The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-03
The kVenger of Her Sex.

rou1ed, and waved the wilted handker-
chcf of capitulation.
A young man entered q downtown
elevated station as though he owned it.
No one who watched him would have
been surprised had he displayed a night
key to tae ticket peddler's booth; but he
did not. He haughtily cast down the
half-dime of passage and joined the limp
and draggled wayfarers without.
Had he not been so aggressive in his
bearing, he would have been insignii-
cant. He was very slight; he was short;
he was narrow-chested. His shoulders
were dropping combinations of his arms.
Sparse light hair tanned his upper lip,
which was bracketed by supercilious
smile. Through gold-rimmed glasses
his little eyes squinted inquisitively. His
light summer coat foated unbuttoued in
the breeze, as if enlarging his presence.
His waist was girded by broad, black
sash.
Arthur Chumppey was his name-Mr.
Chumpney, of New York City, as he
often proudly proclaimed it. Time had
been, and not four years since, when
Artie Chumpney, Deacon Chumpuey's
lad, at Chumpuey's Four Corners, Della
ware County, had sufficiently individual
lied him.
But maternal uncle had wrought a
wondrous change. He had transplanted
this srural squash, and behold! city pickle
had come forth. A real estate agents
clerk has to be spry; and ere the warts
had faded from his hands Arthur thought
that he "knew it ALL" No one could
''do" him; he was playing ball every
time!
Yet at the "Corners" he had been
deemed "a pore sperited coot that never
could do nuthin' an never would" "He's
afeard of his own shadder; an if you
speak up peart or suddent to him, he
bushes awful, he's so ashamed of his
self"
Strange, that environment should so
affect ones nature. And yet, in the
menagerie trade, a leopard is leopard
the world over, and must be sold for
spot cash.
Arthur entered car and took the only
unoccupied seat. 1t was beside a wo-
man who was nearer to caps than to
frizzes, and who knew it. There was no
artificial girlishness about her. She was
gaunt and dark and sharp featured. Her
nose was long and piercing, like double
barreled probe; her eyes asked ques-
ton, and then answered it definitely her
arms were anthropoid in length and ar
ticulation; her hands,. which mittens
caressed, made one crawl to look at
them. In one of them she bore rcti-
cuIe. Her brow was bound by green
veil. She alone seemed unconscious of
the weather. Heat and humidity, when
they had encountered her, had shrugged
their shoulders obviously, and had passed
by on the other side.
She gave Arthur one penetrating
glance, which her nose seemed to say was
quite sufficient. 'sHumph!" she ejacu-
lated, and it wrinkled contemptuously.
So, too, he had looked but once to be
satisfied. "a curious old jay" he NUT
tered to himself, as he twirled the sparse
hairs into skeleton shape. He lolfed as
comfortably and as indolently as the
sticky seat would permit, his back half
turned against her, his legs outstretched
in the aisle, his open coat tapping upon
either side. He adjusted his glasses, and
taking newspaper from his pocket
began to assimilate the gossip of the day.
The train rolled,i it rattled,it squeaked,
it stopped. There was an influx Of
femininity; heated, wearied, glowing
fcmininity, clad in the calico of labor and
bearing the basket of economy. They
swayed and jolted through the aisle;
they hung on the straps, as the squeakipg
ceased and the rolling and rattling re-
commenced. Here and there men, keen
and alert in expression, yet whose eyes
said that busipsss,sdd Eindliness were not
antagonstic, sprang to their feet with
natural chivalry. But Arthur did not
move. One glance he cast, to sec if he
might detect the bonnet of luxury. One
glance sufficcd. He stretched himself
yet more arrogantly and continued his
educational process.
"Mind your eyes!" he angrily squealed
at wan woman, with shawl and baby
mutually involved, who had stumbled
over his feet. "Do you think that patent
feathers grow on trecs?"
The wan woman clung more closely to
the indetcrminate bundle, but answered
not word. She was used to unkind
speech; it reminded her of home and
husband.
But she of the gaunt elbow upon his
left flushed and hustled as though heat
and humidity had regained courage, and
had actually attacked her. She prolonged
a finger; she tapped Arthur on the
shoulder.
"Young man," she cried in buzz-saw
tones, "aren't you going to give this poor
woman your seat?"
He stared in amazement over his
glasses,
~ never do" he drawlcd; "not if l
know myself. What dc you take me for2
Stand yourself, if you want to; you
ought to know how by this time. All,
no; I've cut my eye-teeth, old lady"
He lolled more extendedly than before; !;
his coat tapped more widely. His eyes
and nose and chin were eagerly engaged
with the details OF a fashionable wedding.
He saw, he heard nothing.
The indignant female gave snort Of
defiance, it may be of warning. "He