“Ah-a-a-a!”

“Beg pardon, sir, but I—­”

“What?”

The military-appearing man sat up with a jerk into sudden stiffness, while the soft light died out of his eyes.

“New York papers?”

“Don’t want the New York papers—­any of them!”

The man, after a swift glance from his green-covered book, again let his eyes seek its pages.  The ghost of a smile flickered around his lips.

“Chicago, then.  The latest—­”

“. . . your hook being fastened through the skin of his leg, toward the upper part of it; and lastly I will give you—­”

“Something livelier in the way of reading, sir, if you wish it!” broke in the voice of the newsboy who had stopped beside the parlor-car chair of the military-looking traveler, interrupting the reading of the little green-covered book.  “I have a new detective story—­”

“Look here!  If you interrupt me again when I’m reading my Izaak Walton I’ll have you put off the train!  Gad!  I will, sir, if I have to do it myself!”

The military-appearing traveler snapped the green book against the palm of one hand with a report like that of a pistol, thereby causing an old lady, asleep in a chair across the aisle, to awaken with a start.

“Are we in?  Have we arrived?  Is this Colchester?” she asked, sitting up and looking about in startled surprise, her bonnet very much askew.  The newsboy, with an abashed air, slid down the aisle.

“Madam, I sincerely beg your pardon,” said the tall man who had caused the commotion.  He arose, his green book in one hand, and bowed his apologies.  “I regret exceedingly that I startled you.  But that insufferable young puppy had the extreme audacity to inflict himself on me when I was reading, and I lost my temper.  I am sorry but I—­”

“You didn’t strike him, did you?” asked the old lady, reproachfully.

“No, madam.  Though such conduct would have been justified on my part, I merely spoke to him.  It was this—­this book that I used rather roughly and which awakened you.”

“Then aren’t we at Colchester yet?”

“No, madam.  It is some little ride yet.  If you will allow me I shall be happy to let you know when we arrive.  And if you are without any one to help you off with your luggage, as it is raining and likely to continue—­”

“Oh, thank you, sir, but Jabez will meet me.  I must have dozed off, and when I heard that noise—­”

“Which I regret exceedingly, madam,” interposed the military-appearing traveler with another bow.

The old lady again composed herself.  The tall man bowed again, resumed his seat and tried to read, but his feelings had been too much ruffled, it was evident, to allow a peaceful resumption of his former mood.

“The idea!  The very idea!” he murmured, speaking to the window, against the glass of which the raindrops were now dashing impotently, and as though angry at not being admitted to the warmth and light of the car.  For dusk had fallen and the electric lights were aglow in the Pullman, making it a very cosy place in contrast to the damp and muddy country through which the train was rushing.