St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-06-27


level should, and pocketed the loss, il
so many other people had not crowded
around.
She opened her large, blue eyes at me
as though she thought | must be mis-
taken. After she had repeated the
question to make sure, and had received
the same answer hadn't the courage
to look her in the face when l said
Seventeen, and so made believe was
terribly busy with some letters-she
walked away more slowly than usual.
The next three days running the rates
stood still at seventeen dollars, and
s'My Customer''-rd got to calling her
so in my mind-came and went regu-
larly at the same hour.
Then early the next morning we got
news of big break. Prices were all
at skies and sevenS, but we started IN at
fourteen dollars to Chicago. When She
camel suppose it does not cost any
more to put in a capital than small
'ts''-l felt little nervous about telling
her. To tell the honest truth, was
afraid she would buy ticket and that
would be the last / would see OF her.
Then I thought to myself Its none OF
your business, anyhow. What do you
care-What right have you to carer
And [ had to answer back: 'Not any.
And besides, it was evident she was so
anxious to go that would rather she
would 90 if it would make her the least
bit happier. 1t was rather got-used-
to- being disappointed sort of tone IN
which She asked her regular question,
but there was plenty of life and snap,
and it sounded good to hear the way in
which she said: ''Oh, l thank you'll!
when I told her Fourteen" just as
though I was responsible for it and
made all the rates for the whole country.
But she didn't buy any ticket all the
same, and it may be foolish for
scalper to say-and scalper who is not
in the habit of getting left-to own up,
fair and square, that was downright
relieved when she did not plank down
fourteen dollars on my counter.
1t was fourteen dollars the next day,
and she asked me if thought it would
90 any lower. told her everything
was SO mixed up it was impossible to
tell, but the chances were that tickets
would yet sell for twelve dollars and
perhaps less.
'.Do you think they will get as low as
ten dollars?" she asked.
And then knew her figure and what
she was waiting for, and / was glad to
size up her pile at last.
Il wouldn't wonder if it got down to
ten, said, ''but / don't know how
soon it will be, and hope you are in
40 hI7rrxy al nrt rFnip N ~
When that fly clerk of mine heard
what had said about hoping she
wasn't in hurry, having seen her COM
ing in or going out every day for two
or three weeks, he thought I was trying
| to be sarcastic, and the continental idiot
laughed.
First she looked at him and then at
me with those great, blue eyes, and
then, without word, she walked
away, and somehow I felt as though /
would not see her again. / haven't got
the ugliest disposition in the world, but
/ believe I would really have enjoyed
choking that fly clerk until he was half
dead. AS it was, [ told him in cutrate
times the profits would not allow the
luxury of two clerks, and as he was the
last to come he should be the first to
90, and that he could look for another
place at the end of the week. When he
| turned pale and said he had sick
mother and two little sisters to support
on his ten dollars a week, of course
could do nothing but keep him; but
gave him some advice about laughing
in the wrong place that he wont forget
to his dying day.
She didn't come the next day, nor the
next, nor the next. was getting nerv-
Ifous and too cross for any earthly use
when, on the fourth day after my fly
clerk laughed say the fourth day
after, because he hadn't laughed since
lin she came at the usual hour.
Tickets are eleven dollars to-day, =
| I said, before she had time to ask her
regular question, and could lot help
showing that was glad to see her
again, although for the life of me ]
dared not say so. And then, without
| giving her time to speak, / ratified on:
you've had SO much bother and
trouble waiting, though, that I will
make it ten to you if you are in a hurry
to go.
| did this to make up for the rudeness
of my fly clerk, but it was an effort that
took nerve, I tell you, for / was sure
| this would be the last of her, and that,
of all things, was what | didn't want to
see.
II thank you very much, 7 she said,
''but I am able to pay the full price when
buy ticket.
When she was gone I was rather glad
| to know that her pride had prevented
her accepting my offer Of dollars dis
count, for it gave me still another
chance of seeing her even if ten dollars
should be the next days rate.
| II uas salfish know. and I own mr.