The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-21

sec each other again for months, and yet
wcrc making an engagement for only thrco
days later Tho guard Mt the gate smiled.
for the schoolgirls who pass through tho
station arc many, and he is accustomed to
their nffcctionatc furcwcls
Tell Hattie what n good time wc have
had, said the brown haired girl, who
Wore IL bunch of violcts. She emphasized
the verb with n kiss planted on the red lips
of the pretty girl who fingered near tho
gate. The carcss WIS quickly returned,
and the question came from tho rosy mouth
Mt the same time:
"Whcn you come out you will bring
George, won't you?'
Yes, of course"
THAT is so sweet of YOU" and again the
rosebud lips came together.
You'd Letter hurry up, )" said the gate
keeper.
Then the girls made n wild dash at each
other. Their lips were pressed together rs
though the coming meeting Tuesday was
centuries hence, and then the pretty blue
eyed girl ran down the platform and was
hurrcdly helped upon the moving train.
As it slowly pulled away the girls waved
their hands and tossed kisses to each other
until the curve was made and the train
out of sight.
That's the way it is all the time, said
the uniformed gatckCcpcr. Kissing kiss
ing. l get so tired of it. Now, those girls
see each other every fcw days, and yet they
smack each other us though they were part
ing forever. If any one ever got sick to
death of seeing hugging and kissing going
on, it's an employee about II railway sta
ton. Why, if l had girl, wouldn't ever
kiss her; l wouldn't in public at least
Perhaps he had reason for being disgust
p1 and fbCn uprhpI. ~ IN litt IL, wi
Gus. Anyway he seemed to be an imbit-
tered guard, and perhaps he was so with
reason, for all about him were people who
were taking fond lcuvings of each other.
The mother and daughter were there,
and 1t seemed as though they never could
bring themselves to part.
Over near the baggage window stood u
we'll dressed man and his wife. The wom-
an had II tired, worn expression, rs though
weary with the cxcrtion of getting ready
for the journey she was about to under
take. Near her upon the ground wero
two or three satchcls and handbags, and
tho man looked toward them anxiously
and then at the clock, as though he had
an engagement to keep as soon rs she was
safely on her way. When he had given
her Il long white ticket, u brass check and
some money, he took up the satchcls and
moved quickly toward the gateway 1t
was fully 10 minutes before the hour for
the departure of the train, yet he did not
wait after re had seated her in one of the
compartments.
After he had settled the baggage on the
floor he leaned toward his wife, gave her II
peck upon the lips, swallowed Us though
taking II pill and then went out OF the car.
She looked WiStlully after him, but he did
not glance hack, for he was already late for
his appointment and almost ran down the
platform.
III the section across from the neglected
wife sat II young man and woman, who
were unconscious of every one in the train.
They sat and gaZctl into each Others eyes
and held the hands OF each other tightly
Every few minutes he would lean forward
and kiss her lovingly and tcndcrly. A
small boy in the section in front of them
stood on the seat and looked i'm wonder
mcnt Mt their unconscious demonstrations
But they did notknow that any one else
was in the car. Tho girl was not ut nll
nbashed Mt the aifcctionato farewell of the
young man, and followed him to the cur
door an9 kissed him warmly several times,
never apparently seeing the conductor, who
stood with his hand upon the rail ready to
jump aboard, nor did she sec the grinning
porter. But even this farewell did not sat
iSfy the young couple, for the girl ran back
to her seat, opened the window, and, bend
ing far out, her lips were kissed by her
sweetheart as the train began to slowly
pull away.
1t isn't often that men are seen to carcss
each other in an American depot, but this is
sometimes witnessed by the station officials
when n trainlonu of foreigners comes in