The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-09-28

JACK was d young lawyer OF CONSIDER
able ability and already had a fairly
good practice in q profession which Is
sc overcrowded.
Every afternoon at half-past five the
train started back from the big, smoky,
noisy B. & 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 be one of the days, and Jack
stretched himself out comfortably and
began to read the paper. The main
line pulled out in a slow and dignifed
amer. Jack saw a fash of white fly
by the window, and the next moment
a charming young woman with dark
brown hair. laughing brown eyes and
a iaunty blue and white shirt waist
and a red necktie stood in the door, a
vision of summer personified. 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.
rectly opposite Jack. She arranged
her blue skirt daintily, looked out of
the window and then at Jack, who
found himself stealing a surreptitious
glance at her from the edge of the
paper, which he was pretending to
road. The same little comedy wa 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 circumstances, oh. stern and
moral benedicts of a years standing?
At any rate. Jack smiled, and then,
with malice afOrethought, as he very
well knew, this pretty girl began to
struggle Intellectually to raise the car
window. Now, this has been the ac-
cepted prelude to car f1irtations since
the invention of railroads, and there is
good ground for thinking that it may
be the reason why car windows al
ways stick. As soon as Jack saw her
attempts he ~gallantly sprang up and
u Gu W AlClP hCI. VIII d IA l1luS
confusion she accepted, and after a
few vicious tugs the window came up
and Jack satdown beside the charming
young He was so exhausted
he had to.
"Oh, thank you Sc much" said she.
at is SO hard to get these windows UP.
AS | was coming through o the main
limo triad CO hn~l 20 got nnn ~ onh
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, Iknow-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 foiled.
"She's a 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 cave the train, and while it pulled
into the station Jack carried her bag
to the door and W ished her a good-by.
She turned as if to speak to him and
then ran down the steps.
she is a mighty pretty girl" unused
Jack as he resumed his seat. But
thing to Edith about it. No, l won't
no need of it" and he began to read
his paper.
His wife met him at the gate and her
face wore a look of disappointment.
"Maude is not coming to-day, Jack"
she said. she wrote me she was 60
ing to stop off to see a friend and come
on tomorrow on the afternoon train.
Isn't it mean, after all my prepare
tons, too"
Jack thought it was, and the subject
dropped. In the evening they went
over to the Van Pluys' to play whist
and Edith and Mr.. Van Pluys beat
Jack and Mrs. Van Pluys, much to
Edith's delight and Jacks chagrin, for
if there was one thing oil which Jack
prided himself, it was his whist and
his famous combination play of the
king second hand which had never
failed of its object, but did fail signal
ly that night.
For some unaccountable reason the
next 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 it came time for him to go to the
he was glad and sank within
his accustomed seat with a sigh of re-
lief. He remembered the affair OF the
dav before and wished hat he had told
Edith. and compromised with himself
by deciding to tell her when he reached
home. The monotonous rattle of click
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 a