Show WPM wina ra rak ta da by evelyn campbell i i service copyright by evelyn evelym salm figh res baanan m kajm THE STORY linda Havo Haver rhilla hills well father dies when the ehe is senen teen leaving her little beyond some worth worthless legs stock certificates these she takes to her fathers friend senator converse to dispose of after a whirlwind courtship linda marries courtney noth too late she discovers he la Is a penniless adventurer living by his wits roth dies in switzerland linda continues to live like a wo woman ma n of wealth the senator supplies hor her with money keeping u up p the notion fiction that her stock is it on a trip she meets brian anesey CHAPTER ill III continued continue ca 6 they talked about everything but the lie neat neather ber which proved at once that they were unusual people linda disco dl ered at once that her companion was from oregon that he was going to washington and would be there for a month or two she discovered other things cha charming things about him that he liked logs dogs better than automobiles mo hiles and the morning before seven that he preferred simple flowers and the mountains to the sea it began to grow cold in the coach outside was a dense wall of whiteness and li by straining necks dim glimpses ot of shapeless things might be biad had a house hurled buried under snow or the twisted form of a tree grotesquely burgeoning passengers huddled in wraps and rugs and their grumbles g grew louder as the nir air became stater staler would you like to balk a little brian asked and linda assented eagerly but as they were starting lie he made tier her return to her section you cant go into snow dressed like that hat lie ile was looking so sternly at her slim suede clad feet that linda broke into gay laughter he laughed ith her and tills this put them on an informal basis lie ile turned to his own section and un buckled a bag returning presently with a pair of dark red morocco slippers and a couple of linda put out tier her little feet and allowed him to fasten the moccasins upon them with a few effle efficient fent swirls of the scarves you tie beautiful knots she said but it is a shame to spoil your nice scarf that blue one especially she was surprised at her own docility A cup of hot tea and two tio or three pillows would have been more to tier her taste but there slie she was stumbling along through the snow with tier ner feet L done one up like bundles it if we keep to the beaten path it will be easier I 1 think he said and she followed halt balf laughing half annoyed at her cef own clumsy progress the alie prospect outside was not very good people were running about helplessly gnang ghang advice that nobody heard tint but the train crew was taking it very easily they knew that it human uman power could to do little against the tremendous force of nature that opposed them the snow banked lusher than the lie engine resisted every effort to penetrate it there was something aloofly contemptuous about that the great black beilic of machinery so devastating in its flights stood appalled like a shiny beetle drawing in its claws brian anstey ansley talked to the train nien mm they an answered sered not ignoring him as they had bad s some ne of the others ot liers linda heard all ail that was said the train could not move until the snow plows came and an that might not bo be until tho the following day for the had been worse farther along the line and there were other tie ups lindas Lind ls leeth were already chattering and the terrible cold found lind and seized upon tier her body beneath her furs at that moment tier her sahit wits was low indeed the delay would disarrange tier plans hopelessly the clu chances inces of ft a month th at minall miami delightfully anici for by the gre Grog sons was gone one glimmering she tried to adjust her mind to tills this misfortune but tier her thoughts refused to coagulate physical discomfort dwarfed nil all tier lier mental processes how ow stupid I 1 am she thought angrily ive been in worse ments than this some way will he I 1 ou n d but still stil she felt like a desolated child the strange young nan man with the kind eyes was speaking to her ive secured a place for you on the sledge he said we vo must go back and get your hand luggage he spoke in the some same quiet sure way that had bar accomplished the morocco slippers and again she yielded to his suggestion hut but when she was settled in the ungainly conveyance with halt half a dozen women all whimpering 1 she biro found that brian anstey was going too ild he stood on the step and talked to the driver occasionally jumping off to help shovel snow when the horses floundered into deeper drifts linda found watching him irresistible ile he actually seemed to enjoy the effort of dragging the great horses about she had always hated snow it reminded her of a particularly disagreeable period of tier her life but this snow was different there was wag something crude and pristine about it it was not a theatrical snow where one may break ones neck on a neatly constructed slide it was homelike making one think of warm warin fires and pipes and fleecy blankets not that linda knew any ot oc these things from personal experience but it they icy had their nook in tier her imagination on with other fancies As he be helped tier lier from tier her seat she asked him why he had bad come and his answer brought swift unexpected color to tier her face to look after you of course 11 H ne e spoke so simply that she was ashamed of her subterfuge the hotel vas as crude as the nebraska snowfall you it have ave been so kind you will dine with me she murmured at the foot of the stairs ile he laughed id love to only it will be supper in this place there nill be harn ham and eggs and four kinds 0 of bread and I 1 hope you wont be III from the experience she felt a little shock ile he was laughing at her ber in a second she realized how bow she must look to him exotic superfluous too fine for rude contacts she managed to make her mouth look tremulous and sweet as she answered gaily anything so that it Is carml warm the other women did not like linda they eyed eved her fur coat and her ankles with eq equal ual disapproval and when she found that she was to share a room with one of them she protested in such a way that the proprietor at once gave tier her another naturally want to be with your husband said the discarded roommate with embittered sweetness and linda off guard repeated blankly my husband the other simulated contusion confusion oh he be I 1 thought As linda sat beside brian at their corner of the long iong table she said to him indifferently gossiping already so you must not be so nice to me if gossip annoys you the women crowded together at the other end of the table as if they feared contact with other diners were all of the kind that are to be seen in t pullman cars and nowhere else comfortably fort ably dressed but you wondered where they bought their clothes clot lies in every big department store in the country hundreds like them milled like cattle from nine to four every da day y the year around yet it was only at a time like this that such faces stood out such personalities became obvious they were all terribly frightened at the publicity suddenly thrust upon them they objected while they secretly swelled with importance gut but they were determined to remain completely virtuous and upright in tho the face of unconventionality brian anstey ansley glanced at them and then smiled at linda its their cliance chance to air their opinions and be listened to lie said and she added in a draiN drawling ling cold voica that did not suit tier her gloal glowing ing girlish face and their opportunity to make a show of their morality dont bo be severe they tire are all home women bound to be a little narrow in a simple life this must be a an n adventure close quarters w with all unknown neighbors that is hy by you cannot really admire simplicity or naturalness it is ig all so hateful just under the surface do you think so lie he frowned lie he looked much older when lie was serious she decided she did not really eare care what these women thought slie she never see one of them again but sho she meant to tease hint hini a little more you must not confuse silly chattering cliatt ering women with simplicity and naturalness he be said sternly and glanced again at the group who became conscious that they were under discussion and were scandal scandalized led you will find fidd their sort everywhere put but much worse in simple little tow toi ns 1 I will not admit that it Is because cities are more indifferent she shook her head you aro are wrong cities are not indifferent they judge with manners and morals but the city cities only for appearances it is 11 much easier to live up lip to you can always buy appearances appearance 3 find have them thein delivered to houi your door in it a box TO BE CONTINUED 4 |