"Cricky! I don't believe I'd dare. She'd see me," said the boy.
"But I thought you considered yourself well disguised," suggested the other, laughing.
"Say! You don't know what sharp eyes Janice has got. And you saw yourself that this mustache was false."
"Oh! but at a distance——"
"Hi tunket! I'll go you," stammered the boy. "But let's sit back of Janice."
This was agreed to and the much-amused gentleman ushered his young friend to a seat in the dining car, wherein Marty faced the black-eyed Madam while Janice Day's back was toward him.
Since her mind had gradually become relieved of its disturbance occasioned by the mysterious lunch which had come into her possession, Janice's only serious thoughts were of her father and the task that awaited her at the Border. She allowed her thoughts to dwell upon the uncertainties of her venture as little as possible. Worrying would not help. She knew that to be an undoubted truth. So she gave herself up to such amusements of travel as there were and to the informative conversation of the black-eyed woman with whom she had become such "goot friends."
Janice Day was quite a sophisticated young woman despite the fact that all her life had been spent in two very quiet communities. The girl was acquainted through broad reading with both the good and evil fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Innocence does not mean ignorance in this day and generation, and the modern trend of thought and education can be heartily thanked for this change from the old standards, if for nothing else.
Janice was really amused by Madam's so-often expressed fears of being robbed. The girl said nothing to her about the change she had made in carrying her surplus money; and she continued to keep the packet of newspaper pinned to her corsage.
As they lingeringly ate their dinner on this particular evening in the dining car the black-eyed woman suddenly betrayed anxiety: