"My dear," her mother had said, "no matter how rudely others may behave, be a lady. Because some one else has been impolite does not excuse it in you." As this came to Jeanne she closed her lips resolutely and, turning her back very decidedly, looked out of the window. "Yer needn't put on any of yer airs with me," growled the fellow, who was evidently in a surly humor. "Can't yer answer a civil question?" Still Jeanne made no reply, and the man reached out to take hold of her basket. But the girl was too quick for him, and lifting it into her lap held on to it tightly while she placed her feet upon her satchel. "Yer needn't be so spunky," said the fellow sheepishly. "I jest wanted to see if yer didn't have somethin' to eat." "If you are hungry, you should have said so," said Jeanne, relaxing instantly, for her warm heart was always open to appeals of this nature. She opened her basket and took out some dainty sandwiches. "You are quite welcome to what you wish to eat," she said graciously, "but you were not very nice about asking for it." "A feller don't stop fer manners," said the man nibbling at the sandwiches gingerly, "when he's as hungry as I am. Is that all ye've got in there?" "I have some more lunch," said Jeanne rather indignantly, for the fellow did not seem very ravenous for a hungry man. "I shall keep that for the rest of my journey." "Whar yer goin'? Ain't yer got nobody with yer?" queried the man a gleam coming into his eyes. "Don't you think that you are rather inquisitive?" questioned Jeanne boldly. "Why should you want to know where I am going?" "Because folks have to be keerful in times like these," said the other brusquely. "Haven't yer got some money too?" "I have none to give you," answered Jeanne. "And I would rather that you would not sit by me any longer. Will you please go away?" "Not if I knows myself and I think I do," laughed the man. "See here! I'll go away if you will give me your purse. I know that it's in that there basket. You take too much care of it fer it only ter hold yer food. Now give it to me quick." "I won't," said Jeanne determinedly clinging to the basket, for she had put her purse there after buying some fruit. "If you touch this basket I'll scream and the people will know what you are doing." "Pooh! I'll tell them that you are my crazy sister that I'm taking to an asylum," said the fellow easily. "Now you'd better give me that money." "People would know that I was not your sister," exclaimed the girl scornfully. "You don't look in the least like my brother. Now, sir, go away." "Not without that money. Sit down," he commanded gruffly as the girl half rose from her seat. Jeanne cast a wild, imploring look about her for help and sank back in her seat despairingly, for the passengers seemed intent upon other concerns, and the noise of the train prevented the conversation from being overheard. "Are you going to hand out that money?" "Ye-es," faltered Jeanne, reaching for her purse.