Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-07-30
A FAIR EXCHANGE.
BY ANTHONY E. ANDERSON.

JACK Enderby sighed dismally, and
stretched his long arms, as the train for
New York, with succession of reluct.
ant shlvers, 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 ard her very
thin spouse. 1t was dreary spring dav,
hlled with thick fogs and spiteful dashes
of rain.
There were two figures standing in the
rain before the station of Waterman 9
Hollow, both attired in disGruripe wa
terproots and Thick veiis. One Of the
ladies suddenly thruat aside her veil and
hung her arms imretuoasly around the
other S neck. Enderby had momentary
glimpse OF a tear stained, lovely face,
win blue eyes. The locomotive shrieked
lmpa'iently; there was last embrace, a
suGden furry and swish Of wet drapery,
and then the sweet-faced vision was
seated directly opposite Enderby, softly
daoblng her fearful face with a snowy,
Violet-scented handkerchief.
Enderby had been trying for the last
hour to keep awake over Thoreau's "Ex-
cursloEs." He took blank card, which
ne mad 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
guiltlly, fearful that the girl had seen it,
But no.. Gretchen Fisher was too busily
engaged in disposing of her wraps. and
pattng ner damp, siiken Langtry bangs
just then, to pay the slightest attention
TO art or any other trivial subject.
She certainly was distractingy pretty,
and Enderby, who was an artist of some
pretensions, drew his breath in silent en-
Joyment 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 ard then her ewes
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 a bow and Il smile, handed it to
Gretchen.
'May I ask if it is Colville or Mrs.
Bowen who displeases you2" he said, in
his courteous, pleasant way.
! Getchen thanked him, and smiled
brightly back at Enderby. She felt in
stlnctively that he was gentleman. and
She saw no reason why She should not
accept his advances in the spirit in which
| they were made.
"Roth," she declared, "and Imogene
more than either.' Enderbv smiled
again, and Gretchen went on with AMI
nation: "But love little Etfie, she is q
very sweet aud winning child. Have
you read it, How does it end 2"
Enderby told her, and the converse
tion soon drifted into other channels.
Epderby was conscious that he talked
unusually well, because he was unusually
interested in the pretty woman besid
him. And Gretchen mentally decided
that his profile was almost as fine as his
dark eyes.
How fast the time flew! The sun had
come out gloriously, too, and had begun
to tickle the fat woman's and the ar
mans noses, so that both woke stimuli
taneously to discover themselves very
hungry. As they lunched and this un
dertaking was by no means a small one
Gretchen and Enderby watched then
in silent amusement.
| "'Jack Spratt could eat no fat
His wife could eat no leanpn
Fnderby whispered, with eyes which wer
filled with laughter; but Gretchen woult
give no encouragement 10 such unseeml,
levity.
81 have lunch basket" she an
nouuced, II hall be glad to divide witt
you, if you like"
The thin sandwiches and delicate cakes
arranged with appetizing effect on
snowy napkin, made a delicious lunch
and they were as merry over it as TIVE
school-children on a picnic. Ende,by
was conscious that he said many things
that were boyishly nonsensical, but h
did not care one whit for that. Gretchen
too, wondered what her grandmothe
would say if she could see her now
Why, even Enderby's name was unkno w
| to herl
She announced her destination to b
Rugby, and Enderby wished it were
thousand miles off 1t seemed to him tina
there could be nothing in store for hin
half so blissGul as riding in car will
this beautifulunknown girl. As the trail
steamed into Rugby, which happened al
too soon, he looked so gloomy and dis
contented that Gretchen veied her eye
lest he should see the amusementin in them
He carried her small yellow valise to tn
door. For his life, he could not resis
putting out his hand to her as she wen
out. Getchen hesitated for moment
but only for moment; then the warn
blood surged to both their faces, as the
bowed to meet no more.
Enderby seated himself again, ant
stared moodily out of the car window
There was carriage waiting for Gretch
en- at the platform; it was driven by
handsome young man with blond
beard. He lifted Gretchen into the car
riace, and then deliberately stopped an
kissed her on her smiling, uplifted lips
1.-THE deucel" Enderby muttered tnel
he smiled grimly at his own folly. BE
hold Kim man thirty years old, gen
ara1lu concadad IN have the AVERAGE in