"Shall I read it aloud?" asked Grace.

"By all means," said Miriam with emphasis.

Grace began to read. Anne, who sat beside her, looked over her shoulder,
while Miriam, who sat opposite Grace, leaned forward in order to catch
every word. They were so completely occupied with their own affairs,
none of them noticed that the train had stopped. Suddenly a voice
shrilled out impatiently, "Is this seat engaged?" With one accord the
three girls glanced up. Before them stood a tall, rather stout young
woman with a full, red face, whose frowning expression was anything but
reassuring.

"Yes--no, I mean," replied Grace hastily.

"I thought not," remarked the stranger complacently as she stolidly
seated herself beside Miriam and deposited a traveling bag partly on the
floor and partly on Grace's feet.

"These seats are ridiculously small," grumbled the stranger, bending
over to jam her traveling bag more firmly into the space from which
Grace had hastily withdrawn her feet. Then straightening up suddenly,
her heavily plumed hat collided with the hand in which Grace held
Eleanor's letter, scattering the sheets in every direction. With a
little cry of concern Grace sprang to her feet and, stepping out in the
aisle, began to pick them up. Having recovered the last one she turned
to her seat only to find it occupied by their unwelcome fellow traveler.

"I changed seats," commented the stout girl stolidly. "I never could
stand it to ride backwards."