Graustark | Page 9

money as a pocket-piece. I intend to keep it
forever, and let it descend as an heirloom to the generations that follow
me," he said, laughingly. "Why are you so curious about it?"
"Because it comes from the city and country in which I live," she
responded. "If you were in a land far from your own would you not be
interested in anything--even a coin--that reminded you of home?"
"Especially if I had not seen one of its kind since leaving home," he
replied, insinuatingly.
"Oh, but I have seen many like it. In my purse there are several at this
minute."
"Isn't it strange that this particular coin should have reminded you of
home?"
"You have no right to question me, sir," she said, coldly, drawing away,
only to be lurched back again. In spite of herself she laughed audibly.
"I beg your pardon," he said, tantalizingly.

"When did he give it you?"
"Who?"
"The porter, sir."
"You have no right to question me," he said.
"Oh!" she gasped. "I did not mean to be inquisitive."
"But I grant the right. He gave it me inside of two hours after I first
entered the car."
"At Denver?"
"How do you know I got on at Denver?'
"Why, you passed me in the aisle with your luggage. Don't you
remember?"
Did he remember! His heart almost turned over with the joy of
knowing that she had really noticed and remembered him. Involuntarily
his glad fingers closed down upon the gloved hand that lay beneath
them.
"I believe I do remember, now that you speak of it," he said, in a stifled
voice. "You were standing at a window?"
"Yes; and I saw you kissing those ladies goodby, too. Was one of them
your wife, or were they all your sisters? I have wondered."
"They--they were--cousins," he informed her, confusedly, recalling an
incident that had been forgotten. He had kissed Mary Lyons and Edna
Burrage--but their brothers were present. "A foolish habit, isn't it?"
"I do not know. I have no grown cousins," she replied, demurely. "You
Americans have such funny customs, though. Where I live, no
gentleman would think of pressing a lady's hand until it pained her. Is it
necessary?" In the question there was a quiet dignity, half submerged in

scorn, so pointed, so unmistakable that he flushed, turned cold with
mortification, and hastily removed the amorous fingers.
"I crave your pardon. It is such a strain to hold myself and you against
the rolling of this wagon that I unconsciously gripped your hand harder
than I knew. You--you will not misunderstand my motive?" he begged,
fearful lest he had offended her by his ruthlessness.
"I could not misunderstand something that does not exist," she said,
simply, proudly.
"By Jove, she's beyond comparison!" he thought.
"You have explained, and I am sorry I spoke as I did. I shall not again
forget how much I owe you."
"Your indebtedness, if there be one, does not deprive you of the liberty
to speak to me as you will. You could not say anything unjust without
asking my forgiveness, and when you do that you more than pay the
debt. It is worth a great deal to me to hear you say that you owe
something to me, for I am only too glad to be your creditor. If there is a
debt, you shall never pay it; it is too pleasant an account to be settled
with 'you're welcome.' If you insist that you owe much to me, I shall
refuse to cancel the debt, and allow it to draw interest forever."
"What a financier!" she cried. "That jest yeas worthy of a courtier's
deepest flattery. Let me say that I am proud to owe my gratitude to you.
You will not permit it to grow less."
"That was either irony or the prettiest speech a woman ever uttered," he
said, warmly. "I also am curious about something. You were reading
over my shoulder in the observation car--" "I was not!" she exclaimed,
indignantly. "How did you know that?" she inconsistently went on.
"You forget the mirror in the opposite side of the car."
"Ach, now I am offended."

"With a poor old mirror? For shame! Yet, in the name of our American
glass industry, I ask your forgiveness. It shall not happen again. You
will admit that you were trying to read over my shoulder. Thanks for
that immutable nod. Well, I am curious to know what you were so
eager to read."
"Since you presume to believe the mirror instead of me, I will tell you.
There was a despatch on the first page that interested me deeply."
"I believe I thought as much at the time. Oh, confound this road!" For
half a mile or more the road