Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-06-29
A DOCTORS STORY.

ii'c summer day II the year Is
r. was proceeding y the southwest
crn railway TO visit friend and forme
patient, resident Of Portsmouth Enc
land. 1t is not often that mcdica
man gets holiday. and but for th
klnincss Of a fellow practitioner j.
taking my practice for a fortnight
should not have had this opportunity Q
cnjoyingt the sea breeze.
The train by which l started wa, ar
cary one, and, having procured m,
ticket, took my place in second clas,
carriage, and lit my cigar, for it was
smoking carriage. Oh onterlnp it was
surprised, and think, naturally So
to find the further corner of it occunied
by lady.
"ohoP' said l. inwardly, ''some Am
crican dcmoiSe.Ic who desires to ih,it,a,,
in cigarette"
On obser vation, however. it appeared
to inc that tho features of my fellow
traveller dill not bear upon them that
impression of cuteuoss wnicn marks
American nationality. She had soft
brown eyes, full. round face, and a
Irolusion of chestnut hair. She was
dressed in plain travelling suit, bound
with white brazil, and wore a straw hat,
Maybe, German" l soliIoquizeI
'thcy are terrible smokers"
But again it occurred to me that pos
sibly the young lady might be neither
American nor German, but had got into
the clrriagc without noticing that it
was one reserved for the use of smok-
crs. Uader this impression I bowed
slightly to her, saying;
a fear my cigar may annoy you
Perhaps you are not aware that this is
asmoking compartment"
"Oa, yos,' she answered, with a
slight German accent, yes, yes, yes
y4w
There was something peculiar in her
slow, deliberate u tcranco and the four
times repeated mon osyllable. A dreamy
look, too, in the spsakcr's eyes, as il
her mind was preOocupicd. However
the train was now in motion, and had
nothing for it but totensconce myself in
my corner, look out Of the window,
and take birds eye view of the sur
rounding hou,c-tops.
For a short time thiSwas we'll enough
but began at last to weary Of the mo-
notony Of such an amusement. We
Euglishmen, as rule, arc so reserved
and unsociable that we shrink into our
selves, and every fresh addition to the
occupants of a railway carriage or an
omnibus is received with black look;
and a sort of a tacit intimation that he
has no right to enter. Now. l am free
to confess that, whatever my fai ings,
want OF sociabiity is not one of them
and determined to try to engage my
companion in little conv rsauon.
There could be no improperly IN a mar
o. my age q was 38J eudeavoring to be
Guile the tedium Of lazy journey by
conversing with fellow traveller,
school-girl-and certainly not out o
her teens. 1t was, therefore, with al
almost patcrnal feeling that l addresse-
her
There arc not many passengers b!
TIN, train remarked.
Two thousand and three" was tn,
answer. that not little startled m.
equanimlty.
looked at the speaker expecting t,
fnd mischicv Us smile danci g il
her eyes or lurking at tho co7Iers o
her mouth Nothin- Q. Inc sort. Sh
was perfect :Iu', even stern, anc
h,r cy had still the same dreamy, far
away look in them.
VERY absented- minded, or else il
love, thought to myself. However,
tried again.
Il think we shall have fno da,
for our Journey" ventured to remark
She tur1ed upon ms with that fierce
despairinc, yet restless look that we SCI
in trapped rat.
How you talk, talk, talk!' sho sai-
Indignantly.
"But-'
"Are you madr sho screamed in
loao OF such intcEsa.d shrillness AnC
~iih surh aa asiaI, hungry look j. he
eye ihat !ha tIllh fssAe9 nbo0 me tia
y lHsPirsilgHi