Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-11-08
| BUSINESS APPRENTICESHIP
"A STORY FOR GIRLS.
BY GRACE MARGUERITE HURD.
Copyright, 1so6.

5# cancers hurryln9 dlohS 'llo Pi" "tAoi i'i' sens s,,te more and tae conductor brisS- A nll, nalTad the few bSated ones up the s.ns and prepared tS board the train s.epy -alf A rush of feet and the sound ii,li,q s treafhless laughter made him look v .rionsly up the long platform. He esooonized the two who SF<re racing lsS .r the boards as daily passengers, V.s ba shook his head as they motioned @ him inploringly.
 ni.lI awe,re two minutes late now," he .id relentlessly. Then he gave the sig sal s@ to the engineer. With a jerk and sndden rush of steam the train be- ran to move slowly out of the station. s aho laughter ceased now. It was too .orious a possibility-the prospect of z ,.a;no an hour late to lunch. The tardy noir bent every energy in pursuit of the lnov;no train and scrambled trium nbantiy up the steps of the last car. Tba messengers looked up in amused Understanding as a tall, graceful girl, dimnled. breathless, came up the aisle, Endowed by a gentleman who was <. Ioo evidently gasping for breath. They dropped into the first vacant seat in silence.
 The pirl was the first to regain her ! hr4atb and she laughed softly at her comnanion's scarlet face. That's the host run we've made yet" she gurgled.
 "And is our last" rejoined the gentle man beside her. He was handsome, middle-aeed man whose small, erect sonre carried with it suggestion of E army service. His short, white beard somehow added to this impression, and #bis thick crop of white hair was clipped with military precision.
 "0b. what does it matter? We got 4be train.Y she said, half-apologetically. She gave twitch to her hat, pat to tbe brown curls about her face, and set 5 tied herself comfortably back in her seat.
 It isn't the run itself that matters 50 much, though I don't enjoy that hts the part our nerves play in it. And even then, if it were only for once. But 1t isn't It happened day before yes terday, it happened last week. But it will not happen next week"
 No. for I shan't call for you again, Uncle Jack, if you're going to scold me all the way home for being a few mi nutes late" She seemed amused and undaunted by his severity, which was, indeed, more in the words than in the tone.
 If you were an hour late I could for give you, for you'd have some reason for it. But this always being few minutes behind time for no reason at all, is a serious and annoying fault" # T do have a reason" she said. indig- nantly.
 # "Yes, at quarter of one, instead of being at my cffice as you promised you were probably hanging over a book stall or stopping to talk ten minutes too long t3 someone"
 Z "Fhy I did go in to look at the new books for a minute te''-assenting with zquie'l surprise. But even then I'd have had plenty of time if I hadn't gone back to the dentists for my bag. I didn't think of it until I had almost reached your office"
 Ny child, having made an engage men', break your neck if necessary in keeping it. But why did you hinder me by coming at all if you couldn't be on time?"
 # The dimples showed again in the girls Rhee&. Well, you see I came in with zpaps this morning, and didn't notice Hthat hadn't my mileage-booll-" Ed Ca, Marjorie, Marjorie, sighed Col. Roc wood, whimsically, you grow 'aor4 and more like your poor father eyerv day"
 Z I'll tell you what I saw the other nigbt'-impressively.
 I saw your father come racing home nalt an hour late to dinner and sit down =ao halsh lecture he was to deliver in |saess than two hours. He was so anx- Haous and no wonder-that you and |gout mother should be dressed in time nat he forgot about his dinner till you Nefe ready to start. Then you went off asaS'ng half the gas-jets in the house piaz'ng up and came back five minutes aatel ,e for your fathers forgotten papers. ne servant was out, the latch was |spowa and latch-lkey inside. You had to S'faNl In Il window that had no busi- SesS to be unfastened and open the 1Oor Goiag in on the car-'
 v. oncse Jack!" protested the girl
 eolng in on the car," he sternly pursued, you had to throw yourself n my mercy for car fare; not one of 20u mad thought to bring any change. u consequence of all this foolery we
 ere nearly 20 minutes late at the hall, uu m our nerves were worn to shreds.
 ! wish you didn't know everything kn lae happens to us, drowned Marjorie. pa', Uncle Jack, you can't expect me ,ake papa's absent-mindedness seri- usly sl It is too ridiculous" ~ isn't just your father It is all
 you Unfortunately you have all
 s, sn d keen sense of humor that you sa - ! see the gravity of your case. You
 unconseiously trying to be race 'f1 f1. yourselves. and I want to make you |SSTAe other human beinoS Marior;a Now