MOBILE DIGITAL LIBRARY - SOCIETY OF YOUNG NIGERIAN ...

child's, at the eagle-like face, touchingly softened by its profound unconsciousness.Suddenly the dark eyes opened wide into hers. The young man gave an exclamation andsat up, startled. At this movement she looked away, smoothing a fold of her skirt. Hestared about him, still half-asleep. "Did I hear somebody call?" he asked. "I must havehad a very vivid dream of some sort—I thought somebody was calling desperately to me.You didn't speak, did you?""No," she answered softly, "I said nothing.""Well, I hope you'll excuse me for being such poor company. I only meant to take acat-nap. I hope we won't be too late for the train."He scrambled to his feet, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and pulled out his watch. As hedid this, Miss Midland began to speak very rapidly. What she said was so astonishing tohim that he forgot to put back his watch, forgot even to look at it, and stood with it in hishand, staring at her, with an expression as near to stupefaction as his keen and powerfulface could show.When she finally stopped to draw breath, the painful breath of a person who has beenunder water too long, he broke into baroque ejaculations, "Well, wouldn't that get you!Wouldn't that absolutely freeze you to a pillar of salt! Well, of all the darndest idiots, I've