The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-10-28
shall be off directly. Thank goodness

shall be off directly. Thank goodness
for that !"
And he put up his feet ON the OPP
posite seat and prepared for as. COM
Portable four hours ride as possi-
BILE.
Clarence Hatfield and I, be 1t under
stood, were employees in the extensive
business of Jenkins, Jumperton & Co.,
auctioneers, and had been down in the
country "putting up" sale of swamp
lots, cut into streets and squares, accord
ing to the most approved metropolitan
methods of doing such things.
1t had been dismal business. No
svember is not an inspiring month at the
best, and the three days. fog had con-
spired against the success of Mount
Nora Park" as Jenkins, Jumperton q
Co. had christened their new specula-
ton.
Yet we had done reasonably well, and
were 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 fur cloak, surrounded by squirrel
cages, leather bags, brown paper parcels,
and sandwich boxes. She was followed
closely by young lady, dressed in
black and closely veiled, and paused
hesitatingly in front of our seat.
"Young man." said she, in voice
as gruff as that of h man, " is this seat
engaged ?"
"Yes," said Hatfield.
For your feetp"
"No matter what for,'' replied Hat
field. Pass on, old lady, you'll find
seats enough beyond"
But this was 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 fires or upon one of those corner
arrangements close to the door, which
are equivalent to no seat at all.
The old lady hesitated and changed
her heavy carpet-bag from one arm to
the other. 1 thought of my own good
old Aunt Polly at home and rose at
once.
"Pray take this seat, ma'am," said I,
"and let me put your parcels in the rack
for you"
"Clifton, what fool you are I"
cried Hatfield, impatiently. "Why
couldn't you have sat still and minded
your own business 7"
''It is my business to see that every
lady is made comfortable as 1t is in the
nature of things to be. "Now the squir-
rel cage, ma'am-it'll comfortably go un-
der the seat, think"
Hatfield uttered q contemptuous grunt,
but never offered to take his feet off the
opposite cushion, although the younger
woman stood in the aisle, e,uncomfortably
swaying backwards and forwards with
the motion of the train, until a woman
beyond observing the state of affairs,
drew sleeping child into her lap, and
beckoned the other to take the place
thus vacated.
BY this time the old lady had estab-
lished herself to her entire satis-
faction, and had opened her sandwich
box.
Much obliged to you, young man."
said the old lady. "It is easy to see
that you've mother at home, and that
you are in the habit of doing reverence
to her gray hairs. AS for that person."
with nod of her poke bonnet in the
direction of Hatfield-"if he's got
mother 1 can't say much for her bring
ing of him up. Perhaps he may be old
himself one day, and stand in need of a
little politeness and consideration from
the young.
When am anxious for your good
opinion, ma'am, I'll let you know" re-
turned Hatfield rather fiippantly.
The old lady could only express her
self by vehement sniff. And even I
was little annoyed at his manner.
Hatfield" said I, in low tone,
you might behave little more like
gentleman.n
" So will" he retorted, "when 1
find myself in company which demands
such a measure"
said no more, but leaning up against
the door prepared to make myself as
comfortable as possible, until the train
should stop at Stamford, its first way
station, when some descending passen-
ger might make way for me.
Reader, did you ever stand in an ex-