The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-20

Hello cried Hatfield, breaking un
ceremOnlOusly In upon the thread OF mi
musings, there goes the whistle, WI
shall be OH directly. Thank goodness To-
thatIh
And he put his feet on the oppose seat
and prepared Tor % comfortable q fouI
hours ride as possible.
Clarence Hatfield and |, be Il under
stood, were employees In the extensive bus
ineSs Of Messrs. jenkins, Jumperton 4 Co,
A%uctiOneers, and had been down TO The
country putting up a sale of swanpy
lots, cut Into streets and squares, accord,
Ing 10 the most approved metropolitan
methods Of doing such things.
II had been RdismAl business. Noyem.
Der Ia not an inspiring month at the best,
and the three days fog had conspired
against the success Of "Mt. Morris Park
rs Jenkins, JumpertOn 4 Co., had chris.
tened the new speculation. Yet we had
done reasonably well, and were nov
thankful enough 10 get back 10 New
York.
As thetrRin gave its starting lunge the
door flew open, and In came a tall old
lady, ina prodigious black bonnet and fur
cloak, surrounded by a perfect cherdlr de
lri@ Of squirrel cages, leather bags, brown
paper parcels, and sandwich boxes. She
was followed closely by q younger lady,
dressed In black and closely yelled, and
paused hesitatingly In front Of our scat.
"Young man, " said she, In a low voice
as grutfas that ola mans, 'iE this seat en-.
gaged?n
Eyes, p said Hatfield, "itis."
"For your iest?"
mo matter what for" nperCiliously re-.
piled the head clerk OF jenkins, Jumper.
ton 4 Co. "Please TO pass on, old lady.
You'll find seats enough beyond"
But this was q stretching OF the truth.
There no seats beyond, ~ the old
lady could easily perceive, unless she
chose 10 ait directly opposite a red.hot
coal fire, or upon n 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 carpGt.ba from one wsaried arm 10
the other. l thought Of my own good
Aunt Polly, at home, and Ose at once.
"Pray take this seat, ma'Am," said |,
and let me put your parcel in the rack
for you"
"CliltOn, what a fool you arev cried
Hatfield, in an impatientsOttO voice. "Why
couldn't you have sat still aud minded
your own business2H
at ismy business" answered brusque.
ly, ITO see that every lady Is made as com.
Portable as 1t is In the nature Of things to
DO. Now the squirrel cage, ma'am-it'll
go very comfortably under the seat, l
think"
Hatfield uttered a coutemptuous grunt
but heNnever offered TO trust his feet of
theoppOsite cushions, although the young.
e woman stood in the aisle, uncomiorta.
bly, SwayiDg backward with the train, until
= woman beyond, observing the state Of
affairs, drew a sleeping child into her lap,
and beckoned the other To take the place
thus vacated.
BY this time my old lady had establish
cd herself 10 her entire satisfaction and
opened her sandwich box,
Much obliged to you, young man"
said she, tits easy 10 see you've a
motlherot your own at home, and that you
are in the habit OF doing reverence to her
gray hairs. As for this person"-with a
nod Of her poke bonnetln the direction Of
Mr.. Hatdeld-'ithe'sgo got a mother, l can't
gay 30 much Tor her bringing Of him up.
Perhaps he may be old himself one day,
and stand in need Of q little politeness
and consideration from the young"
"When I'm anxious for your good opin.
ion, ma'am, I'll let you know" returned
Hatfield, rather ilippantly.
Tho old lady could only express herself
by q vehement snuff. And even | wa a
little annoyed by his manner.
Hatfield" said !, In a low tone, "you
might behave like a gentleman"
$50 ! will" he retorted, with q shrug,
when find myselfin company that calls
for such measures"
said no more, but leaning up against
the side oil tho door, prepared TO make
myself as comfortable as possible until
the train should stop at Stamford, its hnt
way station, and some descending passen.
yer might make oom for me.
Reader, did you ever stand in an ex.
presS train in full notion Did you eve
feel yourself swayed backward and for.
ward, bumpingo one Of the chronological dc.
velopments against one side Of the car,
and bringing the base Of your spinal col.
umn against the top OF a seat The opposite
sweryeOl the train: Did you ever grasp
bllndly at nothing for support? Did you
execute an involuntary pas seul, by way
Of keeping your balance, and then grind
your teeth 10 see the two pretty Young
ladies beyond laughing at your antiesY
II 80, you will know how 10 pity me dur.
ing the hour and 4 half between B.
and Stamford.
Hatfield went to sleep and snored; the
old lady In the gigantic bonnet ate sand.
wiches and drank from . wicker flask oil
excellently smel ling sherry; the young
lady sat ~ nOiselees as a black yelled
statue; tretful babies whimpered; old
gentlemen uttered strange sounds in their
sleep; the lights tlared like sickly moons
overhead, and the shrek oil the train as II
few through sleeping villages, sounded
rlike the yell Of q fiery.lhroated demon.
''Stamtordp bawled the conductor, Al
last succeeded In dropping my weary
and stitEened limbs into n seat, where
slumber overlook me In Just Q minute and a
quarter; for | had been asleep on my legs
ones or twice, ever In my former disad.
%vGntAgeous attitude, aud ! could scarcely
believe the evidences Of my senses when
We finally Numbered into the echoinV
vastness Of the Graud Central depot IN
New York.
Hatfield, alive 70 the necessity Of catch.
Ing a car before all the world OF travellers
should crowd into 1t, stumbled over the
old lady's ankles with small ceremony.
"0h, take care! You have knocked the
squirrel cage over9" cried she.
"Contound the squirrel cagei"-shou.ed
Hatfield, gnashing bis teeth, as the ancient
dame placed herself directly in the aisle
70 set the Hurry pet up again, thereby CON.
pletely blocking up his egress.
Serves you right, Hatfield" said l as |
stopped to assist.
Just then the young companion OF our
lady advanced, %finging back her veil.
Grandma" said she, "the carriage Is
waiting. Ill send Thomas for your par.
GELS, Mr.. Clifton, l am very much OBJ.
liRed to you Tor your politeness 10 my
grandmother, who 10 unused TO travelling,
As TO Mr.. llatfleld-the less said about hIs
courtesy the better" And Beatrice Hale's
black eyes flashed disdainfully on Clar.
enCe's cowed visage,
"Miss Hale" he stammored, III I'd had
the least idea who you we're"
"You would have regulated your con-
duct accordingly, "impatiently interrupted
Miss Hale. "ThRnks-I prefer 10 SEQ peo-
pie in their true light. Mr.. Clifton"
turning graclously TO me, you'll call and
see how grandma stands her journey, TO-
morrow, won't you2 Oh, thank you-the
carriage Is close by"
And to this day l believe that Is the
way l won my wife; for Clarence Hatfield
was q brilliant, snowy sort Of a fellow,
who far out-shono me In general society,
and think Bee had long been disposed
rather 10 fancy him until that night. But
she was dIsenChAntsd now for good and
all, And grandma comes 10 sec US every
Christmas with a hamper Of good things
from Hale Farm.
USiTED SrArsssSATOR FESroS, Of New