The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-12-22
A MODERN ATALANTA.
She Ran for a Car and Outdid Her
Tired Escort.

They were coming down a street in
the west end of town, one OF the TWEEN
ties, intending to take O Pennsylvania
avenue street car, says the Washington
Critic.
He was an ordinary looking young
man, aud he was dressed III the popu
larly symmetry athletic style so common
now, with white flannel shirt and white
trousers, held up by wide red sash.
Hanging demurely to his arm was
girl that would claim the attention OF q
trainer or athlete, or any one whose eye
is caught by physical development. She
was perhaps 20 years old, and her short
blonde hair clustered about her regally-
posed head in a profusion OF yellow
curls.
In the line in the upper part of the
back and her neck was scarcely curve,
the index of suppleness and strength
equally valued in prize fighter or In q
sprinter. The shoulders that cleaned
through her transparent white dress
were poems of muscular fexibllity, and
the skin of her arms that showed in lit
tie diamonds through the open embroid-
cry of her sleeves was the pale pink,
smooth and satiny in texture, that
showed physical condition that An ath-
lete would call "fine as silk" She
walked with swinging stride, and the
yellow shoes that lodged in and out
from under her white skirts, had broad,
low heels.
While they were still half square or SO
from the avenue car came in sight and
the young man hailed it. OF course,
neither the driver nor conductor heard
him, and the good -natured but misguld.
ed people who go about the streets stop
ping cars for other people, welcomed the
opportunity to stop the car for the pref.
ty girls sake. not, however, until it got
some distance beyond the corner. The
! conductor, as conductors always do,
reached up and took hold of the bell
strap with one hand and beckOned the
two fares with the other with hurry-up-
! -I'll-start- the car sort of manner.
"Shall We run Z" asked the young man,
and the girl answered Gail right"
Dropping her escorts arm, she broke
into q swinging run of astonishing swift
ness, and in hall dozen steps was ahead
of her escort, sailing aiong with her ell
bows pressed close 10 her loosely stayed
sides, Her NTiSiS Dt!lI, WIFI tue pun
palms of her hall shut hands truned for
ward, as easily and in rs good form as
ever a sprin;er started to Jun 100 yards
( for purse. On She came, the muscular
motions of her 1.-the limbs swinging her
skirts from side to side, her lips closely
shut and her eyes sparkling with the
pleasure of exerci>n and pride in the ease
with which She oIts.ripped her weak
lun yei friend.
The pas cngers lookel ont. and even
the coud ic:or forgot 10 al; her to hurry
/ up i'll bis admiration for her muscular
grace She got to the car way ahead OF
her escort, ami stood b. IN step as he
came up, com pletely winded, and gasped
out: "By J0ve: What a runner you are,
Miss Ethel"
The girl trippel up the steps and sat
down in the car, her dress rising and
falling regularly us she breathed, not ex-
haustediy, as III the young man, but
ike q rcrs0n usel to violent exercise.
{ The race was lively cnruCh AID thy l'a
yum far enough "a re ni::e!" Il city-htc.:
/ mon out Of twenty, h'.t this magnificent
specimen OF physically perfect girlhood
/ reeled of the distance without turning
a hair" as the driver, who was some
! thing Of horseman, said.