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

E the untoward
happening. the
passengers rushed for and through the
station to find cgrcss, discouraged by
the impassivc 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 hazel-eyod young man with a
grip sack In his hand. and the olivc-bronze
OF sea voyage upon a very cookbook
ing face. lie was always persuaded that
he could have elndcd the grca:-voiced
door-kccper and boarded tho fast plat
form of the moving ears. had he not run
a-foul Of wheeled chair midway be-
tween the seats and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
radiators in the waiting-roons. and mar
rowly escaped '.hcadcr." lie did not
actually fall: neither cid he ovcrset the
vehicle. Avoiding both calamitics by
vanlting the dashboard and front
wheels, he yet dropped his ha. and va
lise in different directions, and brought
up at 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 q woman who was propelling
what he had mistaken for baby's per-
ambulator.
Il beg your pardon. am sure he
said. in manly fashion. Il hope the"
lie was about to say baby but changed
the phraseology just in time-'that
nobody was hurt
A glimpse of the occupant of the
chair had showed him a 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 you.' 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. lie had come near having
had fall and had not missed making a
ludlcrous spectacle of himself. for the
entertainment Of a gaping crowd. But
he laughed in jolly, gcntleman,y 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 frowncd nor swore.
lie did not even ask: when does the
next train 60 to Fairhill?' The time
table in his pocket and that upon the
wall, set at = 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,
and Wa far hungrier now than then.
Doubling upon his tracks, he repaired
TO tho Keystone restaurant in the same
building with the waiting-room and
Offices. The place was clean. and full.
OF odors that. for a wonder, were fresh
and savory, instead Of hanging on the
air and clinging to the walls like view
less In Memoriam' of an innumerable
caravan Of dead-and-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. as
the hymnist aptly puts it--'.at leisure
from ITSELF
This lack of self-consciousness under
lay much that made March Gilchrist
popular in his set. He was clever art
ist, and wrought hard and well at his
profession, although he had a rich
father. His position in society was as
sured, his physique fine and education
cxcellent-adyantag fully appreciated
by most Of the men, and all the women
he knew. II he recognized their value
he was an adroit dissemblcr. 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 not
pay to quarrel with him: his parents,
that he and his sister May should OK
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 royed about the
dining room, leaving out nothing, from
the lunch-counicr in the ad Looming room,
set with long ranks Of salyers with
globnlar glass covers that gave the ar
ray the expression of a chemists labor
atory-to the whirligig fans that
reyolved just below the ceiling with
In na ,icS Of hn
phere and chasing away flies. Our re-
turned traveller seemed to find thes.
harbingers of summer weather and
summe- pests amusing. lie was watch
ing them interestedly when a voice
behind him aceosted hurrying waiter.
There is young girl over there who
can not walk. Will you lift her out of
her chair and bring her in. 1t is just at
the door and she is very light
BUSY, now, Miss! Better ask some
body elsc!'' pushing past.
The baff.ed applicant stood in the
middle Of the floor, irresolutely seeming
the more solitary and helpless because
young and woman. Thus much, and
not that she was comedy and lady,
March saw before he sprang to his feet
and faced her respectfully.
''lseg pardon. but can be of use? 1t
will give me pleasure if you will allow
me'-catching sight in the doorway Of
the one in whose behalf she had spoken,
an arch smile-rcspcctful still-lighted
up his honest countenance-'' to make
amends for my awkwardness awhile
ago."
lie was society man, and might have
been aware how unconventional was the
offer. lie palliatcd the solecism in de-
scrihing the incident at home by saying
that he saw in every elderly woman his
mother. in young one, his only sister.
thank you: If you will be so kind"
accepting the proposal as simply as it
had been made. Il could bring her in
m5s.!.. hut she does not like to have me
do /. Lc.e."
~ chn ,ll thipL not ipdaalt npn NJ