The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-12-18
ON no. g.
BY PERcTvAL POLLARD.



THE conductor Of No. 90 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 M who had
been looking out of the window for an
hour or SO past with a good deal OF
WEAKNESS in her gaze.
She smiled. mot at ALL" she MUIR
INJURED.
II didn't know he said, 'sbut<what
you'd not care to be disturbed"
He was a little, spare sort of an an
cicnt, was the conductor. But age never
seemed to have touched his joy of life;
he was considered as ''spry'' an employee
as any on that road. His brisk little
eyes flashed sharply about his pretty
vis-a-vis.
Fine country, this he said, slowly,
as il reaching about for something on
which to swing a conversation. Ever
been in Ioway before2"
ooh, yes. I've visited here
sAhs kinder sensed you wasn't from
1oway yourself. Let me see; 1 misre-
member where you are getting Off"
sLineoInyil1e."
Yes, that's it. LincolnvilIe. Going
Hshing27
Mid surprise showed in the young
woman's face. Her eyebrows lifted a
little. "As i remember it," she said. II
don't think that county has any streams
or lakes at all.s
Oh and the little old conductor
gave q roguish sort Of a smile, there's
other kinds q fishing
dare say. But I'm married"
sXou don't sayl Pears to me you
was mightYyoung when you made your I
mind up. But that's the way with them
these times. Therewa my son Tons
The engine whistled for a station just
then, and the conductor got up ana
made his way out to the platform. Ad
little dingy depot building, once white;
sign that stated the number of miles
to Chicago and the name of the place;
q Western Union sign over the window;
q solitary ramshackle omnibus and a
few Indifferent idlers constituted the
scenery that Mrs. George Lennox looked
put on from the comfort of a Pullman
rar that formed No. 9S's trailer. To
the initiated1she gave out at first glance
fhe air Of the town. The something in
tangible and elusively perfect that is
entwined with the clothing OF the New
York girl was part Of Mrs. Lennox. 1t
was not, perhaps, SO much what she
0 as the way she wore it. One can
buy the same materials in Lincolnville
that n can in New York; but the
something, the divine essence of beauti-
fua externals, refuses somehow to pass
beyond the portals OF the metropolis.
A little of this reflection came to Mrs.
Lcnnox 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 came
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
clothes2 There are better things about
men and women than clothes; and these
better things were as frenqent, as active
GU here as they were in town. Hearts
and feelings arc the broader humans
ties.
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
md the sound of birds chipping. 1t
was a world OF green and blue. Far
over to the horizon stretched the un-
dulating 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
T~wenty-third street and gave a sigh
Of relief. The morning freshness came
to her like d tonic.
II was good to be in a land Of green
fields after ALI
As / was saying came the con-
dnctor's voice presently, my son Tom,
he married at what I sot down as so
all-fred young's to be plumb foolish,
an I guess 1 don't make any bones
about telling him as much. But /
reckon be knew; Ireckon he knew"
They're happy@
80 happy's coons at circus time.
And what's more he drawled his
words a little as If to add emphasis,
I don't reckon any person ever lived
t'Sat could make corncakes like my
on Toms wife. When I come off the
run, there's nothing rests me's
npeh As 4 good fll of coracakes,n
Hs looked out over the swaying fields
aeifatlNely, and MlE. Lennox, diyin- !