Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-08-14
A FAIR EXCHANGE.
BY ANTHONY e. ANDERSON.

0dCh GuucIDy SlSutu QlSmdlly,
stretched his long arms, as the train for
New York, with a succession of reluct-
ant shivers, came to halt before the lit
tie wayside station of Waterman's Hol-
low. The car had but two other occu-
pants-one very fat lady and her very
thin spouse. 1t was dreary spring day,
filed with thick fogs and spiteful dashes
of rain.
There were two figures standing in the
rain before the station of Waterman's =
Hollow, both attired in disfguring wa
terproofs and thick wells. One Of the
ladies suddenly thrust aside her veil, and
flung her arms impetuously around the
others neck. Enderby had momentary
glimpse of tear-stained, lovely face,
with blue eyes. The locomotive shrieked
impatiently; there was last embrace, a
sudden furry and swish of wet drepery,
and then the sweet-faced vision was
seated directly opposite Endcrby, softly
dabbing her fearful face with snowy,
violet-scented handkerchief.
Enderby had been trying for the last
hour to keep awake over Thoreaus 'Ex-
cursions." He took blank card, which
he had been using as a book-mark in his
frequent lapses from attention, and idly
began to sketch, in preposterous exag-
geration, the scene he had just witnessed
at the railroad station. His pencil was
blunt one, and the car did not move
very smoothly, so that the sketch proved
to be somewhat more of caricature than
he had intended. He smiled amusedly
as he wrote the title under it-'.Tears,
idle tears"-and then glanced about
guiltily, fearful that the girl had seen it.
But no. Gretchen Fisher was too busily
engaged in disposing of her wraps, and
patting her damp, silken Langtry bangs
just then, to pay the slightest attention
to art or any other trivial subject.
She certainly was distractingly pretty,
and Enderby, who was an artist of some
pretensions, drew his breath in silent en-
ioyment as he looked at her.
Gretchen took Howells' ''Indian Sum-
mer from her valise. and was soon i'm
mersed in its pages. She was not so in
terested as she pretended to be, how
ever, for every now and then her eyes
would raise themselves Iestlessly from
the unturned leaf, and at last the book
slipped from her listless fingers and fell
with resentful thud in the aisle.
Enderby stopped to pick it up, and,
with bow and smile, handed it to
Gretchen.
''May l ask if it is Colville or Mrs.
Bowen who displeases you?" he said, in
his courteous, pleasant way.
Getchen thanked him, and smiled
brightly back at Enderby. She felt in
stinctively that he was gentleman, and
she saw no reason why she should not
accept his advances in the spirit in which
they were made.
"3oth," she declared, "and Imogene
more than either. Enderby smiled
again, and Gretchen went on with ami
nation: "But love little Effie, she is a
very sweet and winning child. Have
you read it2 How does it end p
Enderby told her, and the conversa-
ton soon drifted into other channels.
Enderby was conscious that he talked
unusually well, because he was unusually
interested in the pretty woman beside
him. And Gretchen mentally decided
that his profile was almost as fine as his
dark eyes.
How fast the time flewl The sun had
come out gloriously, too, and had begun
to tickle the fat woman's and the lean
mans noses, so that both woke stimuli
taneously to discover themselves very
hungry. AS they lunched-and this un-
dertaking was by no means small one
Gretchen and Enderby watched them
in silent amusement.
"'Jack Spratt could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no leanr"
Enderby whispered, with eyes which were
filed with laughter; but Gretchen would
give no encouragement TO such unseemly
levity.
81 have a lunch basket" she an
nounced, II shall be glad to divide with
you, if you like"
The thin sandwiches and delicate cakes,
arranged with appetizing effect on a
snowy napkin, made a delicious lunch,
and they were as merry over it as two
school-children on a picnic. Enderby
was conscious that he said many things
that were boyishly nonsensical, but he
did not care one whit for that. Gretchen,
too, wondered what her grandmother
would say II she could see her now.
Why, even Enderby's name was unknown
to her
She announced her destination to be
Rugby, and Enderby wished it were
thousand miles OIL. Itscemed to him that
there could be nothing in store for him
half so blissful as riding in a car with
this beautifuIunknown girl. As the train
steamed into Rugby, which happened all
too soon, he looked so gloomy and dis
contentcd that Gretchen veiled her eyes
lest he should see the amusement in them.
He carried her small yellow valise to the
door. For his life, he could not resist