Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-01-03
The Avenger Of Her Sex.

humidity had joined forces early IN the
morning, and before noon humanity was
routed, and waved the wilted handker-
chief of capituation
A young man entered downtown
elevated station as though he owned 1t.
No one who watched him would have
been surprised had he displayed night
key to the ticket peddler's booth; but be
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, be would have been insignifi
cant He was very slight; he was short;
he was narrow -chestcd His shoulders
We're dropping contlnuatlons OF his arms.
Sparse light hair tanned his upper lip,
which was bracketed by supercilious
smile Through gold-rimmed glasses
his little eyes squintcd inquisitively His
light summer coat tloated unbuttoued in
the breeze, as if charging his presence.
His waist was girded by a broad, black
sash
Arthur Chumpney was his namc-Mr.
Chumpney, Of New York City, as he
often proudly proclaimed it. Time had
been, and not four years since, when
Arte Chumpncy, Deacon Chumpney's
lad, at Chumpney's Four Corners, Della
ware County, had sufficiently individual
lied him.
But maternal uncle had wrought a
wondrous change. He had transplanted
this rural 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 'knev 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 40 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, leopard is leopard
the world over, and must be sold for
spot cash.
Arthur entered car and took the only
unoccupied seat. It was beside 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. Hel
nose was long and piercing, like double
barreled probe; her eyes asked ques
ton. and then answered it definitely hel
arms were anthropoid in length and sr
ticulation her hands, which mitten
caressed, made one crawl to look at
them. In one Of them she bore a reti-
J cule. Her brow was bound by greer
veil. She alone seemed unconscious O
! 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, WI ich her nose seemed to say wa
quite sufficient. ''Humphl" she ejacu
lated, and it wrinkled contemptuously
So, too, he had looked but once to b
satisfied "A curious old jay" he NUT
tered to himself, as he twirled the spars
hairs into skeleton shape. He lolled a
comfortably and as indolently as th
sticky seat would permit, his back hal
turned against her, his legs outstretche'
in the aisle, his open coat tapping upol
either side. He adjusted his glasses, an
taking 3 newspaper from his pocke
began TO assimilate the gossip Of the day