She peeped within, saw a great cluster of roses, and drew out a card.  “Of course it’s Jeff’s?” queried Just, anxiously, and he felt immense relief when Evelyn nodded.

“Well, I’m off!” Just gripped her hand as the train began to move.  “Good-by!  I’m mighty sorry to have you go,” and with lifted hat, and a hasty farewell to Lucy and Randolph, he was gone.

Evelyn smiled at him from the window, as he ran down the platform waving at her, but her heart was still heavy.  It was very good of Jeff to send the flowers, but she would rather have had one hearty grasp of his friendly hand than all the roses in his Northern state.

* * * * *

CHAPTER X

“Well, I consider myself pretty lucky to have secured four sections all together on this train,” said Doctor Forester, with satisfaction, as he and Andrew Churchill and Frederic retired to the smoking-room while their berths were being made up.

“Why, what are we slowing down for out here?” Frederic glanced out of the window.  “This is West Weston, isn’t it?  Yes—­we’re off again.  Some official, probably.”

A door slammed and a tall figure hurried through the passage, looked in at the smoking-room, and turned back.  “Hullo!” said a familiar voice, and Jeff’s laughing face beamed in upon them.

“Well, well, did you hold up the train?” they cried.

“Thought you’d come along, too, did you?” asked Doctor Forester.  “Good!  Glad to have you.  I thought it was odd you weren’t round to see us off.  Go and surprise the girls.  They’re just back there, waiting for their berths.”

Jeff hurried eagerly away.  A moment later Evelyn, standing in the aisle beside Charlotte, felt a touch on her arm.  She looked up, and met Jeff’s eyes smiling down at her.

“Did you think I’d let you go like that?” he said in her ear.

“I’m afraid I thought you had,” she admitted, grown happy in an instant.

“You see, I had an appointment with a man in West Weston on some work I’ve been doing for him.  After I heard this plan of Doctor Forester’s I had only just time to catch a train and get out there.  He kept me so long I missed the train that would have brought me back in time to see you off, so I telephoned Chester Agnew to get the flowers for me and write a card.  That was when I was afraid I might not make connections at all.  But when this man I went to see—­he’s a railroad man—­heard what train I’d wanted to make, he offered to stop it for me.  Then it just came into my mind that I’d join the party, even without an invitation.  Tell me you’re not sorry—­won’t you?”

“Of course I’m not.”  She allowed him one of her frank looks, and he smiled back at her.

“We’ll have a great day to-morrow,” he prophesied.  “They’ll put on a Pullman with an observation rear in the morning, and if the weather holds we’ll camp out there for the day.  We don’t get into Washington till three in the afternoon, and the scenery all the way down will be fine.  I suppose I’ll have to go off now and let you be tucked up.  Please get up bright and early in the morning, will you?”