The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-10-04
A MAKE-BELIEVE STORY.
a Clever Woman's Ruse with a
Supposed Detective.

George Dunlap was hurrying through the
1a!road station at Springfield to catch the
Train Tor Montreal. He was q little late.
ana the knowledge of this fact 80 heightened
tne susceptibility Of his nerves that, when a
tall woman with her arms full of parce,s
Tell heavily against him, dropping her par
GELS, some Of which burst and scattered
thoir contents in every direction, only the
sense OF the politeness due to her sex kent
MN from using an ejaculation that would
u least have expressed great impatieuce.
she had clutched him nervously a. she
slipped and he supported her q moment
~nlie ne inquired If she was hurt
don'e Know" she said, painting, IL
turned my ankle-1 feel terribly jarredn
When she recovered herself sufficiently n
stand without his help, he could do no les.
than to offer to gather up her parcels. and
ne had the satisfaction Of feeling that he
was doing his duty, and seeing his train
steam out OF the station at one and the same
time.
"Well, as have lost my train" he he
Kan, as he stood holding some of her bundle.
In his arms.
WAS that your train!" she exclaimed.
sti1l visibly agitated. 1T was mine. too. 7
th1nk-1 am not sure-I am q stranger.
want to 60 to Hartford''
This was not your train then" he an
swered; "yours starts from the other side.n
II was late. had no time to get ticket.
what time does the next train go to Hart
1ord' she murmured, brokenly, lifting ap-
pealing eyes to his.
II will find out for you," he said, feeine
quite compassionate toward her. though
she was neither young nor pretty, and there
fore had no legitimate claim to strangers
protection.
He conducted her to the waiting room
and presently returned from the ticket Office
with the information that she would have
to wait over three hours-until after dark
in fact, for the train.
''Three hours alone!" she exclaimed, with
IN unconscious naive stress on the "alone''
that MIR. Dunlap found very interesting.
II, too, must wait until evening for nv
train," he said smiling, land as it rains so
thstsve shall have to stay in the depot, if
you will permit me to sit here, I will do N.Y.
self the pleasure Of waiting with YOU for
time at least"
you are very kind" she answered sim.
ply, moving some of her bundles so that he
could sit closer to her than he had perhaps
ut first intended, land that, too, after nv
awkwardness made you miss your train.
You heap Goals Of 1re-which ought not to
DO the less hot because they are getting
rather tr7te-chestnut Goals in fact, if YOU
Will pardon the expression-upon my head.'
Mr.. Dunlap had already made up his mind
mat she was neither young nor pretty; he
now, as she looked at him with bright
audacious smile, revised his opinion 20 the
extent OF adding that she looked interesting.
She was tall, slender and very thin; with
sharp old features, but her eyes, he de-
clded, were her strong point. they were so
changeful in expression and exhibited the
different phases Of her emotions with such
an intensity, such a sing leness of purpose
from tho appealing gaze of frightened,
helpless child, to the humorous quizzica,
glance she had thus given him.
Twill the delay incommode you very
muchr' she added, seriously
II did think it was quite necessary for me
TO be one Of the passengers on that particu-
lar train, but now am not sure. think
shall be happier here"
II hope you will forgive me-" she said,
gravely, ignoring the implication of the last
remark.
II most certainly shall IL you continue to
be - agreeable as you have already BEEN"
he said, with a boldness which even some
ordinarily polite men will use toward q
woman they meet under unconventional cir
cumstances.
She colored deeply, and he felt that he
had risked losing her society by his last re-
mark. For moment she looked very grave
and nervously fumbled with the leaves of a
book she held in her hand. Then she seemed
to him to swallow her annoyance and take q
sudden resolution. 1t was as if she said to
herself: "life Is too short and the periods
spent in waiting for trains too long to waste
the one and prolong the other by servile
Difference to useless conventio.lalities."
II hate waiting In railroad stations" she
said, presently.
Mr.. Dunlap lived back among the Berk-
shire hills where the only communication
with the outside world was by means of a
rickety, rumbling, gathering old stage which
connected his town with the nearest rail.
road station.
He had never travelled much, his tempo
rarily deferred journey to Montreal was q
great and unprecedented event in his life.
He was country farmer of very moderate
means, but for all that, he had read, he had
observed, he never doubted but that he was
much more q man of the world than others
who had had much better advantages for
becoming 50. The very bulk of his CONVEX
sat1on was carried on in the common YER
nacular, but he felt that he could be courtly
and ccrcmonious to the last degree. When
he read q sentence that seemed to him to
be the thing In the way of polite repartee or
gallant address, he reread it until he had
made 1t his own. That sort of thing was
doubly effective, he thought, from . man
who commonly used the old-fashioned Yam
kee dialect. It gave him the effect of being
convezsant with several languages
Il have sometimes found it rather dull
waiting here, but to-day quite reckon on
It," ne replied, with his most polished man
ner." :
ibid you over try to make the time pass
away BY imagining the pursuits and destips,
lions OF the various persous You zee AROUND
yopl" he added, - -, : = ' : -"
mo" !be addad, quickly, sae stu ssemAq
pernpe lFQm hey shpck, 1lheRA think Il
Mosla - very, Informing, Aet's bea1a