The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-05-22
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER 1.
Slowly the train rumbled out OF the
station, gathering speed with every
moment, and leaving behind the friend
" faces on the platform.
The girl who had Just entered the
car looked about her in dismay at the
rough looking crowd by whom she was
surrounded. It was the last long
stretch of her journey now, out on the
plains and across the desert, and the
porter of the sleeper had refused to
let her enter the Pullman coach with.
out a Pullman ticket. OF course it
would be all right when the conductor
came but-suppose her brother-inlaw
had forgotten to telegraph for the res
ervation and she should have to spend
the night in this car?
She slipped into the only vacant seat
and sat %anxiously awaiting the coming
Of the conductor, who was not any
where in sight.
For the most part the people about
her were rough, stolid looking men,
with hard brown faces. Here and there
a woman was huddled YEARLY into a
corner of the seal trying t. sleep.
They were commonplace folk, nearly
all of them, and their very ordinari-
ness brought her some measure Of as
surance, yet she %shuddered at the
thought of spending her night huddled
into a seat, like the other women,
with all those men about, free TO gaze
on her as she slept.
She glanced across the aisle where
the seat was turned over and two men
faced each other, an old man and a
young one. The old man sat Just
across from her, his coarse stubbly
face turned boldly toward her. He
had crafty little eye5 that intr,sdAd
with heir merest glance, windows out
OF which Coarseness, Hate, Cruelty
and Fear alike might look; a sensual,
loose hung mouth, and a whole repul-
sive atmosphere OF cunning that made
his face seem utterly evil. Insensibly
she shrank farther away and looked
hurriedly about to see if perchance
there might not after all be another
vacant seat where she could be entire
ly out of his range. Then her eyes
suddenly met the yes of his compan
ion WHO faced her, the young man in
the turned ove seat, and she won
dered how she could have failed to no.
tice him at once. There was some
thing about his face perhaps it was
the splendid gray yes that were look
ing at her so keenly and respectfully,
or was it the firm chin and almost
stern set of the beautiful lines of lip
and brow-that gave her confidence in
him at once For there was n strength
and beauty in his face such as one
seldom sees blended in a man, which
marked him at once as being different
from others. There was nothing weak
nor womanish about him in spite OF
the perfect modelling Of his features
and the clear coloriug OF his skin. The
fine golden brown hair that rippled
back from his forehead IKE a hale
gave the impression of curling out OF
perverseness rather than from the
owners wish.
He was tall and lean and wiry, yei
giving the idea Of great strength and
fine training. If it had not been foi
oil dDhOi llidi 6ldsity II IhS ''Co
about his mouth she would have
judged him to be a mere boy, yet there
was an air of maturity about him that
puzzled her. But his gray eyes met
hers kindly, Understandings, as if he
knew exactly what she was thinking
all her anxiety--and would let hel
know that she was safe, that he would
see that she was safe! 1t was with al
almost startled feeling that she me
his eyes a second time as if to be sure
she had not been mistaken, and ther
settled back into her seat. somehow
comforted, assured; as il he hat
spoken to her and told her not to fear
1t was really as il something hat
looked out Of their two souls and az
knowledged a sort OF mute introduc
ton. And yet he had not been obtru
sive. and almost Immediately his eyet
had been withdrawn from her face a!
II he would not intrude. He was loo
ing now at the dreadful old man, re
buking him for his interest in her j
would seem, rebuking most effectuall.
yet without a word, for the old MAJ
wriggled around uneasily In his sea
and turned his eyes away to look GU
of the window, the hate In his face
getting the uppermogt as he cast a fur
tive, fearsome glance at the younge'
ran and then turned back to the win
dow.
They were a curious pair; the young
err man had the air OF being the keepe
OF the older one. The girl Wondere'
how they came to he travelling togeth
or. they seemed. 80 absolutely alien t.
each other. II was obvious that tn
young mar had some power e tn
other, and this fact gave the girl con-