Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-02

He gets his ticket finally, and makes a
sprint of it for the gate. "All aboard has
been called out, and the gatekeeper Is just
closing the gate. Hey, there!" yells the
man always in rush, and the gateman
holds the gate halfway open.
Show your ticket, pleased he says,
mildly.
The man in a rush looks at the gate
keeper with unutterable hatred in his eyes,
but drops his bag. digs into his topcoat,
draws out the ticket, has 1t punched, and
makes the train now pulling out in record
time.
In contrast to this queer bunch"-as the
gatekeeper, looking after his flying figure,
calls him-is the drummer who always ar
riveS at the station two minutes ahead of
Tune, and goes about his business of buy
ing tickets, newspapers and magazines
with the complaisance of a man making
arrangements to go to bed His forehead
is unbedewed with the perspiration of anX-
lety, and he strolls in the direction of the
gate. where the throng has always Trimmed
out. like man out for an evening walk.
Oddly enough, he never seems to miss his
train.
The nervous woman causes some losses in
the matter of spiritual strength when she
turns up, which is quite often. One of her
commonest traits is to get at the mead of
the line at the wrong gate with the wrong
ticket.
ma am. and you're going to New York"
suggests the gatekeeper.
on. dear me, then, I'm at the wrong
gate, am not?" says she, TREMENDOUSLY
Yes m. says the gatekeeper, to the az
compartment of the crashing of teeth in
the rear of the line.
Well. where is the right gate, pray %
haughtily.
Next gate. ma'am" says the gatekeeper
and deep groans are heard In the rear
eel, why can't l go through this one
TOW I'm here? See all these folks be-
hind, waiting?''
Against the rules'm" and by this time
the groans are reminiscent of the subdued
mntterinss of stage Roman populace.
Inc nervous woman thereupcn picks up
ner TWO grips. stuck through the straps of
enc of which are a few umbrellas and
paraSols, which protrude quite a lot and
an py herself, she makes a flying V wedge
through the dense crowd. For courteous
elderly gentlemen, with the gallantry of the
OLD school hasty Beg pahdonr' may be
some alienation for the pain of being lab
bed in -he legs with pencil-po inted para
scis, oot the modern world is brutal and
critical So that the nervous woman in her
retreat does not make a very colossal hit
except physically, with the people she at
temptS to MAIN.
me man who has come down to see his
WiIe OH On a Journey seems always to ex-
flbit a cheerful resignation that is strange
tie is quite chatty with her, and is smok-
ing. which he might not have been when
be any wait for the train. he has been
known to deposit his spouse in the ladies'
waiting room. while he went to the room
where smoking is permitted. He is gener-
wonders at him, and just before she starts
with him to the gate she shakes a warning
Ierefinger at him with Now, remember
be good!''
Course / WILL" says he
And write every day?'
and not smoke too much?"
Course not
'And keen away from +b,t lorr;1 ~, >,
course Bye, Louise: take keer O. yer
SELF; and 1t Is over. and he turns from the
gate without. somehow, looking miserable
or forlorn at all.
But there are other couples They remain
together in corner of the waiting room
during the entire heart-breaking time of
the wait and they start shamefacedly
when brutal people passing In and ont
catch them clasping hands They hardly
speak at all. They are young. They gaze
straight before them. like people awaiting
doom They start as at the approach of
the high sheriff on the last morning when
the caller of trains breaks in upon their
reverie9 with the announcement of the
train that is to take her or him away out
INTO the wide world-for about three days,
perhaps. And when he or she has at length
gone, the other-but some things are too
sacred for type.
The difference between the unconscious
pathos of youth and the pathos of middle
age Is as broad as the sea. The elderly
woman who appears at a station every
day at the time of the arrival of certain
train to watch for the arrival of a son who
was killed I'm an accident in the west long
ago, and the account of whose death the
old lady declines to believe, is a story of
truth told here the other day. The old gen.
tlewoman simply strains her gaze through
the lars until the last passenger has lief,
the train. and then turns away with a
sigh. The train was two hours fate the
other day, but the old, lady waited pa
tiently for its arrival.
The boy that does turn up on time. how
ever. Is always a pretty jaunty lot. 1t Is
probably when he returns from college,
ana his mother and sisters are awaiting
his arrival. When he walks down the sta
ton, in perhaps a fairly bizarre outfit of
clothing, the excitement among the female
members of his family is something to see.
The meeting is study in the difference,
masculinity in the matter of demons ira
tiveness. and the lack of it.
willie, my boy!"
How do. mom!'
'Dear old Will!'
"Hay-o, sis!'
The other day there was very large
crowd at one of the stations waiting for
the Atlantic City train. The laughter and
talking were incessant, and the spirit of
holiday making was all over the station
About five minutes before the gates were
opened for the Atlantic City excursion
party a train arrived at the station from
! i IS g f.