But June answered in halting
monosyllables, and talk was not easy between them. All the while
he was watching her closely and not a movement of her eye, ear,
mouth or hand--not an inflection of her voice--escaped him. He saw
her sweep the car and its occupants with a glance, and he saw the
results of that glance in her face and the down-dropping of her
eyes to the dainty point of one boot. He saw her beautiful mouth
close suddenly tight and her thin nostrils quiver disdainfully
when a swirl of black smoke, heavy with cinders, came in with an
entering passenger through the front door of the car. Two half-
drunken men were laughing boisterously near that door and even her
ears seemed trying to shut out their half-smothered rough talk.
The car started with a bump that swayed her toward him, and when
she caught the seat with one hand, it checked as suddenly,
throwing her the other way, and then with a leap it sprang ahead
again, giving a nagging snap to her head. Her whole face grew red
with vexation and shrinking distaste, and all the while, when the
little train steadied into its creaking, puffing, jostling way,
one gloved hand on the chased silver handle of her smart little
umbrella kept nervously swaying it to and fro on its steel-shod
point, until she saw that the point was in a tiny pool of tobacco
juice, and then she laid it across her lap with shuddering
swiftness.
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