“And now it is good-by forever.  I am so sorry that I have not seen more of you,” she said.  He took her hand and held it tightly for a moment.

“I shall never forget the past few days,” he said, a thrill in his voice.  “You have put something into my life that can never be taken away.  You will forget me before you are out of Washington, but I—­I shall always see you as you are now.”

She drew her hand away gently, but did not take her eyes from his upturned face.

“You are mistaken.  Why should I forget you—­ever?  Are you not the ideal American whose name I bought?  I shall always remember you as I saw you—­at Denver.”

“Not as I have been since?” he cried.

“Have you changed since first I saw you?” she asked, quaintly.

“I have, indeed, for you saw me before I saw you.  I am glad I have not changed for the worse in your eyes.”

“As I first knew you with my eyes I will say that they are trustworthy,” she said tantalizingly.

“I do not mean that I have changed externally.”

“In any other case my eyes would not serve,” she cried, with mock disappointment.  “Still,” she added, sweepingly, “you are my ideal American.  Good-by!  The man has called ‘all aboard!’”

“Good-by!” he cried, swinging up on the narrow step beside her.  Again he clasped her hand as she drew back in surprise.  “You are going out of my land, but not out of my mind.  If you wish your eyes to see the change in me, you have only to look at them in a mirror.  They are the change—­they themselves!  Goodby!  I hope that I may see you again.”

She hesitated an instant, her eyes wavering beneath his.  The train was moving slowly now.

“I pray that we may meet,” she said, softly, at last,—­so softly that he barely heard the words.  Had she uttered no sound he could have been sure of her response, for it was in her telltale eyes.  His blood leaped madly.  “You will be hurt if you wait till the train is running at full speed,” she cried, suddenly returning to the abandoned merry mood.  She pushed him gently in her excitement.  “Don’t you see how rapidly we are moving?  Please go!” There was a terror in her eyes that pleased him.

“Good-by, then,” he cried.

“Adieu, my American,” she cried quickly.

As he swung out, ready to drop to the ground, she said, her eyes sparkling with something that suggested mischief, her face more bewitching than ever under the flicker of the great arc lights: 

“You must come to Edelweiss to see me.  I shall expect you!” He thought there was a challenge in the tones.  Or was it mockery?

“I will, by heaven, I will!” he exclaimed.

A startled expression flashed across her face, and her lips parted as if in protestation.  As she leaned forward, holding stoutly to the hand-rail, there was no smile on her countenance.

A white hand fluttered before his eyes, and she was gone.  He stood, hat in hand, watching the two red lights at the end of the train until they were lost in the night.