The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-09-27

Jack was a young lawyer on consider /
able ability and already had . fairly
good practice In a profession which il
SO overcrowded.
Every afternoon 1T half-past five the
train. started back from the big. smoky.
noisy Is. & A. station. and every after
noon at twenty minutes past five Jack
entered the last car with his grip and
his paper. In the middle Of the week
the train was seldom crowded. and
often Jack found himself entirely alone
for most OF the Journey. This hap
pened TO he one of the days. and Jack
sire tched himself out comfortably and
began 10 read the paper The main
line pulled out in a slow and divnifed
manner Jack saw flash Of white fly
by the window, and the next moment
4 charming young woman with dark
brown hair, laughing brown eyes and
jaunty blue and white shirt waist
and a red necktie stood in the door, q
vision OF summer personiiicd. She was
SO extremely pretty that Jack could
not help looking at her again as she
came down the aisle. She caught his
eye, a half-surprised expression flashed
over her face, she paused uncertainty
and then deliberately sat down d.
rcctly opposite Jack. She arranged
her blue skirt daintily, looked out OF
the window aud then at Jack, who
found himself stealing surreptitious
glance at her from the edge Of the
paper, which he was pretending to
road. The same little comedy vas gone
through with again and this time she
smiled slightly but encouragingly, and
Jack smiled back. Nay, do not frown.
What would you have done under the
same circ umstances, oh. stern and
moral benedicts Of years standing?
At any rate, Jack smiled. and then,
with malice aforethought. as he very
we'll knew. this pretty girl began to
struggle Intellectually to raise the car
window. Now, this has been the ac-
ceptcd prelude To car firtations since
the iuven lion Of railroads. and there is
good ground for thinking that 1t may
be the reason why car windows al
ways stick. As soon as Jack saw her
attempts he CALAMITY sprang up and
offered to help her. With a charming
confusion she accepted, and after a
few vicious tugs the window came up
and Jack satdown beside the charming
young woman. lie was SO exhausted
he had TO.
"Oh thank YOU so much. said she.
"It is SO hard to get these windows up.
A 5 was coming through on the main
line tried so hard 10 get one up and
no one offered to help me-"
Have you ever been out this way
before?' he asked.
'-Oh. yes used to live in Boston or
about here"
Il suppose you have many friends
here?'
"Yes. indeed. know-er, that is. l.
l do not know anyone now. Every
body has moved away"
Now what the dickens made her
blush like that?' thought Jack, as the
young lady suddenly became interest
ed in the passing landscape. She
turned back after a time, but evident
ly had great difficulty in meeting her
companions eyes. Every reference to
Boston or its vicinity was discouraged
with restrained confusion. Jack made
tactful attempts At getting her name,
but every one was foilcd.
'.She's n bright girl" said Jack to
himself. "but what makes her want to
giggle all the time?"
The train approached Alton Center
and the young lady made preparations
to leave the train, and while II pulled
| into the station Jack carried her bag
to the door and W ished her a good-by.
She turned as il to speak to him and
then ran down the steps.
''She is mighty prett girl" unused
Jack as he resumed his seat. But
what-wonder il Id better say any
thing to Edith about it. No. won't
no need of it" and he began to read
his paper.
His wife met him at the gate and her
face wore look Of disappointment.
"Maudc is not coming to-day, Jack,
she said '.She wrote me she was GO
ing to stop off TO see friend and come
on tomorrow Oh the afternoon train.
Isn't il mean. after all my prepara-
tions, too?"
Jack thought ii was. and the subject
dropped. In the evening they went
| over W llt van w pay NhtSt
and Edith and Mr. Van Pluys beat
Jack ami Mrs. Van Pluys, much to
Ediths delight and Jacks chagrin, for
IL there was one thing on which Jack
pridcd himself. il was his whist and
his famous com animation play Of the
king second hand which had never
failed Of its object, but did fail signal
lv that night
For some unaccountable reason the
mex. day did not pass as well for Jack
in the city. Everything seemed to go
wrong His typewriter spoiled two
briefs when they were almost done.
and he dropped his big inkstand and
spilled all Of the ink on the pretty rug
which he and Edith had selected to
make the office look more CHEEKY.
When il came time for him TO go to the
station he was glad and sank within
his accustomed seat with sigh OF re-
lief. lie rcmem bcred the affair Of the
day before and wished that he had told
Edith aud compromised with himself
by deciding to tell her when he reached
home. The monotonous rattle of dick
ing cars Jared upon him. and he could
not read. When the train stopped at
West Alton his temper had not i'm
proved materially. and when he ran
in TO a fat man with two grips he did