The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-11
A COMEDY OF TWO.
waiting for the Train.
Philadelphia Press.


party in southeast corner studying surroundings
from behind glasses.
Enter handsome man, curly hair, slightly gray,
dark eyes, carries small al,igator-s skin travelling
bag marked with silver letters IA. L. D." linen
shawl case embroidered with same letters, lady's
umbrella, basket of rose buds.
Following him: Pretty woman. dark-blue
eyes, lots of dimples, carrying a book. Seats
herself in a worklng-chair placed directly in
, front of elderly party in glasses.
Knight of the bag, shawl-strap, etc., places
them on neighboring seat, and says;
'Ill go and telegraph that you missed the
train. The next one goes presently. Better
wait for it here; it's showing too fast to go out
| again"
Lady (thoughtfulIy)-'1 might take a han
som up to BIS. I left my watch there
last week-still, 1 might be delayed and miss
another. can't think how / happen to blunder
SO. / am sure Edward said two, and it wanted
six minutes of it when 1 got out of the carriage.
Find out how soon 1 can go, please"
Knight goes out. Voice of usher in the dis
lance: 'Frankford, Holmesburg, Bristol and
Trenton Lady arranges her skirts, takes fan
out of bag, glances casually atE p, takes three
OF TOUR roses from DdSket, IaSLenS Lnem on neF
dress, leans back and opens book. knight re-
turns
Knight-''The train will not be ready for an
hour. You don't mind, / hope-tafter a pausel
How many years it is since we have travelled
together! 1 was thinking about it while 1 was
waiting for you"
Lady MISUNDERSTANDING for me9"
Knight mean before you came. This sta
ton was not built then, and we used to have
such dreadfully long horse-car rides from West
Chester tn West Philadelnhian
Lady-'You did not think them so dreadfully
long then" 1.-THE speaker colors slightly and
changes the s~ubject.) II have half promised
day in New York. They 60 there on Monday"
Knight think you said last night that you
were coming back here from Trenton"
Lady--"Yes, for little Dora Smyth's wedding.
Thursday. Isn't it too funny to think that baby
is old enough to be married?'
Knight-''Not when / recollect that my
nephew Walter has a fine little shaver of his
own, my first namesake."
"Lady-"You don't say so! Why, l remem-
did he marry?'
Knight-'Grace Biddle, the fair-haired pretty
one; they were married in Rome nearly three
| years ago; tie boy is quite a fellow now, has a
tooth or two, and is supposed by his parents to
say, Papa, time moves"
Lady-'Yes, indeed. Why, my boy is taller
| than 1 am, and Nelly
Knight-"Ah! What is this you're readings
I might have known Well, what do you think
of ita Is it worth wasting time over?"
~Lady-"You haven't read Mr.. IsaacsY".
Knight-'NotI II read DIR. Claudius' and,
istine2'
Knight--"Aren't you ashamed to betray such
ignorance2"
Lady-"But what is ito"
Knight (solemnly)-"Have you never heard of
Matthew Arnold?"
Lady with assumed petulance)-'1 will not
| ha 1a17u1,oA of Mr-S
Knight Observation-Disclosures Helen, /
don't intend to call you Mrs. Anything. When
was it that Walter was in knickerbockersa"
Lady (coloring slightly, but smilingl-"Oh,
when2-a hundred years ago, when we were
young. l should so like to show you my boy
| and girl, they,
Knight (interrupting again)-'Don't change
the subject SO. Helen, "a hundred years What
nonsense! Have you quite forgotten when we
two partedP"
Lady livery demurely)-'I am sure it wasn't
in silence and fear"
Knight-"Well, no! not in silence, most as
suredly. What a sharp little tongue you had,
Lady (still demurely)-''So glad you use the
| past tense!s
Knight don't believe you've improved one
bit in all these eighteen years. It's incredible,
Ellie. When l look at you l can hardly trust
my own memory. 1t can't be more than eighteen
| years since we two hot-headed young things,
| almost on the eve of our wedding-day, quar-
| relied about nothing and made s~hipwreck OF our
| lives"
Lady (spiritedly)-'1 did nothing of the kind.
| You've no right to say such a thing. I have
had the happiest sort of a life. My children are
| perfect darlings, my husband was the very best
man in the world; my only sorrow was"
Knight-'Hisi death! Exactly. / expected
you to say so. Of course, you were sorry about
it. You are ia good woman, certainly. You
mourned for him; but timeis alwonderful healer,
and you soon outlived your grief"
/ lady fPiSiDU pdipnant1Vl-bXou shall mt
speak to me in such a way; l won't listen to
| you"
Knight (calmly)-"Sit down, Ellie; I'll apollo
! gize; it wasn't soon, but you have outlived it.
| Way, child, it's the way of the world; one out
lives everything. Ellie, how young are, in spite
| of your-how many?-years. When you throw
up your head in that old way I fancy myself
back on your unele's old porch in Chester; you
were a v~eryiwillful girl, Helen"
Lady with heightened color]-"1 am a very
willful woman"
knight (aughing)-'I haven't the slightest
doubt of it, my dear; fortunately, | can manage
willfulness-and you-better than / did in my
callow days. Seriously, Helen, / have some
| thing to say to you. We didn't meet by accident;
/ was waiting for you, waiting to say it. Your
train hadn't gone; / lied to you. Yes. / did;
don't look angry; listen ana hear the old story.
Ellie. answer the old question:; l came to-day to
| ask it."
Lady (hurriedly, glancing about distractedly)
-'Oh, hush, hush, do hush! Some one will
| surely, surely, hear your
During the last few sentences, elderly party
in glasses, torn by the conflicting emotions, fem
| mime sense of honor always weak, feminine love
of romance always strong, has alternately
fdgeted to proclaim her presence and remained
breathless to conceal it. At this appeal, honor
| triumphs and she heroically and noisily drops
her ~sun-umbrella which knight picks up and
| returns with a polite bow. Thus admitted to his
confidence, e. P. cast honor to the winds and
leaning forward, shamelessly, anxiously, eager
| ly, sympathizingly, listens!
Knight with perfect calm)-"Let any one
hear, let the whole world hear-I told you hon
estly years ago, l repeat it honestly to-day, 1
love you; Helen, will you be my wifep
Lady lblushing painfully)ETom, you don't
know what you are saying, you can't mean 1t,
you can't be serious, you haven't loved me all
this time"
knight tstill calmly)E"No, my dear, haven't"
Lady tindignantly)-'Then why do you ask
ma 70 nnarrv un12 Won nnlu In ma Let ouon-