The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-05
THE BARRICADE.
The Trouble It Caused the Opera
tor at LOuville.

| tor at LCuVlUe.
The station agent at Louville sat
with his feet on the window sill, hands
| plunged into his pockets and scowl
upon his face His eyebrows were
straight, and the scowl brought them
down into long line across his fore.
head this, with his heavy mustache,
made him look quite fierce.
Ever and anon he would glance at an
inoffensive little yellow paper lying on
his desk. Each time he did so the
scowl grew iercer. Finally he let his
chair down with bang, snatched at
| the telegram, and, for the fftieth time,
| read:
SAMUEL ". FUTILE:
The L. & T. manager has appointed Miss
Laura Walcott as assistant teleSrapher at your
station VIII be there on Wednesday.
! ID. W, Secretary"
Then he crumpled it up and tossed it
| into the waste basket
81 won't stand it." he growled.
''They have no right to treat me so.
| Why did [ ask for al assistant at all?
IDIOT
up and down the large, bare room. A
man in the lonely position of station
! agent is apt to contract the habit of
talking to himself
GA woman" he said. pausing in the
midst of the room and running his
| fingers through his hair with inartistic
results. Here all the time, and no
respite for me. I'd have to keep on
company manners eternally-chairs
on four legs, no smoking, couldn't
even whistle, 1 suppose. l have an
idea that women always have head
aches.'
He paused and contemplated the sit
uation again. It was too much.
"l'll resign first he cried and i'm
mediately licked off a message to that
effect.
In an hour back came the answer:
Nonsense. Can't let you off. What
has struck you?"
Samuel futile said something, but
he said it very low. lie sat bolt up
right for quite a while, and then a
wicked smile crept into his face.
Il believe I'll be ready for Miss VOL
cctt when she arrives. I'll not be dis
turbed By her presence, either.
This rather cnignatical remark was
explained the next morning, when, in
obedience to orders from Mr.. futile,
two carpenters put in appearance at
the Louvirfe station, and before noon
had constructed across the middle of
the large room, where he had held
sway SO long, high board fence of
aggressively yellow pine.
After their departure Mr.. futile
walked among the shavings with a sat
isfed air. He moved ell his belongings
and for the next two days worked
away, again happy man.
On Thursday morning Laura VOL
colt stepped off the express and came
towards him with good will shining
from her brown eyes She was hap
py little thing, who, in her brief strug-
gle for existence, had learned to make
the best of conditions; so it was with
a most CHEEKY smile that she unsus-
pectingly extended her hand 20 her
sworn enemy.
To tell the truth. Samuel futile was
rather taken aback. and felt slightly
ashamed; he had somehow expected
she would know of his antagonistic
feeling, and met him IN a suitably dis
tant manner. There was no backing
out, however; so he led her around TO
the door opening into her half of the
room, and said:
This is your Office; you will find
everything in place" Then, with
stiff bow, he retreated to his own do
minion, without daring to glance at
her.
She stood still as he retreated, with
a puzzled expression in her eyes; then
she heard him on the other side, MAX
ing good deal of racket getting set
tied Finally, a faint blue curl OF
smoke rose over the fence.
At this, Miss Wolcott sat down with
look Of dawning intelligence, mixed
with hurt expression, upon her pink
and white face, as she saw the fence
was a new one. The smile grew 5 she
grasped the situation, until there was
a network of dimples around her
mouth; she nodded her head sagely IN
the direction Of the fence, and set e
work quietly
Mr. Tuttle, FOR his part, wondered
what she was doing 10 kecpso still; the
novelty OF the situation perplexed lliui
SO that he could not enjoy MS solitude.
Along in the afternoon his curiosity
made X imperative that he should
consult her about message, 50 he
sauntered around TO her door She
greeted him with the same CHEEKY
smile. appearing utterly oblivlous TO
any strapveuesS n The situation, and
! innoceutly cazed straight up into his
eves. When there was no longer the
slightest prctsxt for his staying, he
went back. Somehow his side looked
to-lorn and disorcerlv. and lie aTk-
wa-dly tried. 20 put It to rights
This went OF FOR several DAYS, and
their acquaintance progressed lie
even owned to himself that she was a
nice little thing and he had been q
fool il regard % the fence; bat Il
wouldn't do 20 give ~ Is was an
noyinE, though, "a DC obliged 20 60 out
OF one dcc- and IN 81 another - con-
u,unicate with her, SC. ere night after
she had gone hoU.e. &c cHt : square
hole IN Tire fence. Prom BIS table.
through this opening &c coGld catch
frequent GLIMPSE o. her brown head
IS sh~ bent o-nr thu -@iAr-@r'h '-s~'--'