after the conductor had passed on."You are tired, little woman. Lie back and go to sleep. The rough partof the adventure is almost over." He secured a pillow for her, and shewas soon resting as comfortably as it was possible in the day coach of apassenger train.
For many minutes he sat beside her, his eyes resting on the beautifultired face with its closed eyes, long lashes, pensive mouth, and itsframe of dark hair, disarranged and wild.
"It's strange," he thought, almost aloud, "how suddenly it comes to afellow. Twelve hours ago I was as free as a bird in the air, and now--"
"THEY GO TO THE THEATRE"]
'"GOOD HEAVENS!" "WHAT IS IT?" HE CRIED. "YOU ARE NOTMARRIED, ARE YOU?'"]
Just then her eyes opened widely with a start, as if she had suddenlycome from a rather terrifying dream. They looked squarely into his, andhe felt so abashed that he was about to turn away when, with a littlecatch in her voice, she exclaimed:
"Good heavens!"
"What is it?" he cried.
"You are not married, are you?"
"NO!!!"
Like a culprit caught she blushed furiously, and her eyes wavered as thelids fell, shutting from his eager, surprised gaze the prettiestconfusion in the world.
"I--It just occurred to me to ask," she murmured.
Crosby's exhilaration was so great that, after a long, hungry look atthe peaceful face, he jumped up and went out into the vestibule, wherehe whistled with all the ardor of a school-boy. When he returned to hisseat beside her she was awake, and the little look of distress left herface when he appeared, a happy smile succeeding.
"I thought you had deserted me," she said.
"Perish the thought."
"Mr. Crosby, if you had a pistol all the time we were in the barn, whydid you not shoot the dog and free us hours before you did?" she askedsternly.
"I had no pistol," he grinned. From his pocket he drew a nickel-platedmenthol inhaler and calmly leveled it at her head. "It looked very muchlike a pistol in the darkness," he said, "and it deserves a place amongthe cherished relics descending from our romance."
The next night two happy, contented persons sat in a brilliant Chicagotheatre, and there was nothing in their appearance to indicate that theday and night before had been the most strenuous in their lives.
"This is more comfortable than a cross beam in a barn," she smiled.
"But it is more public," he responded.
Three months later--but Crosby won both suits.
CROSBY WON BOTH SUITS.]
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