Show in the maryland kids BY LEE ASHLEY copyright 1901 by dally story put co it was an early december twilight and snow which had been rain an hour before beat against the car windows and stuck there in large soft flake it followed the ur in at the door in a sleety gust and tho gill in the third seat shivered and dr w the imitation sables closer about he throat steve patterson glanced from under the visor of his conductor s cap at h s one lady passenger she was not a pretty girl according to steve s ards her face was too small and pale under the shadow of her b g 1 at when she boarded the car two choirs earlier there had jeen an excited brightness in her eyes and a faint color in her cheeks now she leaned bach against the seat tired and inert and there was a pathetic droop at the cornei s of her mouth As she gla ibert up at him shyly steve thourl i 0 a kitten that he had fished out of a horse pond years ago and he smiled at the comparison as he pass d on into the next car A little later he carie back the tattle and creaking of the train had stopped tunnel caved in ahead hi ex to the three men in the fiant of the car the tie smiled reas aring ly at his lady passenger tain t bothin to be scared abai t miss he assured her sitting down on the arm of the seat I 1 means a alyin off here a spell an cul a little patience he added jocosely as a drummer swung hinio elf out growling as he went the girl smiled but her eyes were somber do you reckon well get into phil adelphia on timea she queba ned timidly steve shook his head coulden couldn t make it before 10 miss or 11 debbe it s a three hoi r job anyhow the girls chin quivered but what 11 I 1 doa she demanded with a catch in her voice debbe he won t wait debbe he 11 think I 1 ain t comin I 1 ain t used to tr avelin alone and two tears dropped among the fuzzy tails of her col larette steve smiled encouragingly don t you fret miss your fi lends 11 wait he assured her they won t take no chance of lettin a little thing like you get in alone but she shook her head I 1 aint got any friends there but him and a wave of color swept up into her face steve had a tender conscientious heart he leaned across and laid a large protecting hand on the arm of the opposite seat Is it your brother coln to meet you or your uncle debbe he suggested she shook her head again then suddenly she lifted her wet childish eyes I 1 m I 1 m away to gt mar ried she gasped in tremolo is con he said I 1 d get in at 7 an we d go straight to the preach e s but now oh I 1 wish I 1 haan hadn t come and she burled her face in her muff steve chosed over and sat do i be make it before ten tide her elopements were no novelty to the young conductor but thi pale little girl of 17 or so was a dit ferent matter he patted her slim shoulder with awkward gentleness you tell me about it he ug ested an debbe I 1 can help you I 1 lay ox at philadelphia myself after a little she bourel out her story an old one to steve but a new and romantic one to the little ner a apprentice from smithsburg Smiths burg her face brightened in the telling her innocent eyes sparkled and she spoke of her lover s fine clothes and city manners with a pretty air of conscious pride one tessie bickford the milliner a other help figured largely in the romance it was si who had arranged the clandestine meetings and had declared many times that she d like to see any ster paw in her concerns an sayin who she should go with an who she steve knit his brows as he listened how could he tell this innocent unsophisticated little thing of other girls who had left their homes to meet lovers who were rich la promises or of women who haunted the city streets after nightfall women with bold eyes that had once been soft and innocent and haggard cheeks under the pitiful mask of does your step pa treat you bada he asked presently no she acknowledged he dont treat me bad sometimes hes right miss green kep you dreadful late kind but he haan hadn t ought to be boss in me when he ain t my real paw I 1 m tired of never bein let to do things like other girls an maw his side what do you spose your mall do when she finds you re gone steve suggested the girl sighed I 1 reckon poor maw 11 feel right bad she confessed ashes always made much me maw has he said he d telegraph when we was married but that 11 be powerful late now I 1 beckon maw 11 be wore out worron and she looked at him with troubled eyes steve nodded I 1 guess likely she will miss he assented gravel mothers Is dread tul hands to worry specially when it s night comin on an the wind s blowin he added as a gust made the windows rattle my mother was that kind be went on presently an it riles a body some times worrying does but its mighty lonesome when there ain t anybody to care how late you come in an to keep the coffee pot hot debbe along with the sometimes a moth er s jawin Is mighty kind meant and the big conductor sighed I 1 ain t much on advising folks he continued awkwardly but it seems to me that a chap that 11 coax a girl to run oa an leave her folks ain t on the square specially it he hakea her do the alone an risk miss in him in a big city an it a man ain t aguare miss no girl haan hadn t aughter oughter trust him not it he talks as beautiful as a phonograph phony graph an dresses as fine as a tailor s dummy another passenger stamped out and the old man near the stove swore at the draft in a placid west virginia drawl steve went forward to mend the fire and while he was gone tho girl thought of many things she recalled stories that had followed jessip bickford from philadelphia bits of gossip and innuendo to which she had loy aly shut her ears and she thought of a neighbors allusion to her fine lover as one of that bickford girls shady friends she wondered it what she had called love had been after all only flattered vanity and when steve came back he found her sitting erect clutching her bag I 1 coln back to night it I 1 have to walk she announced bravely I 1 m lust tormented chinkin about maw and she caught her breath with a sob steve took out his watch it s only two mes to he suggested practically an you could catch the 7 10 on the other road an be home before 9 I 1 guess I 1 could see you over there without any danger of the train s away while I 1 m gone he added with cheerful larity they said very little as they splash ed through the mud once the girl spoke you ve been awful good she said gratefully an in an awed whisper I 1 reckon the lord must a made that tunnel cave in I 1 guess debbe he did miss said steve reverently and then they plod ded on through the wind and sleet two hours later a thin little aomar opened a kitchen door and peered acx lousy out into the darkness she listened intently and then gave a sigh of relief at the sound of a step on the walk miss green kep you dreadful late honey she said drawing the girl into the light and warmth my but you re wet I 1 ve been worrying some it a such a black night your paw lowed if you gasn wasn t here by nine he d git into his gum boots an go fetch you spite his rheu matlz he sets a heap store by you your paw does eho added a wistfully fully there am t a many makes their own girls the way hes always done you the girl flushed hes a heap kinder n bed aughter oughter be she sobbed oh maw and she hid her face on the little woman shoulder As steve opened the door of his boarding house in philadelphia a jangle of rag time music greeted him and shrill voices called to him from the little parlor but he passed on and up the stairs flinging a jocose excuse in the direction of the gaudy portieres its tunny how a girl that aint well not to say pretty can make a fellow feel sometimes he quizzed sitting on ae edge of his iron bed I 1 guess lay off in smiths burg next vacation debbe a little maryland air 11 be good for my health and he smiled happily he pulled off his boots |