The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-05-01
NOT HER JOHN SMITH.

~ NUl IIGlO OOll1N Oull i liz
That Is, He Wasn't Then-What
Canne of the Hackman's Error.
"Now be sure you're very prudent,
BERTHE, child Take care to go to the
= right, address, and you'd better get a
hickman wheglooks respectable and old,
and look out for your money, and don't
lose -tiekets-and give my love to
John, and bring me some good red fan
mel, six yards, and
T,Iit the rest of Aunt Jen's exordium
is cut short by the cry Of eAll aboard.
much to poor Bertie's relief, and she
steps hastily into middle car and is
whircd away from the little village sta
ton toward the city.
7~- She pulls down her vail to hide her
flushed cheeks and tear-filled, angry
eyes. Why need Aunt Jen be SO off,
cfous and so noisy. Did she want every
one to know that this is her first trip to
the city and that she knows nothing of
the world beyond this little village?
ANY one hearing Aunt Jen's last speech
must think she=Bertie-is Ignorant in
deed, and she had just been fattering
herself that she looked quite stylish and
-eA iady=fike in her neat, well-ftting brown
suit, which became her SO well, and she
did not mean to play the unsophisticated
country girl, not she. But now every
body in the-ear- had doubtless heard
Aunt Jen and what must they think?
As if she didn't know enough to take
care Of her money, and her ticket, and
20 TO- the right address! Didn't she
know it by heart-137 Ashley street
and that suggestion about the hackman
was really too much. No, she wouldn't
bring Aunt Jen's red flannel, nor any
thing else.
49, Il net little to Bertie's sense of
injury the fact that she has noticed a
PARTICULARLY handsome young gentleman
sitting by the car window, where he can
hardly have failed to hear Aunt Jen s
foolish words; and that he has heard
them she feels sure, from the mischiev-
GUS twinkle in his gray eyes as he looks
up on her entrance, and soberly removes
his satchel from the seat beside him, the
car being pretty crowded.
But .Rertie will not take his seat, pass
ing on in search Of another, which she
does not find, and SO is compelled to re-
furn undignifedly and take the offered
seat, which she might have accepted at
thc=frstmost gracefully-a circumstance
which of course adds to her annoyance
ssd confusion.
he stranger is most courteous and
gentlemanly.
Would she prefer the seat by the
Window" as he puts her bag in the
mo, thank, YOU, . very crisply indeed;
70 much SO that the gentleman's black
mustache witches with a strong desire
to smile, which desire he represses with
praiseworthy promptness
But the journey is long, and BERTHE
has time to get over her vexation and
think of other things Is she not going
at last to the city which she has so long
wanted to see, and has she nota whole
one hundred dollars in her pocket-book
to spend just as she likes? She has
aFudged away at teaching in the village
school whole year past, and now at va
and the right to spend this money.
She will get something nice for Aunt
len first of all, she thinks forgivingly,
her anger over; for has she not been
like mother to her for years? She
shall have handsome black cashmere
dress pattern that will gladden. her old
heart, and cloak for next winter, and
all the red flannel she wants; and then
She will get herself nice summer suit
and thick cloth one for autumn, and a
new hat, and some good gloves and
roodyshoes, and oh, dear! how far does
500 go? She must ask John, dear old
@John5 she is sure she shall be all right
when she gets to John, for isn't he wise
and sober and thirty-fve years old?
which seems quite venerable age in
BERTHE Harris nineteen-year-old eyes
She is pretty little girl, this BERTHE,
altpt1tk and white, like an apple bios
ssenii bright eyes and curly brown
hair and her travelling dress suits her
as It's feathers suit partridge. Pres
entS-sh unbends little in regard to
the gentleman beside her, accepting
yer. gratefully the paper he has been
'reacing, and very soon she is SIN ling
most enjoyingly. over some Of its bon
NETS
Aftor that She is her own natural self,
ana receives her companions small
eoif.teSies with such charming air of
nalvete'that he is moved to devote him
sell exclusively to this little damsel
Wnllr he may, to the utter neglect of
th' smoking car, to which he was just
e=iaA- e a retreat when the blue eyes
ana valid rose face dawned upon him.
u Is very pleasant journey to Berthe,
ana She is half sorry when at last the
Vlty Is reached. But, mindful of her
p4ecgHeeiyed notions OF propriety, and
tecoi4eeting that this pleasing gentle
man Is a complete stranger, she will
nave none of his offered politeness, now
NAT tourney is=eEer, but gathers up
neg things and hurries out A.
M, too, unconsciously influenced
y .fNnt lens words, she secures a hack
Hah who is at least old enough to be re-
sFeetable; she is Of course ignorant Of
asl'c lact that he Is almost deaf, and she
: 700 innocent to suspect that he is
q,ite half tipsy. s
'"c combined effects OF these TWO
4sesdents must be ascribed the'fact that,
S S.'hoagli She gives him clearly the adj
S.ess l37 Ashley street, she is yet set
eo3h IN the gathering dusk at i57 Ash
let and being paid the wicked old
N',tef promptly rattles AWAY
~ almost dark, and the number
s ,gpNs an right 10 Bertie's casual glance
- ~ n she rings the bell. 1t Is, as she
asa expected, private boarding house,
fs@ ,,sfeplN to her timid inquiry she is
,rS. that lohr Smith does live
, ~, put upon learning that he. II net
H. N, ,. new at home, she requests to sen