Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-31
ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

ne let himself fall heavily into the stiff
and uncomfortable seat of the railway
Car, with its faded velvet cushions, and
Its back at exactly the wrong angle for
aught approaching the luxury Of nap.
II say, Clifton, do you think we might
smoke?"
'sWell, rather imagine not,' said I,
with motion of my hand toward the
other passengers. "There appears to be
ladies on board"
Hatfield shrugged his shoulders.
"Such ladiesP'
SWELL" laughed I, 'they don't appear
to be particularly stylish in manner OF
costume, but nevertheless, my dear fell
low, the divinity Of their sex hedges them
around like WALL
divinity of their humbug!' shortly
interrupted Hatfield. ''As if these i'll
dressed dowdies, with babies and band
boxes, could possibly belong to the same
world with Beatrice Hale''
10 this l made no answer. It did not
seem to me to be exactly appropriate to
draw the sacred name Of Beatrice Hale
into discussion in place like this. Yet
what could I do, except to feel my
cheeks flush and the roots Of my hair tin
gle! For l was Enthusiastically in love
with Bee Hale, and so was Clarence Hat
field.
II were to waste quarts of ink and
reams of paper in trying to describe her
manifold charms and excellences to the
reader, it wouldn't do any good. Such
things have been tried before and failed.
Let him imagine the fairest brunette the
sun ever shone on, and be may come
somewhere near the mark. Suffice it to
say that she was as beautiful as dream.
and that Hatfield and I were both slaves
at her feet.
Which of us did she like best? All,
that was the question! It was something
like the children's old game of see-saw
Cup I go, down you come" Sometimes
| fancied l had the ghost of chance
sometimes was convinced that Hatfield
was altogether the preferred, and that
had better emigrate to Australia at once.
''Hello!" Grid Hatfield, breaking un-
tremendously in upon my musings,
"there goes the whistle. We shall be off
directly. Thank goodness for that!''
And he put up his feet on the opposite
seat, and prepared for as comfortable a
four-hours' ride as possible. -.
Clarence Hatfield AND I, be it under
stood, were employees in the extensive
business of Messrs. Jenkins, Jumperton
d Co., auctioncers, and bad been down in
the country putting up" sale of swan
Ply lots, cut into streets and squares,
according to the most approved metro.
politan methods of doing such things.
It had been dismal business. Novem-
Der is not an inspiring month at the best,
and three days fog had conspired
against the success of Mount Nora Park. ,
as Jenkins, Jumperton & Co. had chris
tened the new speculation. Yet we had
done reasonably we'll, and were now
thankful enough to get back to New York.
AS the train gave its starting lunge,
the door flew open, and in came tall,
old lady, in a prodigious black bonnet
and a fur cloak, surrounded by perfect
che0aur dc frise of squirrel cages, leather
bags, brown paper parcels, and sandwich
boxes. She was followed closely by a
younger lady dressed in black, and close
" veiicd, and paused hesitatingly in
front of our seat.
"Young man, said she, in low voice
as gruff as that OF man, "is this seat
engaged9"
eyes, said fairfield; ''it ISL
"For your feet?"
S'No matter what for" superciliouslv
replied the head clerk of Jenkins. jun.
perton & Go. "Please to pass on. old
lady. You'll find seats enough beyond. -
But this was a stretching Of the truth.
There were no seats beyond, as the old
lady could easily perceive, unless she
chose to sit directly opposite red-hot
coal hire or upon one of those corner ar
engagements close to the door, which are
equivalent to no seat at all.
The old lady hesitated and changed
her heavy carpet-bag from one wearied
arm to the other. I thought of nv own
good Aunt Polly at home, and rose al
once.
"Pray take this seat, ma am" said 1
"And let me put your parcels up in the
rack for you.''
"Clifton, what fool you are!;' cried
Hatfield, in an impatient sdtto voce. "Why
couldn't you have sat still and minded
your own business?"
''It is my own business answered
brusquely, ITO see that every LADY is
made as comfortable as it is in the nature
Of things to be. Now the squirrel-cage,
ma'am-ltll go very comfortably under
the seat, think"
Hatfield uttered contemptuous grunt,
but he never offered to trust his feet OH
the opposite cushions, although the
younger woman stood in the aisle, un.
comfortably swaying backward and for
ward with the motion of the train, until
woman beyond, observing the state of
affairs, drew sleeping child in her lap,
and beckoned the other to take the place
thus vacated.
By this time my old lady had estab-
llshed herself to entire satisfaction, and
opened her sandwich box.
"Much obliged to you, young man, -
said she. cts easy to see that you've a
mother OF your own at home, and YOU'RE
In the habit of doing reverence to her
gray hairs. AS for this personn- a
nod of her poke-bonnet in the direction
II MIR. Hatfeld-'sif he's got mother, l
can't say much for her bringing of him
up. Perhaps he might be old himself
one day. and stand in need of little po-
likeness and consideration from the
young"
"Wben I'm anxious for your good opin-
ion, ma'am, I'll let you know" returned
Mr.: Hatfield, rather flppantly.
The old lady could only express herself
by vehement sniff. And even was a
little annoyed at his manner.
Hatfield" said l in low tone, "you
might behave like a gentleman
$50 will, he retorted, with shrug,
''when find myself in company that