Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-02-02
HARRY.


"Another train on in half an hour.
viii any gentleman get out to oblige q
lady?"
The station at Oxenholme Junction,
s'change here for Windermere," was
crowded with travellers fastening lake
ward, and anxious to reach their vari-
Gus destinations in time for dinner or
tea, as the case might be. The plat
form was still dotted with the different
costumes, ultra-pretty or ultra-ugly,
which delight the tourist eye, though
the train now on the point of starting
was already SO full thai distinctions of
class had been lost sight of in the rush
for seats made by the famished and
tired crowd. Mrs. Salway felt sure that
such was the case as she sat in the cor
ner of her first-class carriage, and al
ternately cast angry glances at the peo-
pie who had scrambled in after her and
piteous ones at her younger daughter,
who had not been so successful in the
crush, and was now standing forlornly
enough upon the platform.
s'It is SO like Mary" Mrs. Salway
murmured to her elder daughters;
''really your father should have waited
for US; this is the last time that we travel
in two parties. l had no idea that first
class passengers were crowded out of
their seats and mixed with everybody
in this way. l suppose we must get out,
and all stay until the next train.'
And indeed the other passengers, not
withstanding the guards invitation and
her black looks, showed no inclination
to postpone their arrival for half an
hour, and risk the chance of being late
at table d'h0te.
There was one passenger, sitting in
the opposite corner from the platform,
who excited Mrs. Salway's more partic-
ular spleen. She was quite certain that
the ticket in his pocket, if he had one at
ali (this was a mental reservation), was
for the third class. His rough suit was
shabby, and had seen much service,
more especially the knickerbocker part
of it, and in that service his soft gray
hat had apparently shared to very
considerable extent. His boots were as
innocent of backing as his stick of var
nish, and the small knapsack above his
head would have failed to carry conf
dence to the mind of the least suspicious
of hotel-keepers. But he had some re-
deeming points about him; his hands
were gloved-in old gloves once yellow,
~ 10 ttuO-oLiN hO gave uH LIS oOoo W
oblige LADY," according to the guard s
formula.
From his place in the corner OF the
carriage he could not see whom he was
obliging, until, having retired with the
shamefaced confusion which nine out of
ten Englishmen assume when they are
being conspicuously courteous, he stole
glance at her face as she stepped in.
She gave him little bow of thanks,
and smile of such evident gratitude as
would have converted the many family
friends who considered Mary Salway
rather plain than otherwise. She had a
small pale face, with shy brown eyes a
size too large for it; rather timid re-
firing face, which made one agree with
her mother that giving way in crash
was .'just like Mary" and very unlike
Mrs Saiway Our friend in knicker-
bockers saw the smile, and would fain
have become better acquainted with it
but the train was already moving off
with the young lady, and, as he remem-
bered when too late, with his knapsack
as well.
So it happened that when he did
reach Windermere station his scanty
baggage was not to be found. KNAPP
sacks, large and small, are common
things at the Lakes, and inquiries were
in vain. The Crown Hotel at Bowness
reached, he was only just in time to get
the last vacant room, a little one at the
top of the house, much encountered with
spare baths, baby's crib, and other
odds and ends, but otherwise almost as
ill provided with furniture as he was
with luggage. However, he was lucky
in not having to sleep under the billiard
table, as has happened to some way
farers in those parts; and besides, the
room had such a view of the head OF
Windermere, the Langdale Pixies, and
High street, As made up for some slight
inconvenience.
Strict evening dress is not demanded
by etiquette at the Lake hotels. Some
of the company, no doubt, are Ameri-
cans, travelling with mountains of iron
bound trunks bearing the labels of halt
the hotels in Europe; many are honey
incoming couples, arrayed in the newest
of apparel from the crown of the head
to the sole of the foot. But many also
carry their luggage in their hands or on
their backs, and so swallow-tails and
spotless shirtfronts are out of the ques-
ton. But the etiquette of the table
d'kotc does look for one thing, and that
is black coat of some kind or other.
Therefore Mrs. Salway, who for various
reasons had not felt all her daughters
gratitude, was much aggrieved at the
presence of our hero in his knickerbock-
er suit; not knowing that it was through
his courtesy that he was compelled to
appear in this Ito Mrs. Salway, with
whom form and ceremony were fetishes,
from whose worship rank and wealth
alone were free) disgraceful state. But
she was more aggrieved at his proximi-
ty to her party, and most of all at her
husbands stupidity and mismanage.
ment in leaving Mary to take the outside
seat, so that the young fellow was next
to her. The Objectionable gentleman
AID not see the matter at all in the same