthusiastically, when
the tension Of an absorbing interest
had subsidized little.
tYes, never saw It's equal" replied
John. After moments hesitation he
added n should like to know that
girl DO you suppose we could find
out who she is3v
eve can try" his friend replied;
''but why DO You want to know2'
EVEN, / do,1 John answered cartly.
Tom glanced qu!z2ically at him and
smiled to himself. This was another
phase Of John he was just getting ac-
quainted with. When the car reached
The railway station where John and
Tom were going to take train for
Toms suburban home. the two women
also left the car. They went straight
To the ticket window. Tom took out
his Communication book and passed 1t
to John.
''You follow them and win join
YOU" he whispered the spirit of mis-
chief and adventure now possessing
him. Having bought their tickets, the
women turned from the window and
hurried to the train. There In the
same car Tom found them all.
Well, II this isn't luck" he ex-
claimed, as soon as he was seated.
Aud then. with the air Of boy burst
ing with news, he said: "They are
going to D.
Eyes, I know IT. Harding replied.
But as he youched no information and
did not seem inclined to talk, Tom
took refuge In his paper and prompt
~ forgot the whole affair, until he
was abruptly called back by:
"Tom, l cannot tell you when q
thing so impressed me as that did,
as II there could be but one that"
"That?v asked Tom, little puzzled.
Then, 'Oh, thought you did not be-
lieve in that kind OF charity-sympa
thetic and sentimental, think you
called It," he teasingly reminded him,
remembering the crisp bill John had
dropped In the tambourine.
ooh, that is altogether different"
John answered, half defiantly.
Eyes, different because a pretty girl
made this appeal, an old man the
other.s laughed Tom. "But, tell me,
how do you adjust your acts to the.
ories?"
ooh, theories, the dickensi What
are they ever compared to acts? And
that act this afternoon was spon-
taneous expression of the true Christ.
mas spirit, from which springs the de.
sire to hsdp, to bring some joy to o
lot of poor unfortunates, because it's
Christmas you know he quoted
4 softly. at was the real thing, and
4 everybody III the car felt It."
And having as 1t were, justified his
I position and interest he looked across
at the unconscious subject Of their re.
marks. Truly she was good to look at,
| though at present all he could see was
the well-cut profile and the glorious
copperish-brown hair turning to dull
| gold where the western sun struck It,,
and eyes, that with her mood, he knew
varied from hazel to brown. A VERT
able gem Of girl he thought, as she
began adjusting her furs. With an
intuitive feeling of understanding her
he turned to Tom.
"Don't mention the affair to anyone,
not even Mary, for 1t would not please
her, am sure" he added, as the train
! pulled up at D
The station was small and John had
| just finished greeting Mrs. Danvers,
when Billy Grants deep voice broke
in: "Hello, Harding; glad to see you,n
as they shook hands.
Grant, an old friend of both Harding
and Danvers, also lived in D..
Now, want you to meet our
/ friends, for its cold and / want to get
\ home.n
While Tom and John were bowling
4 in acknowledgment to "Mrs. North
\ and Miss North their host chatted on
I about it's being "too bad they couldn't
4 have met at the other end of the line,
as long as they happened to be on the
same train"
Nancy North threw quick glance
at Harding, but otherwise no outward
sign was given, as he walked with her
70 the car, that they had ever seen one
another before or that the same
thought was In the minds of both, but
John was so strangely elated that Miss
North's color deepened each time she
looked up and met his smiling eyes.
'Now, don't you fellows keep our
bridge waiting tonight" called Grant
as he gave the signal to start.
'I'll guarantee our arrival on time,
Grant" answered John, well satisfied
with the arrangement, whether it was
chance or fate. for somewhere within
him something was thrillingly alert
tantalizingly expectant. confidently
hopeful and the feeling Of the after
noon that had expressed itself N
cynicism and manifested itself in lone
liness was gone.
/ At the wedding reception OF John
Harding and Nancy North, six months