presence was forbidding, her
countenance severe, and her voice and intonation something appalling.
But she might know Miss Ray's address; he could at least write his
thanks; but he found the vice-president of the Order of the Patriotic
Daughters of America in evil mood. She didn't know Miss Ray's address,
and in the further assertion that she didn't want to know too readily
betrayed the fact that her petulance was due to her not having been
favored therewith.

"After all I did for her last night and to-day 'twould have been a
mighty little thing to tell where she was going to stop, but just soon's
her fine friends came aboard she dropped us like as if we weren't fit to
notice."

The irate lady, however, seemed to find scant sympathy and support in
the faces of her listeners, some of whom had long since wearied of her
strident voice and oracular ways. It was well remembered that so far
from being of aid or value in caring for the injured men, she had
pestered people with undesired advice and interference, had made much
noise and no bandages, and later, when an official of the company
boarded the train, had constituted herself spokeswoman for the
passengers, not at all to their advantage and much to his disgust. Then,
finding that Miss Ray was looked upon as the only heroine of the
occasion, she had assumed a guardianship, so to speak, over that young
lady which became almost possessive in form, so passively was it
tolerated.

She had plied the girl with questions as to the friends who were to meet
her on arrival in San Francisco, and Miss Ray had smilingly given
evasive answers.

When, therefore, they neared Sacramento and the vice-president announced
her intention of sallying forth to see to it that proper victuals were
provided for her soldier boys, Miss Ray had a few minutes in which to
make her preparations, and the next thing the vice-president saw of her
supposed ward and dependant, that young lady was in the embrace of a
richly dressed and most distinguished looking woman, whose gray hair
only served to heighten the refinement of her features. Just behind the
elder lady stood a silk-hatted dignitary in the prime of life, and
behind him a footman or valet, to whom the porter was handing Miss Ray's
belongings.

And what the vice-president so much resented was that Miss Ray had not
only never mentioned her purpose of leaving the train at Sacramento, but
never so much as introduced her friends, at whom the vic