The Washington herald., 1921-03-06
AN o. HENRY STORY BEST SELLER

| plate-glass business 60 to smash
for while.
"She changed cars at Cincinnati,
and took q sleeper to Louisville over
the L. and N. There she bought an
other ticket, and went on through
Shelbyvilie. Frankfort and Lexing-
ton. Along there began to have q
hard time keeping up with her. The
trains .came along when they pleased
and didn't seem to be going any
where in particular. except to keep
on the track and the right Of way
as much as possible. Then they be-
gan to stop at functions insteads of
towns. and at last they stopped al
together. I'll bet Pinkerton would
outbid the plate glass people for my
services any time IL they knew how
lady. contrived to keep out of her
sight-as much as could, but I never
lost track Of her.
The last station she got on :. at
was away down in Virginia. about
six in the afternoon. There were
about fifty houses and 400 niggers In
sight. The rest was red mud. mules
and speckled hounds.
"A tall old man, with a smooth
face and white hair. looking as
proud as Julius Caesar and Roscoe
Conkling on the same postcard. was
there to meet her. His clothes were
frazzled. but I didn't notice that till
later. He took her little satchel,
and they started over the plank
walks and went up q road along the
hill. 1 kept along a piece behind
'em, trying to look like / was hunt
ing a garnet ring in the sand that
my sister had lost at a picnic the
previous Saturday.
They went In a gate on top of
the hill. 1t nearly took my breath
away when looked up. Up there
In the biggest grove I ever saw was
tremendous house with round
white pillars about a thousand fess
high, and the yard was SO full of
rose-bushes and boxbushes and
lilacs that you couldn't have seen
the house IL Il hadn't been as big
as the Capitol at Washington.
Here's where / have to TRAIL
says I to myself. / thought before
that she seemed to be in moderate
circumstances, at least. This must
be the governors mansion, or the
Agricultural Building of a new
Worlds Fair. anyhow. I'd better go
back to the village and get posted
by the postmaster. or drug the drug
gist for some information.
In the village I found. a pine
hotel called the Bay View House.
The only excuse for the name was
a bay horse grazing in the front
yard. I set my sample-case down,
and tried to be ostensible. 1 told
the landlord I was taking orders
for plate-glass.
Il don't want no plates says he,
but 1 do need another glass mo-
lasses-pitcher.'
"By-ahd-by I got him down to
local gossip and answering ques-
tions.
why says he 7 thought every
body knowed who lived in the bis
white house on the hill. It's Col
Allyn, tn biggest man and the finest
quality in Virginia, or anywhere
else. They're the oldest family IN
the State. That was his daughter
that got of the train. She's been
up to Illinois to see her aunt. who is
sick
the third day ] caught the young
tooy inc
down next to the paling fence. !
stopped and raised my hat-there
wasn't any other way.
Excuse me- says /. can you tell
me where Mr.. Hinkle lives?'
She looks at me as cool as IL ]
was the man come to see about the
wedding of the garden, but ]
thought I saw just a slight twinkle
of fun in her eyes.
No one of that name lives in
Birchton,' says she. That is,' she
goes on, as far as I know. Is the
gentleman you are seeking white :?
We'll. that tickled me. No kid
ding says 1. Tn not looking for
smoke, even IL I do come from
Pittsburgh
"'You are quite a distance from
home says she.
I'D have gone a thousand miles
farther says I.
mot il you hadn't walked UP
when the train started in Shelby
ville.' says she; and then she turned
almost as red as one of the roses
on the bushes in the yard. I re-
membered I had dropped of to sleep