, 1885-04-19
THE WASHER.

conversation. I believe / might DO able my
self to worry along with a conversation
with a stranger II somebody started it for
mo, or II she asked something about the
country we were passing through. but
to have that diplomacy necessary
commence a casual acquaintance Is a feat
that I have always felt Is far beyond me- |
have gone long and lonesoms railway jour
noys just because OF this defect In my char
acter. have seen a young man come into
a car In which l have ridden 100 miles and
before We had passed the next mile post he
was sitting beside the best looking girl In
the train talking as il they were old friends.
| have often wondered how II was done. l
wondered how he began it That was
always what bothered me. l never was on
hand at the commencement Perhaps this
Is why / have such an unreasonable dislike
OF the "masher." l ave the hatred of him
that no doubt springs from the consciousness
that / am unready, awkward, don't say
the right thing at the right time, and
also because he Il 30 much better looking
than l am. Now, take al elderly lady-a
woman with bundles and uncertainties
then you ought to SEQ my good qualities
shine forth. 1 help her on the train, 1 run
back TO the waiting rcom to SEQ If she really
has lost the box she misses, l find a scat for
her and ] give her all the Information have
and ask the conductor for more. But When
1t comes 10 the handsome girl the masher
gets ahead OF me there. To return TO my text,
how is this sort OF "chance acquaintance
struck upi
| found out how it was lone in a 70
cent trip on the Grand Trunk to Portland
Maine.
One OF the brakemen on our train was II
very handsome fellow. He shouted the
names OF the stations in a fine bass voice,
and between times he admired himself and
fixed his cravat at the looking glass set at
an angle at the end OF the car. At Gorham
a very pretty girl came on and took a seat
near the center OF the car. The two brake
men generally met at my end Of the car and
sat together, on a seat just be-
fore me. When the train began to slow
up the commonplace brakemen vent
to the rear car while the masher walked
gracefully DOWN the long aisle and twice
shouted the maine Of the station we were APP
preaching; then he went out, put his head in
the forward car, and we heard the faint
echo Of the name nice more. Before the
train stopped he was on the platform, his
right hand on the hand rail, trotting along
with the slowing train. He helped out any
passengers who required assistance; some
times danced a few steps while the train
waited, kept his hands In his pockets, and let
our car pass him with that unconcern a rail-
way man secs a train move on while you or
i ' would break our necks trying to catch il,
and finally swung himself on the rear car
with an easy, unrufied motion that shows II
perfect familiarity that can never be ac-
quired by a man not on the road.
When the commonplace brakeman and
the masher sat down together after we loft
Gorham the latter said, referring, I pre-
sumo, to the new passengers:
"My eye, Jim, isn't she a beauty Oh, see
here, Pm going down there. Couldn't stay
away, you know"
Fred said Jim. "what would your wife
sayl think III nave to tell her,
That's all right" said Fred; @Pm going to
talk TO that GIRL
Here was my long looked-for opportunity.
To listen to someone else's conversation is
not generally just the thing, but on the cars
and in the quest of Information in the in
terest of science | might say-it was at least
excusable.
1 changed my seat for the one just behind
where the girl sat Her elbow rested on the
window sill and sire was looking out at the
beautiful scenery. She was certainly very
handsome. When the brakeman came up
the aisle he looked at her with interest, and
an expression of pleased recognition came
over his face.
81 beg pardon, . he said, "but haven't l
met you at Gorhaml Weren't you at the
party the McLeans gave there last week.
She looked up at him. NO." she replie.i,
II have only been in Gorham two days.
He turned over the back of the seat that
faced her and sat down on the arm of il.
Z well, o that's singular. Ihave a very
good recollection for faces. L was sure you
were with the Mclean girls hat evening.
You know the McLean'girls, of courseT'
II know very few people in Gorham. No, |
don't think l ever met them"
Very nice family. Boston people origin
ally. Yes, tho mountain air seemed to suit
Mrs. Mclean, so the old man settled down
there. She's rather delicate.
Il should think IL would DO rather severe
there in winter"
at is-it is,n he answered with an air of
candor as II compelled to admit tina Cor
ham had climatic disadvantages. Eyes, it's
cold there in winter. They're going south,
they told me-thats why they gave the
party. Suppose you've been in Gorham in
the SUMMER
"Oh, yes. It's delightful In the summer. l
like the early autumn the best, though. 1
think the trees look so nice when the leaves
are turning
Nov, do you know, that's my opinion. 1
na1 W NY AhAoiuS II you WhlL TO soc the
mountains come in the fall" Here he slid
down in the seat in 'front.' and before wo
were ut the next station they were old &c.
~quaintances The having to get out at every
station and shout the name was rather a
drawback to the continuity of the
Irritation, but he hirted in sections
with "a great deal Of ability. Be-
tween tho next two stations he told
her that he didn't have to be Il brakeman-
no, sir-his father was we'll on-in fact
owned a railroad about Us long as the Grand
Trunk-yes, sr-ho had his ideas of indie
pendauco-he had-he would b. dependent
on no mar-ho wouldn't Could go TO New
York that day and drive his span in Central
park II he wanted TO. But it seemed he had
not the frivolous notion that. alas, too many
young men Of our day were possessed OF.
He wanted to soc life. he wante | 10 earn
an honest living; might be foolish perhaps
but those were his ideas Some day maybe
he would Here a station interviewed and
he had 10 break of. They got to talking
Afterwards about engagements and marri-
ages, and 1 was pleased 70 learn that the
young man held high opinions on those i'm
portant subjects. He believed that an en-
gagement was quite as sacred as the marri-
age contract Yes, sir; some men thought
1t quite right 10 be engaged to Il girl
and yet hirt with other girls, but none Of
that for him. In fact his ideas did him
infinite credit
Al last the girl got of at a junction ard
my friend was most attentive in seeing that
she got on the other train, and a. we moved
out she waved her handkerchief to him
while he stood on the rear steps with un-
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