The record-union., 1895-11-30
Presume likely So" replied his seedy

ali punched ready to rattle their hooks
Tor the hotel, but the chestnut was on
the lead. That thar roam chap with
| binders seems to be nj her..
Scripture says seven women is to
lay holt OF one man sometime but it
| looks like men were the majority so
far, said another bystander.
And they all iaughed-but their talk
did not reach the ears of the passing
six. They We're all laughing and chat
ting, as if to be adrift in a far-off West
| ern town was the incest thing in life.
The vivacious young lady appealed
! first to one and then the other of her
escorts with her charming frank
| smile
she amt one of these confounded
new women, bet dollars to doughnuts,
she won't want to wear boomers,
either" said the lawyer to the business
man, whose allotted time at the lady,s
side was up, and he fell behind in
obedience to a prod in the back de-
! livered with cane by the student who
was anXiously awaiting his turn.
To the professors horror he heard the
! students opening remark to the young
lady, do you like or wear boomers? 2"
pointing to collection of those articles
in the window of a general store they
were passing. Her reply. in matter of
! fact tone, Mortified him as much:
Yes, l dote on it. These roads would
be fine for scorching, would they not?"
Then followed a discussion on the
merits of wheels, ball bearings,
sprocket joints, tires and saddles. The
young lady, turning first to one escort
and then the other in a pretty impair
tial manner, womanly and winning.
The business man colored to the roots
of his brown hair, as the student said,
rather maliciously, looking directly at
him:
Mr. Carlton don't believe in woman
doing all those new things, you know;
and he considers hiking for ladies very
much out of the way"
She laughed pleasantly, as she turned
her brown eyes on that uncomfortable
person, and said: Il am not a new
woman by any means, but / do enjoy
my jaunts on my wheel, and consider
the exercise very healthful."
For men, for men only" laughed the
| student, while the business man said
in d Hurried way: Yes; all, yes
Eye are the people, and wisdom will
die with you,' muttered the teasing
| young man. But here is an open
church, and wedding going on; let
us go in and watch the tied go
ing out " but an usher politely
met them with the remark, mo tickets,
no entrance, please"
The laughing group went on, one of
| lIi6Ill say IlS, L lie young IlldI4 10 " ms
a knot with his tongue he can't undo
with his teeth and wants no idle spec
tators of the occurrence"
I'VE would all willingly be in the
same fix, if-if-" and the banker
strolled along, rolling his eye express
! lively
They were near the race track now,
and as the Jockeys were trying their re-
spective mounts the party halted.
o. cd
nag, sang the student.
You mean locked, do you not?" said
the young lady.
She looked so pretty and vivacious,
and so interested in everything that
was done for her pleasure, that every
man of them was more than half in love
with her already.
The days passed pleasantly, the fog
had cleared away, and the air was
bracing and clear. The strike was still
on, the cars Sidetracked and the road
bed Uttered with ties, rails frogs and
broken switches. Little groups of men
gathered every day to listen for mes
sages from the leaders.
The small party of passengers did not
attract any attention at all now, and
they walked out in couples or in body
escorting the young lady.
But of late, when they had sent mes
sageS upstairs to the parlOr for her to
attend some concert or local entertain
ment, the reply came back. She was
engaged and regretted her inability to
go"
She seemed more restless, too; more
ca PRECIOUS, anxious to be moving on.
She had also declined to take many
walks lately suggested, unless the small
| girl belonging to the house went to. She
derived a mOdicum of comfort from the
fact that the small person was useful
as fender, a guard against these per-
SiStent SuitOrS, for she was awakening
to the fact that no less than five pro-
pOsals were imminent and undesirable.
She had with tact gracefully parted
the various sentimental remarks that
were thrown out as leaders, but the
strain was telling on her, quick-Witted
and clever as she undoubtedly was. 1t
| seemed to her lively imagination like
lodging flying missiles from guns in war
time. Her avoidance of the five pair of
eyes was noticeable to outsiders if they
had surmised the rather humorous stu
alton. The late storms had worked
havoc with the telegraph lines, but now
ali repairs completed, messages were
coming thick and fast. One of the many
was addressed to the Cashier of the
First National Bank, and read:
My sister, Miss Alice Francis, de-
tanned by strike in your city. At Grand
Central Hotel. Any kindness shown
her appreciated. Also if any funds
needed by above, please supply and
charge to j. FRANCIS
president of National Bank St
Louis"
The good-looking young Cashier
handed this telegram to the bank Presi-
dent with the remark, THAT means I
must call there and look after what will
probably prove an uninteresting incu-
bus Oh, hang it all What a nuisance!
I'm due at the club high jinks tonight
Suppose I'd better make my first call
though, and see if she needs any 'shek-
els
yes" said the President, ''it is the
thing to do
So the young fellow struggled into his
topcoat, gave a hasty glance at himself
in the glass door near by, and in a few
moments found himself at the hotel in
question and inquiring for Miss Fran
els. The high jinks at the clubrooms
did not see the Cashier of the First Ma
tional till after 10 o'clock And many
local festivities deplored the absence of
the same young man for the ensuing
five weeks of the strike. The student
bOy-iike, was impatient and jealous, also
determined. He sat a whole morning
OH the hotel porch. cool as it was, with
his head resting on his hand, meditating
an attack with the view of ascertaining
as he said, where he was at He
knew she breakfaSted late, and he
fairly haunted the elevator till he found
out the exact hour and one morning
was delighted to find her going down
alone. The elevator boy had other duties
and often the guests lowered or arose to
greater nights by their own efforts.
The student grasped her disengaged
hand, and was just pouring forth pro-
testations of affection when a sudden
strain and jar startled them, and. with
a swapping sound, one rope broke, can't
ing the elevator to dangerous angle.
Tho eirl cII1po tO the INNER side a c a fiv