Part 7 (1/2)

Here, blus.h.i.+ng very slightly, she murmurs, ”Thank you, Captain Lawrence!”

”I am glad you remember my name,” answers the young man in a very happy voice.

Then he continues rapidly, ”Excuse me a second. Your maid does not appear to know what to do.” And he a.s.sists the French abigail to alight with as much care, if perhaps not as much ceremony, as he did the mistress.

”Yes,” replies Erma. ”We travelled by a private car as far as Omaha, and, of course, had our meals on board of it. Therefore, Marie was rather disconcerted--as, to tell the truth, so was I.”

”Ah, then, you _do_ need my a.s.sistance, if you want a meal,” says Harry quickly, for the gong is sounding very wildly outside the eating-house, and the throng from the long train of cars is moving bodily upon it.

Noting this, the young man cries shortly: ”Indecision means hunger--at all events, the leavings. Come with me!”

Then, perceiving that Erma is hesitating and looking towards the car from which Ferdie and Louise are just appearing, and which still conceals Mrs. Livingston and her son, he says hurriedly: ”Quick; I'll reserve a table for your party and get them a first chance at the meal.

Come at once if you want your supper!”

”Of course I want my supper,” cries Miss Travenion with a laugh; for the brisk Nebraska air, which is quite often cool toward evening, in October, has stimulated the young lady's appet.i.te, which, like that of most healthy girls of her age, is generally a good one.

So the young lady, placing her hand upon his arm and followed by her maid, turns away from the crowd and is led to a side door, Lawrence seeming to know the by-ways of the hotel pretty well.

In front of this are lounging the station master and two or three railroad employees. These spring up with e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of welcome and delight! One cries, ”G.o.d bless you, Cap!” and another, ”Harry, you're doing well.” A third guffaws _sotto voce_, ”You bet he is.”

Returning their salutes, he says shortly, ”Please let me in at the side door--before the rush. This young lady is hungry.” A moment after they are in the dining-room of the railroad hotel before the crowd of pa.s.sengers have entered by the main portal.

This is a large apartment filled with tables, each of which will accommodate six people, and each presided over and waited upon by a brisk moving, calico-clothed Nebraska maiden.

A moment after, Erma's escort says to a bright-eyed prairie-girl who is flouris.h.i.+ng a feather duster to keep the flies off an as yet unoccupied table: ”Sally, reserve this table for myself and party.”

Then to Miss Travenion's astonishment the maid answers, giving him a look of open-eyed admiration, ”Yes, Cap!”

The next instant she finds herself seated beside him, and her maid, under his direction, taken to another table and made comfortable by another brisk Nebraska girl, who also answers deferentially, ”Yes, Cap!”

Then the one employed at their table calmly but uncompromisingly waves off both flies and pa.s.sengers from the tempting seats with her feather duster, remarking, ”This 'ere table's engaged! This 'ere table's engaged,” to applying drummers and hungry cattlemen who would make a raid upon the precious vacant chairs; for all the other seats in the room are by this time in use and the viands are flying off the tables in a manner peculiar to Western appet.i.tes; while over all this comes in continual chorus from the waiting-girls: ”Steaks--chops--ham and eggs--tea or coffee--pie or pudding,” with an occasional variation of ”stewed prunes or fruit.”

In this chorus their attendant maid has already joined, singing out in a business way, ”Steaks, chops or ham and eggs,” when to Miss Travenion's awful blushes, the girl suddenly stops her song and giggles, after the free and easy manner of the prairies, ”I know what's the matter with you, Cap; you've been going and gitting married, and are bringing your wife West!” casting a look of identification on Erma as the imported bride.

To this Harry, choking down a rising curse, mutters in a very hoa.r.s.e voice, ”Steaks for two, and ham and eggs _turned_!”

Then Ferdie inserts himself into this scene of embarra.s.sment to the young lady, and from which she has half risen to fly in a sudden bashful spasm, and says: ”Erma, what the deuce have you been doing? Mrs.

Livingston is almost hysterical, and thinks the Indians have got you, when it is only Captain Lawrence and--supper.”

”Yes,” answers Harry, who blesses the boy for his interruption; ”I know more about Western eating-houses than you do. I have rescued Miss Travenion from the crowd, and reserved a table for the rest of your party. Just bring them along, will you--that's a good fellow?”

To this, Mr. Chauncey, who has already met Lawrence upon the train during the afternoon, answers: ”Won't I? I have been hunting everywhere for a place for our ladies. It was these vacant chairs that attracted me.”

Then the young New Yorker, having gone in search of his party, Miss Travenion once more finds herself subject to the attentions of the gentleman beside her. But these are so very respectful that her embarra.s.sment gradually vanishes, and she devotes herself with considerable comfort of mind to the supper which has just been placed before her, for Captain Lawrence is particularly careful from now on that his attentions to her, though effective as regards her wants, shall have not the slightest affectation of familiarity in them.

So the girl, looking at him, thinks: ”Some men who might consider themselves of perhaps higher breeding than this one beside me, would have made a joke out of that awful _contretemps_, but Captain Lawrence is a gentleman, and gentlemen are very much the same all the world over,” and once or twice, when he does not notice it, she turns grateful eyes upon him during pauses in the meal.

A moment after, Mr. Chauncey re-appears, followed by the Livingstons.

Mrs. Livingston mutters: ”Good gracious, Erma, how you frightened me. My heart is beating yet. If anything had happened to you, what would I have said to your father?”

She would continue her emotion, did not Miss Travenion quietly say, ”You owe your supper this evening to Captain Lawrence, who was kind enough to take charge of me in the crush, and also to look after your interests in the matter of chairs and vacant table.”