The
infection spread to their fellow-travellers, and caused a smile to pass
around, although the cause of the merriment was unknown beyond the little
group from which it started.
"I fancy I can guess the cause of the trouble," said Lancy. "I daresay Hugh
found the parting painful. Am I right?"
Just then the starting-signal sounded, and the train sped away across the
country, and our travellers settled down to whatever comfort there is to be
obtained in a railroad car.
As soon as Lancy could get a word with Dexie, he asked her again what Hugh
had said to her, and she, willing to put his mind at ease, replied:
"He wanted me to promise that I would answer a letter he wished to write to
me, and I gave him to understand that I wanted no correspondence with my
sister's lover, so we had a few words over it and then parted--_not_
friends, I fear!"
Lancy knew that Hugh was only waiting his opportunity to oust him from his
favored position, and it delighted him to hear Dexie speak of him in that
strain.
"Thank you, Dexie; I guess Hugh can hear all he needs to know of you
second-hand."
Dexie smiled, and she did not pull away her hand when, for a moment, Lancy
laid his own shapely one across it.
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