Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-02-04
On the Midnight Express.

VII buC MtuIuyut 6NPi VSS'
"Of all things, night journey is
the most tedious" said Clarence Hat
field, as he let himself fall heavily into
the stiff and uncomfortable seat of the
railway car, with its faded velvet cush-
ions. and it's back at exactly the wrong
angle for approaching the luxury of a
nap. IT say, Clifton, do you think we
might smoker"
swell, I rather imagine not" said I,
with motion Of my head toward the
other passengers. "There appears to
be ladies on board"
Hatfield shrugged his shoulders
"Such ladies |"
"Well," laughed I, "they don't ap-
pear to be particularly stylish in manner
or costume, but nevertheless, my dear
fellow, the divinity Of their sex hedges
them around like wall"
divinity of their humbug;" shortly
interrupted Hatfield. Gas if these ill
dressed dowdies, with babies and band
boxes, could possibly belong to the
same world with Beatrice Hale !"
To this I made no answer. It did
not seem to me exactly appropriate to
lug the sacred name Of Beatrice Hale
into a discussion in place like this.
Yet what could do, except to feel my
cheeks flush and the roots of my hair
Jingle. For I was Enthusiastically in love
with Bee Hale, and 80 was Clarence
Hatfield.
If Iwere to waste quarts of ink ani
reams of paper in trying to describe h el
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 he
may come somewhere near the mark.
Suffice it to say that she was as beautiful
as a dream, and that Hatfield and /
were devoted slaves at her feet.
Which OF us did she like best? All,
that was the question 1t was some
thing like the children's old game OF
see-saw: Sup I 60, down you come"
Sometimes ] fancied had had the ghost
of chance sometimes I was con-
WINGED that Hatfield was altogether the
preferred, and that I had better emf
CRATE to Australia at once.
"Hello!" cried Hatfield, breaking un-
tremendously upon the thread OF my
musings, ''there goes the whistle. We
shall be off directly. Thank goodness
for 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 I, be it under
stood, were employees in the extensive
business of Messrs. Jenkins, Jumper
ton & Co., auctioneers, and had been
down in the country putting up" 9
sale of swampy lots, cut into streets
and squares, according to the most ap-
proved metropolitan methods of doing
such things.
1t had been a 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, Jumperton &
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 it's starting lunge,
the door flew open, and in came talk
old lady, in prodigious black bonnet
and a fur cloak, surrounded by per.
feet cheuauv de .frise of squirrel cages,
leather bags, brown paper parcels, and
sandwich boxes. She was followed
closely by ayounger lady dressed in
black, and closely yelled, and paused
hesitatingly in front of cur seat.
young man." said she, in q low
voice as gruff as that of man, sis this
seat engaged?"
eyes" said Hatfield it is"
For your feet ?"
mo matter what for" superciliously
replied the head clerk of jenkins,
Jumpterton & Co, "Please to pass on,
old lady. You will find seats enough
beyond"
But this was stretching of his
truth. There were no seats, beyond.
as the old lady could easily perceive,