me way toward you, Jessica," interposed
Grace.

"How I wish Mabel had been with us," sighed Jessica.

"I received a letter from Mrs. Allison, just before leaving Oakdale,"
said Mrs. Gibson. "She expects to come east in June. Mabel has set her
heart upon being here for commencement week. I shall invite the
Southards, too, and perhaps your people will lend you to me for the week
following graduation."

"We should love to go," said Grace, and her friends echoed her answer.

Before their journey ended night closed in around them. They had dinner
in the dining car, and after dinner the girls began to feel a trifle
tired and sleepy.

James Gardiner had discovered a boy friend on the train and had been
graciously granted permission by the Phi Sigma Tau to go over and
cultivate his society.

"You have been an angel, James," said Nora, "and have proved yourself
worthy of a little recreation. Don't forget to be on hand when the train
stops, however. I never saw your equal as a luggage carrier."

One by one the five girls leaned against the comfortable backs of their
seats and closed their eyes. Mrs. Gibson became absorbed in the pages of
a new book.

Grace dozed for a brief space and then opening her eyes gazed idly about
her. The seat on which she sat had been reversed in order that she and
Nora might face Mrs. Gibson and Miriam. Their seats being near to the
middle of the car, she could obtain a good view of a number of the other
passengers. She noticed that the car was very full, every seat being
occupied.

Her eye rested for a second upon a portly, well-dressed old gentleman in
the last seat of the car, who was leaning back with closed eyes, then
traveled on to the man who shared the seat.

"What a remarkable face that man has," she thought. "He looks like a
combination of a snake and a fox. I never before saw such tricky eyes.
He is rather good looking, but there is something about him that
frightens one."

Grace found herself watching, with a kind of fascination, every move
that the stranger made. Once her eyes met his and she shuddered
slightly, there was a world of refined cruelty in their depths. She
looked out of the window as the train rushed on through the darkness,
then almost against her will turned her eyes again in the direction of
the repellent stranger.

But what she saw this time caused her to stare in amazement. The
stranger under cover of a newspaper was bent on extracting the handsome
watch