before you go?" he asked me as he held the large
bottle to his lips and threw back his head for a gurgling down his
throat.

"No, with much gratitude, and good night," I answered as I rapidly
departed with my cheeks in a flame of scarlet and a fear in my heart.
In my flight I passed by that number of seven and came very near
opening the curtains of the number of five and precipitating myself
upon the bayonets of black taffeta that stood firm from a hat so
placed as to bar my intrusion. From that accident I turned and sought
the kind black male chamber-maid with a request that he show me how to
insert myself into the right place for sleeping.

"Right here, Boss. Climb up on these little steps and then hand me
down your shoes. Soft now; I think the lady am asleep."

"Good night, and I'm not nervous," I heard a laugh of mischief come
from behind a second and short green curtain, that veils the lower of
the sleeping shelves, just as I fell onto my shelf above and lay with
a panting of relief.

CHAPTER IV

THE IMPOSSIBLE UNCLE ROBERT

"Robert," I made remark to myself after I had with difficulty removed
the tweed coat and the tweed trousers and neatly folded them against
ugly wrinkles of to-morrow, "you must become a sport and not climb
down there and tell that other woman the truth of your lady's estate
and ask her to comfort you with affection. You were born a daredevil
and you must remember those two Indians and a bear that the Grandmamma
Madam Donaldson murdered for safety for herself and her children. That
Mr. G. Slade is just one bear and he's not as dangerous to you as if
you wore 'skirts' anyway. And, also, if you are brave and propitiate
the wicked Uncle, in just a few months you can travel to where the
lovely lady with the blue flower eyes resides, of whom in the morning
you must get the address of home, and can then make confession to her
and know the joy of having her sisterly embraces that seem of so much
sweetness to you now.

"But suppose it is that she arises in the night and leaves the train
for her home!" I said to myself as I suddenly sat up in the dark and
precipitated my head against the roof of the sleeping shelf.

"I will call down to her and ask the one simple question," I made
answer to myself. Then I reached down my head over the edge of my
shelf and called very softly:

"Madam?"

"Yes?" came a soft question in answer and I felt that she arose and
brought her beautiful head whi