Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-07-29
circumstances, D stern and moral ben.
edIcfs of a vpara 9fandin09

~
struggle Intellectually to raise the car
window. Now this has been the ac-
cepted prelude to car firattons since
the invention Of railroads, and there Ia
good ground for thinking 1t may be the
reason why car windows always stick.
As soon as Jack saw her attempts he
calamity sprang up and offered 10 help
her. With a charming confusion She
accepted. and after a few vicious tugs
the window came up. and Jack sat
down beside the charming young wom-
an. He was so exhausted he had To.
"Oh, thank you 5 much,' said she.
1T e So hard 70. get these windows up.
As | was coming through on the main
line | tried 50 hard 10 get n up and
no one offered 10 help me-"
Have you ever been out this way
before:' he asked.
"Oh, yes. l used TO live in Boston or
about here"
Then you are acquainted here
abouts?"
Yes. indeed. l know-er. that Is. L
| do not know anyone now. Every
body has moved away"
Now. what In the dickens made her
blush like that" thought Jack, as the
young lady suddenly became intensely
interested IN h passing landscape.
She turned back again after a time, but
evidently had great difficulty in meet
ing her companions eyes. Every ref
erence to Boston or its vicinity was dis
couraged with restrained confusion.
Jack made some tactful attempts at
getting her name, but every Ii was.
foiled.
shes n bright girl" said Jack to
himself, but what makes her wan to
giggle all the time
The train approached Alton Center
and the young lady made preparations
To leave the train. and while it pulled
into the station Jack carried her bag
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
what-wonder if I'd better say any
thing TO Edith about 1t. 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.
Maud is not coming to-day, Jack"
she said. She wrote me that she was
going to stop off TO See a friend and
come on tomorrow. on the afternoon
train. Ism it mean, after all my prep
arations, too?'
Jack thought it was, and the subject
dropped. In the evening they went
over to the Van Pluys' to play whist,
and Edith beat Jack and Mrs. Van
Pluys, much to Edith's delight and
Jacks chagrin, for if there was one
thing on which Jack prided himself i,
was his whist and his famous combina.
ton play Of the king second hand
which had never failed of its object
but did fail signally that night.
For some u~naccountable reason the
next day did not pass as well for Jack
in the city. Everything seemed to &C
wrong. His typewriter spoiled two
briefs when they were almost done and
he dropped his big inkstand and spilled
all the ink on the pretty rug which he
and Edith had selected to make TIE
office look CHEEKY. When it came
time for him to 90 TO the station be
was glad and sank within his accus
toned seat with a sigh of relief. He
remembered the affair of the day b.
fore and wished that he had toll
Edith, and compromised with himseI
law lnriHjnr 10 toll hnr u-hnn hn rao.J,n5
home. The m~onotonOuS rattle Of click
ing cars Jared upon him, and he coul,
not read. When the train stopped a
West Alton his enpe had not i'm
proved materially, and when he RAJ
into 4 fat nan with two grips he Iii.
not even beg the fat mans pardon, al
though he knew that II was his owl
fault, but muttercd Savagely Somethin
about people lot looking where the
We're going.
Edith did mol meet him at the gate a
usual. and that irritattsl him more. \
he nearei the little porch he heard tn
sound OF animated voices. One wa
EIith's. The other sounded strangel
familiar. Where had he heard 1t bt
fore: He racked his brain. but coul
not determine. As he. opened the doc
l 10 the cool. darkened s~itting-rooI
Edith met him.
Maud has come. Jack she sait
and dragged him into the room wher,
: seated on the divan with the big cuSl
ions was n white form which his eye
unaccuStomed to the dimncSs Of IL
room, could not make out.
Maud. this Is my husband. Jack
said Edith. You remember Jack"
' Il believe that we have had =
: pleasure Of meeting more recently. VI
. Strong" said Maud. with a roguis
smile.
/. Jack started back with his NOUS
open. bur no voice AIN from It 4
was I-atrified. He could only stare
her hopele>>iy. She was the girl who
he had met 80 uncouyent-onally the ia
: before n the ear.
+ "Er- All. yes. yes Of course" he ma
= aged 10 gasp. "del!sht-i"-anl saE
n down upon the ncarest chair with Il
II IerSpiration standing out upon i
forehead. It's WIFE stood Ike a star