The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-05-30

IooT Oh fHo I'D pun MS lace up
straight.
The vision that met him on
the other side of the dingy pan
els made effort needless.
Martha had planned and exc
cated a stunning" Centennial
costume. Her gown of cream
colored nuns yelling was drap-
ed over a navy-blue silk petit
coat, the loopIngs being secured
by red bows. A blue silk vest
was fastened with coral buttons;
about her chip hat was twisted
a red-white-and-blue scarf. Fur
thermore, as her enraptured
spouse told her, she carried the
national colors in starry-blue
eyes, pearl-white skin, and rosy
cheeks. He forgot ali but love
and patriotism as he emerged
into the street, with the new
and improved edition of the
Goddess of Liberty on his arm.
"Hurrah for the red, white
and blue'' "yelled a tipsy fell
low at the first corner, driven
up against them by the swirling
pushing, boisterously- hilarious
river of human beings that
caught the bewildered pair.
Neither could speak nr think
until the sweep and eddy had
borne them like drift-wood to
the junction of Fifth avenue
with Broadway. There the cur
re"5 dashed into momentary
pause, as upon reef that re-
turned it gradually-a halt
made that all might see the Tri-
umphal Arch.
"Isn't he just-sublime ?" ut
tered provincial Martha W., in
a shrek that barely reached her
husbands ear. ooh! George! |
begin to feel like the Centen-
NAL ~
The crowd roared and surged
refuently before a squadron of
mounted police-the vanguard
of the procession. Martha was
borne off her feet, and but for
her despairing clutch upon
George WIS arm, would have
been trodden under heel. Buff
fetted, swung, upheaved, they
yet held together and brought
up alive in the angle formed by
a wooden staging with the build
ing in front of which it was
erected. George WIS stalwart
shoulders kept off the crowd
until he could be sure that his
wife was not quite crushed.
"My feet are trampled to a
jelly /" gasped the brave little
thing, trying to smile. "This is
serving ones country, l sup
pose."
She served it there for three
mortal hours. By tip-toeing,
and making little springs from
time to time, her hands upon
George WIS arm, she caught
furtive glimpses beyond a fore
ground of phalanxed backs and
hats, of tossing plumes, bayo-
nets and flags in the upper mid
die distance the air billowed
and beat with the blare Of brass
bands; the people about our
couple shouldered one another,
and ba5bled shrilly, and joined
as Justify as ignorantly in the
cheers that arose from the front
Now and then through riffs in
the breathing barricade, Martha
beheld the cheap efigy of his
country's father, projected sharp
ly upon the blue sky. Men
smoked bad tobacco; children
squalled and sobbed; BOYS whis
tied cat-calls; peanut shells
from the upper stand ratified
upon the new chip hat; greasy
crumbs besprinkled the Centen
nial gown.
"O-h-h! l wish we haG
never-never come to this hor
rid town"
A cane-poke from above drew
George WIS attention.
"Whatll you give me for my
place ?" said a blear-eyed man
in a beery wheeze.
"What'l you take for it?"
The beery man crossed hi
fingers. Desperate George W
nodded. The beery man drop
ped to the earth like cat, ant
held out his hand. Like a kit
ten a newsboy scaled the side o:
the staging into the vacated seat
When George W. looked up af
ter pltting $40 bill into the spec
ulator's hand, the lad was calm
ly contemplating the procession
from the coveted altitude will
interest the enraged countrymal
could not divert. The crowf
applauded vociferonsly.
ga Centennial trick" said {
bystander. "Pocket it and sa,
nothing. Can't I help you ge
the lady into a better place ?"
The tone was SO sympatheti
that George W. accepted the Of
fer. Between the two men Mar
tha was showed and dragge'
edge wise to the upper corner o
the street. There, two current
met that fattened her helpless
ly against another wall-no,
with her pale face turned quit
away from the pageant. Wha
mattered that? She had see1