St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-20
THE TRAVELLERS CLUB,

The train was moving along through the
state of Indiana at very rapid gait. Little
and big hoosier towns came In sight and dis
apr cared as the train sped along on Its
journey.
The sun sank deeper into the West and by
its ever changing hues proclaimed the fact
that supper time was near at hand.
Through the sleeping car moved dusky
individual with white jacket. He was the
porter. There was no dining car attached to
this train. 1t was also known to the expert
enced traveller by that line that the eating
station was not reached until late in the
night and that but short stop was made for
supper. The fact that lunch, and a very sub
stantial lunch, too, was served on the sleeping
Car was known to all.
Down the aisle came the porter. He car
ried with him menu, giving the articles sup
Piled with prices attached. He also had
blank card upon which he wrote down the
different orders. Three or four old travellers
gave their orders. He stopped before bride
and groom. EVERYBODY knew that they were
but recently married, although the exact
date of the nuptals was not made public
If there had been any doubt on the sub
ject it was dissipated when the groom at
tempted to order lunch for his young bride.
He was not sure that she wanted bread and
butter and consulted her before giving the
formal order. Together they made out the
order, and came very near exhausting not
only the bill of fS re but the time and patience
of the other passengers. Nothing was too
good for her and the expense was OF no mo-
ment. He ordered without looking at the
prices attached.
Immediately adjoining the section in which
the bride and groom cooed and looked lovingly
into each others eyes, sat man and his
meek and loyal helpmeet. They were no
longer In the morning of life. Age and care
had left traces on each of them. He looked
to be man in the neighborhool of so, and if
appearances indicated his calling it is prob
able that he was merchant of some character
"a well-to-do merchant in some smaller town,
who had come up by saving every penny. His
face was that of a man who knew what it was
to deny himself many of the expensive
pleasures of life.
His wife was a motherly woman. She
looked as though her life had been spent in
worrying over household cares and in the
sick-roouI. Her face was wrinkled. Her
hair, dark brown, tinged with gray, was
brushed across her forehead, and disappeared
beneath bonnet of most severe pattern and
color. A black bow with black trimming was
all that relieved its simplicity and severity.
They faced the bride and groom, and the
tender solctude of the young husband for his
young bride was duly noticed by the bride Of
long ago. Her husband did not appear to OBJ
serve the incident. He pretended to be read
ing paper.
The porter came up and handed the menu
card to the elderly husband The latter
scanned it briefly. as If to catch the quotations
on the priee-list, and returned it to the porter
His wife said not word. She looked in
quiringly at him for moment. He shook
his head. The porter passed on.
AS the husband took up his paper and re-
sumed his reading, his wife sighed. A stern
expression, as of resignation to the inevita-
Bile, settled down over her dear old wrinkled
face. She looked out OF the window and
gazed not at the happy bride and groom i'm
medately in front of her.