The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-17
ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.

anu scat Va thS ANiA"Uy
car, with the faded velvet cushions, and
its back at exactly the wrong angle for
aught approaching the luxury OF nap.
81 say, Clifton, do you think we might
smoker
"Well, l rather imagine not" said /,
with a motion of my head toward the
other passengers. ..r.
There appear to be ladies on board"
Hatfield shrugged his shoulders.
"Such ladiesw -.-
"Well," laughed I, they don't appear
to be particularly stylish in manners or
costume, but nevertheless, my dear fel-
low, the divinity of their sex hedges
them around like wall"
"Divinity is their humbug!" shortly
interrupted Hatfield. GAS il these half
dressed dowdies, with babies and band
boxes, could possible belong to the same
world with Beatrice HaleP
| To this I made no answer 1t did not
seem TO me exactly appropriate to lug
the sacred name of Beatrice Hale into a
discussion, in a place like this. Yet what
could do except to feel my face flush,
and the roots of my hair tingle2 For l
was Enthusiastically in love with Bee Hale,
| and so was Clarence Hatfield.
If were to waste quarts OF ink and
reams of paper in trying to describe her
manifold charms and excellencies 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 he may come
somewhere near the mark. Suffice 1t to
saw that she was as beautiful as a dream,
and that Hatfield and l were both slaves
at her feet =,
| Which of us did she like best9 Ali,
that was the question: 1t was something
like the children's old game of see-saw
Cup 90, down you come" Sometimes
| fancied | had the ghost of chance,
sometimes | was convinced that Hatfield
was altogether the preferred, and that l
had better emigrate to Australia at once.
"Hello!" cried Hatfield, breaking un-
tremendously in upon the thread of my
musings, "there goes the whistle. We
hall be off directly. Thank goodness
for thatp
And he put up his feet on the opposite
seat and prepared for as comfortable a
four hours ride as possible.
Clarence Hatfield and /, be it under
stood, were employees in the extensive
business of Messrs. jenkins, Jumberton
g. Co.. auctioneers, and had been down in
the country quitting up" sale of
swampy lots, cut into streetsand squares,
according to the most improved metro
poitan methods of doing such things.
1t has 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 christened their new speculation.
Yet we had done reasonably well, and
were now thankful to get back TO New
York.
As the train gave its starting lunge
the door few open, and in came a tall
old lady, in a prodigious black bonnet
and fur cloak, surrounded by perfect
cheveaux de frise of squirrel cages,
leather bags, brown paper parcels and
sandwich-boxes. She was followed
closely by a younger lady, dressed in
black and closely veled and paused hesi'
tatingly in front of our seat.
young man." said she, in a low voice
as grutf' as that of a man, sis this seat
engaeedW
Eyes" said Hatfield; at is"
"For your feet%
"No matter what for" superciliously
replied the head clerk of jenkins, Jump
erton & c.. "Please to pass on old lady
You'll find seats enough beyond" :"
But this was q stretching OF the
truth. There were no seats beyond, az
the old lady could easily perceive, unless
she chose TO sit directly opposite a red
hot coal fire, or upon one of those corneI
!, arrangements close to the door, which are
, equivalent to no seat all.
The old lady hesitated and changec
her heavy carpet-bag from one weariet
arm to the other. | thought of my OWL
good Aunt Polly at home, and rose a
once.
{ "Pray take this seat, ma'm," said I
: "And let me put your parcels up in thu
rack for you"
"Clifton, what fool you arc!' criet
2 Hatfield, in an impatient sotto voice
, "Why couldn't you have sat still ant
a minded your own businessp
at is my own business" | answered
I brusuuely, "to see that every lady i
! made as comfortable as it is in the natur
of things to be. Now the squirrel cage
| ma'am-it'Il go very comfortably unde
: the seat, / think"
+ Hatfield uttered contemptuous grunt
q but he never offered to take his feet iron
= off the opposite cushions, although tn
\ Younger woman stood in the aisle, I'm
r comfortably swaying backward and for
ward with the motion of the train, unit
0 woman beyond, observing the state o
, affairs, drew a sleeping child into he
: lap, and beckoned the other to take tn
: place thus vacated.
, Bv this time the old lady had estaE
{ lished herself to her entire satisfaction
k and opened her sandwich box.
G "Much obliged to you, young man,
s said she Its easy to see that you've
n mother of your own at home, and tina
/ you're in the habit of doing reverence t
: her gray hairs. As for this person.
q with a nod of her poke bonnet in the di
!, rection of Mr.. Hatfeld-"if he's got
O mother ! can't say much for her bringin
up of him. Perhaps he may be old hin
self one day, and stand in need of littI
poiteness and con- liberation from tn
young"
J. "When Pm anxious for your goo
It opinion, ma'am, I'll let you KNOW" re
G turned Mr.. Hatfield, rather fiippantly.
e The old lady could only express hel
r self by a vehement sniff And even
Il was little annoyed at his manner,