Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-09-18
RAILWAY COMPANIONS.

| RAlLW Al CUMP ANIOlNO.
| AT the last moment a young girl entered
| the car hastily and paused in the aisle look
| ing up and down for a vacant seat.
It was the noon train out, and the ca
was filled principally with ladies, who hat
been glad to hurry through with thei
| shopping to get ont of the heat and dus
and have some time to fresIlen mp befpr
evening. A few gentlemen were also i.
the car, but they were something NOR
than middle aged, and probably only wen
to town at all in order to keep up the de
fusion that they were necessary at tn
Office or warehouse, and now having salts
fled their dignity, and put in the NJ orninq
they were 1ourishing Panama hats O
palm leaf fans, and yawning prodigiousl,
on their way to Il well earned rest.
The young girl was beckoned to a sea
beside plump. middle aged woman in
gray gown, which did not tend to dimiI
ish the embonpoint of her figure. Golt
eyeglasses swung On her ample bosom, ant
she wore fresh kid gloves Il size too small
for her pudgy hands.
Coming out of the glare of the street tn
twilight arches of the depot had seemed
AS the train dashed out from under thu
last crossing culvert the young girl threw
up the window and pulled down the blin(
with a click.
''Oh, thank you, that is much BETTER" ex
claimed the lady in gray, who had involun
tarily turned away from the binding sun
light which flooded them She now be
slowed scrutinizing gaze upon her com
yhO i,,h 1aclr
Black is so noncommittal, and what car
one tell from sailor hat? But her blond
hair was stylishly knotted and her hands
were small; she settled herself with thu
air of one accustomed to travel, and sh'
did not look out of the window.
''Yes," repeated the plump lady, "that il
better; but travelling on such day is al
| most intolerable under any circumstances.
The young girl smiled her sympathy will
| this opinion, but said nothing, us the con
ductor at that moment reached their seat
| No one in the car seemed inclined to con
yersation. The old gentlemen were alread,
mapping, and the ladies leaned away from
the light with their fans in front of theil
aching eyes. The monotonous roar of thu
moving train seemed TO add to the moons
oppressiveness However, after the frs
two or three suburban stations had con
siderably thinned out the seats the motion
of the train seemed to be accelerated, anG
the swifter rush of air brought some miti
CATION of the heat Then the remaining
ladies began languidly to rearrange thei
packages and discuss the mornings shop
ping tour orphans for the evening "aftel
the men come out"
The lady in gray furtively held up oni
hand and observed with dismay that tn,
palm of her dainty glove was stained dari
with perspiration. She straightway drew
a clean white handkerchief from he
pocket and spread it on her lap, carefully
resting her hands, palms upward, upon it
Then stealing glance at the sharer of he
seat, and discovering that she was OBJ
served she exclaimed 81 declare it Away!
does grieve me to see the first soil on
fresh pair of gloves! After that it doesn'
seem to matter so much"
The young girl again simply smiled-i
might be with sympathy or with amuse
ment. Her companion found her battling
and fidgeted consciously in her corner O.
the seat. Finally, with a sudden resolve
and an added dignity of manner, she in
| quired, ''Are you going far, my dear"
The young girl raised her eyes in som'
surprise, but answered without hesitation
mot very"
"Well, indeed you are fortunate" replied
| the lady. GAS / said to my husband thi
morning, you pay dear to get to the coun
try on such day as this. You ought tt
go, of course, early in the season, ant
never go near town except on cloudy days
| or Just after rain, when it's clean anc
cool. And so we've done every year since
we were married until this one. But MIR
| Henderson found his business would TAKE
| him to town every day this summer. So
as Arthur-that's his son-has a place a
| the shore, and Isabel-that's my daughte
| has place in the country, they just in
| sisted that we should not bother with al
| out of town place at all this year, but jus
| divide our time between them"
''Then you have married daughter,
said the young girl with some show Of in
| terest and the lady smiled complacently.
II do not wonder you are surprised. M,
| husband vows that except for my com
| plexion being SO much fresher than lisa
| bells it would be almost impossible to tel
us apart And when | was a Widow-bu
| there, YOU know how it is with widows
| they are always SO much run after that i
| would be no wonder if they lost thei
heads l suppose you've noticed how 1
| widow will set girl in the shade an,
day?"
81 have heard that it is So" replied tn
girl tentatively.
"Of course you are too young to have ex
perienced it yourself" condescended tn
| matron; sit isn't probable you're mar
| ried?"
'No, I am not marrisd-yet." The girl'
response was so obviously emphasized tina
| the lady could not be blamed for the avid
| ity with which she seized upon the clue, eX
claiming:
"But engaged9 Now, do tell me abou
it, my DEAR Pm sure there's nothing s.
| interesting-and being married three time
| myself | ought to know" And she set
tied herself in an attitude of deep atten
| ton.
| Now the girl did not seem to hesltat
from any timidity, but regarded her com
Portable confidante with droll smile for
moment in silence Then she began: Z"
am on my way to pay visit to the slste
of the gentleman to whom am engaged.
'Why, how delightfulp' calculated TIN
| lady sympathetically; "you will be having
gay times, riding and walking and all tina
with your sweetheart"
ooh, he is not there" demonstrated TIN
young girl, in a tone CT surprise. "Tha
would not be proper at all; though, o.
course" with tender SMILE che will rur
out sometimes, when there is anything
particular going on. Indeed, he will b.
coming on later train for q little dance
his sister gives me this evening. shoule
not have gone out this miserahly bot day.
but for the dance"
"That's just my case" cried the lady il
gray, my daughter has lawn party to
morrow, and of course she wants my advie
with the decorations, and that in the morn
ing, so must needs go today"
"How wild am to see the children
Three such beantiesl Yea, know Pm
young grandmother, but when you MARI
at seventeen what can you expect? wis
you could see Isabel in the basket phaetor
with little Isabel and Victoria Almeda
and Lionel riding his Shetland pony besid
them! 1t makes as pretty a picture as
care to see." And tbs plump young grand
mother beamed with enthusiasm over tn
picture which she had conjured up for hel
self "They will be at the station to NEE
me, PHI warrant, ponies and all|''
"Well children are not much to m
mind" said the young girl coldly, ia
4i,o,,rb Tcuppoca T p,11St like ,a6nia,s q