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with his eye. Perhaps he had a daughter of his own. He gave a keen glance down the aisle at the tall man and the fat man leering after her and looked at the girl again.
    “Nothing left but the drawing room, lady,” he said gruffly, doubtfully.
    “Oh, can I have the drawing room?” she exclaimed eagerly.
    “Costs a lot more,” said the conductor, regretfully giving her his respectful attention.
    “Oh, that will be all right!” said Carol with a great sigh of relief. “How much is it? Can I go there now?”
    With utter relief she paid the extra amount and went in search of the porter to get her bag and briefcase, a new anxiety attacking her now. Perhaps those men were waiting to get hold of Mr. Fawcett’s briefcase! Perhaps they had been watching her when she put those letters and papers from the safe into it before she left. She eyed them from the shelter of the drawing room doorway until the porter had reclaimed her baggage and started back to her. But she kept out of sight as she saw the two men turn their heads curiously and gaze after him. At least they should not have again the satisfaction of looking at her. She felt as if somehow their glances had been defiling, and she would like to wash them from her face.
    The porter and conductor gone at last, she turned with thanksgiving in her heart and saw that her berth was already made up! How good that was. Now she might lock herself into this little retreat and lie down at last to rest after the terrible strain of the day! She slipped the bolt with satisfaction. How wonderful it was that she had secured this spot all to herself, away from those terrible men!
    She crept into her berth at last and snapped out the light. As she pulled up the window shade she caught a full, bright glimpse of the moon looking down at her from a clear sky above open fields that were powdered with soft silver mists. It was not a thread of a moon now; it seemed to have gone higher and grown wider. Its light had a clear twinkle in it, almost like a star, that same friendly look, as if it were smiling at her.
    She dropped off to sleep almost instantly when her head touched the pillow. Sheer weariness overpowered her. But sometime in the night she awoke suddenly and stared around her in the darkness. She felt terribly alone. There were strange grinding noises underneath and around her, above the rumble of the train. The moon was gone away somewhere and darkness reigned outside in the hurrying blackness. Only a few far stars pricked the velvet of the night. She seemed to be plunged back into an abyss of fear. The vision of the two men haunted the little space beside her bed and filled her with horror. She dared not open her eyes again to dispel it, and when she dropped once more into a troubled sleep, she dreamed that her two seatmates were standing over her and laughing in her face; and one, the tall, lanky one with the toothpick and the bulging eyes, stooped over her and took her by the throat. She could feel his bony fingers clutching her, and she found no voice to cry out.
    Struggling, she came awake at last to find a pale dawn creeping in at the window and a new country whirling by. She lay and watched the day come up and wondered what it held for her of added fear and perplexity.

Chapter 3
    A t breakfast the two men came and sat down at a table opposite hers and seemed to take delight in watching her.
    Though she kept her glance out the window at the new country which, but for them, would have been interesting, she still felt their gaze. It seemed to her that they were trying to disconcert her, that they understood she did not like it and for that reason fiendishly continued to annoy her.
    She finished her breakfast sooner than she would have chosen and slipped back to her own car, leaving the door of the drawing room open for the convenience of the conductor, but drawing the inner curtain shut and keeping herself well out of sight on the seat that backed toward the rest of the car. It