The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-23
&ON NO. 90.
BY PERCIVAL POLLARD.


THE conductor of No. 93 put his hand
up to his cap in a vague, fumbling
way. IF you've no objection" he
began, as he prepared to take his seat
opposite the young woman who had
been looking out of the window for an
hour or so past with a good deal OF
weariness in her gaze.
She smiled. Not at ALL" she muir
INJURED.
Il didn't know" he said, 'but what
you'd not care to be disturbed"
He was a little, spare sort of an an
eicnt, was the conductor. But age never
seemed to have touched his joy of life;
he was considered as "spry' an employc
as any on that road. His brisk little
eyes flashed sharply about his pretty
vis-a-yis.
Fine country, this" he said, slowly,
as if reaching about for something on
which to swing IA conversation. Ever
been in Ioway before?'
ooh, yes. I've visited here"
An; ! kinder sensed you wasn't from
1oway yourself. Let me see; | misre-
member where you are getting off,
''Lincolnville."
YES, that's it, Lincolnville. Going
~fishing?'@s W IL
Mild surprise showed in the young
woman's face. Her eyebrows lifted Il
little. "As | remember it," She said, Il
don't think that county has any streams
Or lakes at all" .@s h 81,
oh" and the little old conductor
gave a roguish sort of a smile, there's
other kinds o. fishing" 80. :,
Il dare say. But I'm married."
"You don't say! Pears to me you
was mighty young when you made your
mind up. But that's the way with them
these times. There was my son Tom
The engine whistled fora station just
then, and the conductor got up and
" made his way out to the platform. A
little dingy depot Building, once white;
a sign. that stated the number of miles
to Chicago and the name OF the place;
a Western Union sign overthe window;
a solitary ramshackle' omnibus and IL
few indifferent idlers constituted the
o'NlltlN tliat- VI 'Noi ~ ~ Sof''
out on from the comfort of n Pullman
car that formed No. 93's. trailer. 10
the initiatedsh gave,oht at first glance
{ the air OF the town.. The3something in
tangible and elusively perfect that is
entwined with the clothing of the New
York girl was part ofMrs. Lennox. 1t
was not, perhaps, SCI mach what she
wore as tile way she. wore it. One can
buy the same materials in Lincolnvills
that one. can in New York; but the
something. the divine essence of beauti-
ft' externals. refuses somehow to pass
beyond the portals of the metropolis.
"A little of this reflection came to Mrs.
Icnnox as she watched the two or three
women who alighted at this stopping
place and whose, home it evidently was.
And then again a feeling Of shame come
over her at the h%arboring Of such petit
ness; she" blushed.' and then smiled.
thinking Of the utter femininity OF her
reasoning Clothes. clothes-what are
clothes? Theme are better t~hingsabou'
men and women than clothes; and thest.
better things were as frengent,' as active
out here as they were in town. Hearts
and feelings arc the broader hnmani-
ties, ..r.
Mrs. Lennox opened the window as
the train began to leave the station.
The morning breeze came in, bringing
with it the faint smell of apple blooms
and the sound of birds chirping. IT
was a world of green and blue. Far
over to the horizon stretched the I'M
d~ulating fields of green, dotted here
and there with the brown and black of
grazing beasts or the white. smoke
haloed ~farmhouses. And over. it all
hung the blue curtain of the'sky. Mrs.
Lennox thought of the south side of
Twenty-third street and gave a sigh
of relief. The morning freshness came
TO her like a tonic.
Ii was good to be in a land of green
feds after all! . 'f-n ..,, 49,.
AS l was saying came the c9n-
ductor's voice presently, my son Tom.
he married at whas4 II sot down as 50
ALFRED young's to be plumb foolish,
an guess l don't make any bones
about telling him as much. But
reckon he knew; I reckon he knew
They're happy"
20, happy's coons at circus time.
And what's more" he drawled his
words a little as il to add emphasis,
Il don't reckon any person ever lived
that could make corAcakes like my
= son Toms wife. When ] come of the
Ns+nnlt. - - ~~~-s