Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-08-19
Rv ROBERT nCHENs

L " S1RANUE KS yin "A
TRAIN JOURNEY, HOLDS
AN EERIE OMEN.
1t was winter on that Monday
morning when Lady Gleadon, who
had been staying, with house
party, at Arlington Castle, got
into the train at Arlington station
to return to London.
She had an eight-hOur journey
before her, but fortunately there
was a through carriage to EustOn,
we'll warmed, and there would be
luncheon and tea car, and she
had a couple of books to keep her
mind busy on the way.
So she confronted the prospect
of the Journey with equanimity, in
deed even with a certain relief. For
/ though Lord and Lady Arlington were
hoSpftable and pleasant people their
guests had been rather too clever. 1t
would be a relief to have eight hours
alone in a comfortable first class car
rage, to see the snoW-covered land
scape slipping by, to be able to dream,
If one wanted to, to be freed from
the obligation OF being up TO the mark
And. wrapped up in furs, she
stepped into a first class carriage ana
found one person, a man, IN II.
He looked no more than &c. although
he was almost totally bald. She could
see that, because his hat was up IN
the rack, placed on the top Of his
folded dark overcoat. He was tall, thin
and neither very dark nor very fair.
obviously, he belonged to what Lady
fkaNInf1f ~
She saw that at once. Yet she didn't
know him. had never seen him before.
He was clean shaven and his face,
though young enough, showed some
lines. It was, she thought at a first
glance, clever face and not unsym-
He was dressed just as he ought
to be dressed entirely without osten-
tation yet with everything entirely
right OF course she didn't quite know
everybody, but she knew so many
people that she wondered why she
didn't know him. He was reading a
rather slim book with a bright green
Jacket, some of 1t in large lettering,
some in small. He looked up at her
as she came into the carriage, and
she had the absurd impression that he
was rather surprised not to know her.
TWO surprises akin to each other.
She sat down, not on his side of the
carriage, but on the opposite side. He
had his back to the way they were
and probably had a good digestion.
And the express train slipped out of
Arlington Junction on its way south
south through the snow.
After looking out of the window for
a few. minutes Lady Gleadon opened
one of her books. 1t was "Pepita," by
Vita Sackville- West, which had been
recently published Lady Gleadon had
already got through half of 1t, and
was now about to begin the second
half, which dealt with Pepitas daugh-
ter, the original and delightful Lady
Sackville, who had been the author
ess' mother.
She found the book enhancing, and
it specially interested her because, al
though fairly young-She was 37-she
had known Lady Sackville and delight
ed in her originality, unexpectedness,
and impotence to be at any moment
anything but her extraordinary self.
And now, as she read, she thought how
few of us are just simply and openly
our real selves, without reserve, with
out pretenSe, without conscious
ness. 1t needs almost genius to be al
ways definitely in character.
AS she thought this she glanced up
and found the bald young mans eyes
and had a lot of light in them. They
were the sort of eyes that, when they
look at you, seem to be searching Tor
Lady Gleadon felt this now, but not
unpleaSantly, and she laid down her
book This was really a silent invita-
ton to the bald man to speak and
he accepted it, with simplicity that
He didn't make the usual comment
upon the weather, but instead re-
marked:
Although you put down your book,
I see you're enjoying it"
He had a pleasant light tenor voice.
She told him its name, and added:
"And what are you reading?"
IAN photographed Study, by
Sigmund Freud" he said.
"That sounds very serious" she said.
II am rather afraid of psychoanalysis.
"Why?"
IT think I have a perhaps stupid
fear of fishing in the deep waters OF
the subconscious. have never been
psychoanalyzed-if that's the right
term to use-and I should be afraid
to be"
why? Well, I suppose because my
mysteries might be ugly
@-N@~~NN-t - -
very attractive.
Il rather doubt that" he said. "But
I think I should like to know and
understand as much Of myself as pos
Sible, whether ugly or not ugly"
Perhaps you are morally Drawer than
I am" she said.
It was at this point in their CONVEX
sation that she began TO feel surprised
at the curious intimacy with which
they were talking together only
matter of minutes and already they
had got TO this She wondered wheth-
er the man shared her surprise. II so,
he did not show that he did.
I'm afraid my moral courage Is
nothing to make story about, he
said. But it's difficult to know"
Oh, well, If he didn't mind why
should she? And she said:
you mean, to know whether one
has it or not till ones tested"
Il have often felt the same thing
about physical courage" she said. is
one a coward or is one brave? One
inst doesn't know till one Is tested"