The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-03
CHAPTER 1.

the nntOWaru
happening. the
passengers rushed for and through the
station to find egress. discouraged by
the impassiye official whose stentorlan
tones were roaring through the build
ing the name and stopping places of the
next train. Among the foremost in the
run was q hazel-eyed young man with a
grip sack in his hand and the olivc-bronze
Of a sea voyage upon very cookbook
ing face. lie was always persuaded that
he could have elndcd the erca.-yoiced
door-kccper and boarded tho fast plat
form Of the moving ears. hld he not run
a-foul OF wheeled chair midway be-
tween the seats and inconvcnicntly-set
radiators in the waiting-room. and mar
rowly escaped ''heaucr." lie did not
actually fall; neither did he ovcrset the
vehicle. Avoiding both calamities by
vaulting the dashboard and front
wheels. he yet dropped his hat and va
lise in different directions, and brought
up a, an obtuse angle by catching at one
Of the handicapped radiators. The
first use he made Of his hat. which was
picked up by smiling bystander, was
to lift it to woman who was propelling
what he had mistaken for baby per-
anabulator.
II beg your pardon. am sure he
said. in manly fashion. Il hope the"
lie was about to say baby" but changed
the phraseolosy just in time-''that
nobody was hurt
A glimpse OF the occupant of the
chair had showed him wan face too
old for child's, too small for that of a
grown person. Before the woman add
dressed could reply, elfisn accents,
husky and precise. said, Not at all
thank your and there was cackle of
shrill, feeble laughter.
The young fellow had lost the train
that should have returned him in forty
inmates to the family he had not seen
In six months: he was just off ship-board
and felt tho need of a bath and toilette
upon steady ground, with plenty of
elbow-room. He had come near having
had fall and had not missed making a
iudicrous spectacle of himself. for the
entertainment of a gaping crowd. But
he laughed in jolly. gentlemaniy way.
and again raising his hat passed on
without second glance at the mute
crsonage who had pushed the wagon
directly across his track.
Like the rest of the disappointed way
farers. he walked quite UP to the outlet
of the station, and peered anxiously
through at the empty rails. still vibrat-
ing from the wheels of the vanishing
train. yet he neither frowned nor sworc.
lie did rot even ask: when does the
next train go to Fairhillo' The time
table in his pocket and that upon the
wall, set ct = p. m" told him all. and
more than he wanted to know. The
excitement and suspense over, his inner
man became importunate. He had had
an early breakfast on the City of Rome,
md was far hungrier now than then.
Doubling upon his tracks, he repaired
to tho Keystone restaurant in the same
building with the vast waiting-room and
Offices. The place was clean, and full.
OF odors that, for "A wonder, were fresh
and sayory. instead OF hanging on the
air and clinging 10 the walls like view
less In Memoriam' of an innumerable
caravan Of deadand-gone fcasts. The
menu was promising to an unsated APP
petite, and having given his order to a
waiter the even-tempered customer sat
back in his chair and surveyed the scene
with the air of one whose mind was. "a
the hymnist aptly puts Tat leisure
from itself"
This lack of sclf-consciousness under.
lay much that made March Gilchris,
popular in his set. He was a clever art
ist, and wrought hard and well at his
profession, although he had rich
father. His position in society was as
sured, his physique fine and education
Notwithstanding fully appreciated
by most of the men, and all the women
lie knew. Ii he recognized their value
he was an adroit dissemhlcr. Simple
and frank in manner, he met his world
with Outstretched hand. When the
hand was not taken he laughed in good
humored establishment. went about his
business and forgot the churl. His
schoolmates used to Soy that it did no
pay to quarrel with him: his parents
that he and his sister May should cx
change names. That his amiability was
not the result of a phlegmatic tempera
ment was apparent in the quick bright
ness Of the eyes that roved about tho
dining room, leaving out nothing, from
the lunch-counter in the ad joining room
set with long ranks of salvers with
globnlar glass covers that gave the ar
ray the expression of chemists labor
atory-to the whirligig fans tina
reyolved just below the ceiling will
the dual mission of cooling the atmos
phere and chasing away flies. Our re
turned traveller seemed to find thess
harbingers of summer weather ant
summer pests amusing. He was watch
ing them interestedly when voice
behind him accosted hurrying waiter
s'There is young girl over there wht
can not walk. viii you lift her out O.
the door and she is very light"
busy, now, Miss. Better ask some
body else!''' pushing past.
The baffied applicant stood in thu
middle Of the floor, irrcsolutely seeming
the more solitary and helpless because
young and woman. Thus much, and
not that she was comedy and a lady
March saw before he sprang to his fee
and faced her respectfully.
'.lseg pardon! but can be of use? l
will give me pleasure if you will ALLOW
mc'-catching sight in the doorway o
the one in whose behalf she had spoken
an arch smile-respectful still-lightet
up his honest countenance-' to MAKE
amends for my awkwardness awhile
ago."
lie was q society man, and might have
been aware how unconventional! was thu
offer. lie palliated the solecism in de
scribing the incident at home by saying
that be saw in every elderly woman hi.
mother, in young one, his only sister
'.ThInk you! il you will be SO kind,
accepting tho proposal as simply as i
had been made. Il could bring her IL
myself. Int she docs not like to have mt
do !. Lc.e."
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