Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-23
ON THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.

as uo leu DlHlseil I'LL HeAFlly InCO tHe
stiff and uncomfortable seat of the
railway car, with its faded velvet cush-
ions, and its back at exactly the wrong
angle for approaching the luxury of a
nap. Il say, Clifton, do you think we
might smoke ?"
swell, rather imagine not" said l,
with motion of my head toward the
other passengers. "There appears to
be ladies on board"
Hatfield shrugged his shoulders.
"Such ladies !"
"Well," laughed ], "they don't APP
pear to be particularly stylish in man
ner or costume, but nevertheless, my
dear fellow, the divinity of their sex
hedges them around like wall"
"Divinity of their humbug;" short
ly interrupted Hatfield. "As if these
addressed dowdies, with babies and
band-boxes, could possibly belong to the
same world with Beatrice Hale !"
To this | made no answer. 1t did
not seem to me exactly appropriate to
lug the sacred name Of Beatrice Hale
into discussion in place like this.
Yet what could do, except TO feel my
cheeks flush and the roots of my hair
Jingle. For 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 describes
her manifold charms and excellence
to the reader, it wouldn't do any good.
Such things have been tried before and
failed. Let him imagine the fairies
brunette the sun eveshone on, and he
may come somewher near the mark
Suffice it to say thatrshe was as beauti.
full as dream, and that Hatfield and 7
were devoted slaves at her feet.
Which of us did the like best? All,
that was the question 1t was some
thing like the children's old game of
see-saw: Cup go, down you come"
Sometimes / fancied l had had the
ghost of chance; sometimes / was
convinced that Hatfield was altogeth-
er the preferred, and that had better
err. late to Australia at once.
"Hello!" cried Hatfield, breaking I'M
tremendously upon the thread Of my
musings, there goes the whistle. We
shall be off directly. Thank goodness
fol- that" And he put up his foot on
the opposite seat, and prepared for as
comfortable four hours ride as pos
sible.
Clarence Hatfield and |, be it under
stood, were employees in the extensive
business of Messrs. Jenkins, Jumper
ton d Co., auctioneers, and had been
down in the country putting up a
sale of swampy lots, cut into streets
and squares, according to the most ap-
proved metropolitan methods of doing
such things.
1t had been dismal business.
November is not an inspiring month at
the best, and three days fog had con-
spired against the success of "Mount
Nora Park" as Jenkins, jun perton e.
Co., had christened 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 prodigious black bonnet
and fur cloak, surrounded by per-
feet cheuduu de (rise of squirrel cages,
leather bags, brown paper parcels, and
sandwich boxes. She was followed
closely by young lady dressed in
black, and closely yelled, and paused
hesitatingly in front of our seat.
young man." said she, in. low
voice as gruf as that of man, sis this
seat engaged?'
EYES," said Hatfield; SGT is"
"For your feet?"
mo matter what for" superciliously
rp,lia1 tho booI olo,l, ,>f
Jumpterton 4 Co. "Please do pass on,
old lady. You will find seats enough
beyond"
But this was q stretching of his truth.
There were no seats, beyond, as the
old lady could easily preceive, unless
she choose to sit direct opposite a red
hot coal fire or upon one of those cor
ner arrangements close to the door,
which are equivalent to no seat at all.
The old lady hesitated and changed
her heavy capet bag from one wearied
arm to the other. | thought Of my
good Aunt Polly at home, and rose at
once.
3, Pray take this seat, ma'am,' said l.
ana let me put your parcels up in the
rack for you.o
III c'ivoh, what fool you are !! CRED
!! n yWhd IN an impatient soto uoce.
N1V couldn't you nave sat still and
MINDED your own business?"
~ Is my own, business" | answered
ofuSSquely, to see that every lady is
made as comfortable as it is in the ma
lure of things to be. Now the squirrel
cage am-it'll 60 yery well under
the seat l think"
Hatfield uttered contemptuous
grunt but he never offered to take his
feet off the opposite cushion, although
the younger woman stood in the aisle
uncomfortably swaying backward and
forward with the motion of the car, un-
til 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 my old lady had estsb-