f she hoped that a frigid tone and utterance might abash her intruding
questioner, they failed. He spoke again with surprisingly even
impertinence--quite as if she were as friendly as he. "You're wrong,"
he said. "I'm mightily interested. I want some coffee and you don't
act to me as if you meant to come back."

It was undignified and improper for her to bandy words with a heckler,
but Kate had already breathed too much of the freedom of the mountains
to resist a second retort, and said, almost without thinking--and
certainly in a very positive manner: "I am not coming back."

"Give me a cup of coffee before you go."

"There is no service here this afternoon."

"Beg your pardon. There will be one service here this afternoon. You
will serve me." His emphasis was slight, but unmistakable. She was so
fussed she turned to the door and grasped the knob the second time.
Her persecutor raised his left hand firmly. "You can't get out there,"
he said.

"Why can't I?" demanded Kate indignantly.

"Because you can't open the door." She stood mute at his assurance.
"Come," he continued, "give me some coffee, like a good girl."

What should she do? She did not speak the question, but weighed it
pretty rapidly in her mind. What manner of man had she to deal with?
If not actually threatening he was extremely domineering. While she
hesitated he regarded her calmly.

But there was one way to do as he demanded and to punish him as well.
Of the two coffee urns kept filled in readiness for the rush in serving
a trainload of passengers, only one was now heated. Kate stepped to
the urns, murmuring as if to herself: "I know nothing about these."

"I don't either," he said. From the nearer urn Kate drew a cup of
coffee; it was very cold--but she pushed it with a jug of cream and a
bowl of sugar, toward him.

"A teaspoon, please?" Kate's excitement had already heightened her
color. She looked very much alive as she added, impatiently, a spoon
to the equipment--expecting then to be able to get out of the room. It
seemed as if this ought to big easy; it was not. Her tormentor
professed to have had no dinner and wanted a sandwich. The sandwiches
were rebelliously hunted up--a plateful was supplied. If he was
surprised at the prodigality he made no comment, but at intervals some
tantalizing word from him entangled her in another exchange; and at
each encounter of wits, just enough fear tempered her resentment to
make