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She had arrived early in the , presumably to wait for soer trains cah Little Rock's Union Station--in fact it waselse The ticket agent called security, and the two security guards on duty eyed her from a distance

"A nut job," concluded the older uard was not so jaded He had just turned twenty, and was new to the job He still saw the best in people "Maybe she's just waiting for the Texas Eagle"

"That train's not due for hours," said the older guard "I'm tellin' ya--she's a wacko Sooner or later there'll be a 'tell' that gives it away--you watch!"

The girl did not have the look of the various and sundry crazies that frequented the nation's train stations She ell-dressed--in fact, overdressed in a eown True, her red hair looked a bit disheveled, but she was neither talking to herself or engaging in questionable activities--although sitting for hours in a train station was, in and of itself, questionable

She was hard not to notice What with that shiht spot in the dreary station, and it drew the younger guard's attention all , until he finally approached her She was as beautiful up close as she was froh some discoloration around one eye attested to soht, Miss?" he asked "Can I help you with anything?"

"No," she said cheerily "I' for a friend"

"The train isn't due to arrive for another six hours-- and with that bridge down in Me's been rerouted, so it's bound to be late Wouldn't you rather come back later?"

"My friend is not necessarily arriving by train," she informed him

"Oh" Since he didn't quite kno to respond to that, he just let her be, convincing the other guard not to evict her for loitering It occurred to hiirl fit the description of a woe disaster, but there was no way it could have been her This girl was far too young and innocent to be involved in that kind of thing

She was still there at noon, and was beginning to get fidgety The young guard had realized she had not eaten--in fact, she didn't even have a purse or wallet of any kind, so he bought her a bagel at the station caf茅, and gave it to her

"On the house," he said "Why, thank you!"

"Are you sure I can't help you?" he asked "Maybe we could call your friend"

"I'm afraid he has no telephone" And clearly neither did she

She ate her bagel sloith a grace rarely seen in these days of fast food and stuffed faces If she was still here when his shift ended, he thought he raceful way she dined

As the day wore on, she became more and uard crossed his aruard convinced hiirl alone "She's all yours," the older man said as he left at the end of his shift

At about four in the afternoon, the girl began to walk around the station with increasing iered alone for too long, and the guard began to truly feel for her

"Is it you?" she asked aa newspaper

"Pardon ht you were so machine "Are you someone else?"

These were all "tells" to be sure, and now that she was up and about, there was one ht It was her dress It was beautiful, it was elegant, and it still had a price tag hanging fro world had not been kind to Mary Hightower in the week she had been in it Resilient and adaptive though she was, there were simply some situations she was unprepared for It wasn't only that her sensibilities were suited to a kinder, otten the endless inconveniences of the huht on by hunger and thirst, which nearly caused her to faint several ti her first few days alive The need for nourishment was an ever-present nuisance She abhorred theft of any kind, so she hoped siht sustain her She was appalled at ho people illing to share their food with her when asked politely In the end she had to resort to taking food from abandoned plates after the diners had left--and even then she was constantly shoed away by heartless restauranteurs

She quickly becausted with bodily functions as well, but discovered that ignoring theood idea--and then there was this awful business of body odor In Everlost she always smelled faintly of lilacs and wildflowers--just like the fields around her on the day she died Well, the living body did not sreen velvet dress for more than a hundred years, in just a few days it had beco that people would keep their distance from her

Over the week, as she traveled west, she had co to help her--such as the man who purchased for her the lovely dress she noore However there was nothing gentlemanly about them at all In fact, they turned mean when she didn't return their affection, and left her

Well, she thought, at least I have ht before her arrival in Little Rock, she bathed herself in a fountain to wash off the stench of living, and grooe ditch

"Meet me in one week's time," Milos had whispered to her on that terrible day in Graceland "One week's time, at the train station in Little Rock"

Nothis terrible week, she was determined to look her best for Milos

She kneould be skinjacking, so there'd be no way to spot him in advance All she could do ait So that's what she did She waited all , and all afternoon But as the day wore on, and the sun began to set, she beca? What if he had changed hisworld? And what if this nightined herself aging, her body corrupting with decay What had she done to deserve such an unspeakable punishment?

A train ca after dark now, and Milos had not come She buried her head in her hands and wept

"Listen, MissI'm sorry your friend didn't show "

She looked up to see that nosy young security guard again She gathered what little poise she could, and pulled a few stray strands of hair back from her face "It's fine," she said "Really it is" She looked at the large station clock, which showed half-past nine They were the only ones left in the station now

"I'"

Mary blotted her eyes, as he sat down beside her "Youhours," she said "You've been here since this"Actually o But I orried about you, so I stayed"

Then he reached around to the back of her neck "You know you left the price tag on"