Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-26
cHIvALRY IN THESE DAYS.
When May Strange Man Offer to Hello a
Woman?

The nonchalant young man, in fault
less evening clothes, who wanders
about at night. nd,without disarrang-
ing his tie or runpling his hair. meets
and routs gangs of Bowery toughs,
would scorn the bloodless victory Of
the hero OF this story, but the girl who
told the story at the boarding house
breakfast table rhapsodized over him.
She is bachelor maid, with no avail
able man to meet her at stations and
be generally useful, and, like most of
the young women who are called
new" she goes about taking care Of
herself and cordially loathing the task.
Last week she came home from Balti-
more and took train which would
reach New York early in the evening.
Her plans went astray, so did a screw
in the engine, and the train reposed
peacefully on a side track for several
hours, and then limped along with
placid disregard of passengers feel
ings. Irascible old gentlemen lost their
tempers, and the bachelor girl, though
outwardly serene, thought dolefully Of
arriving at midnight and having no
one to meet her.
There won't be a blamed cab at the
ferry. The train ahead of us will eaten
every one of them,'' growled one of the
old gentlemen. The girls spirits sank
still dover. A long car ride and a walk
through gloomy streets wasn't a cheer
full prospect. Verify there were advan-
tages in being a dependent. clinging
creature. with a father or brother or
husband. Still, one didn't come home
from Baltimore on crippled train Of
| ten, and there We're 1854 days each year
| in which one could be independent.
One must put up with a thing occa-
| sionally for the sake of not being OBJ
| liged to put up with something else
continually. Sine thought that out and
waited.
When the train reached Jersey city
there was wild scramble for the ferry
and on the boat a swarm of men with
determination in their eyes jammed
themselves against the gates. If there
was cab to be had on the New York
side each one of those men intended to
have it. The women who had been met
by masculine protectors sat and guard
ed the luggage while their protectors
joined the crowd. The bachelor girl
stood by the side rail and looked as
she felt, forlorn. Occasionally she cas-,
| hopeless glance at the mob of men,
! They all looked middle-aged and unin-
| teresting. she thought-but useful.
Then the hero appeared upon the
scene. He strolled along the deck
He wasn't excited about cabs BY no
stretch of the imagination could one
| conceive of his being excited abou.
anything. The bachelor girl, even in
her detection, noticed how uncommon
| ly we'll he tied his necktie. She had
practiced enough this season to I'M
derstand the innate cussedness of a
puff tie. His overcoat spoke volumes
| for his tailor One didn't need to see
| the trade mark in his hat. From top
| to toe he was immaculate. well
groomed perfection. Moreover, he was
good looking, and he was young-al-
though he assumed an ennui-of-ages
expression to conceal that last shame
full fact.
He looked listlessly at the middle
aged men who were beginning to wrig-
gle as the boat neared the New York
dock Then he looked at the girl. He
didn't seem interested in either sight;
but, lin languid way. he moved over
to where the girl stood and lifted his
hat.
DO you want a cab?" he asked with
an Indifference which indicated that he
didn't notice she was young and pretty.
She shrugged her shoulders and nod
ded toward the crowd.
I'm afraid lit doesn't make any diff
ference whether do or not" she said.
with a friendly smile. There doesn't
seem any use in thinking about it,"
He looked at the men.
They do seem ANXIOUS" he admit
ted. I'm going to take one myself;
and l thought, perhaps, as you were
alone, You might like me to get one
for YOU
The girl laughed and said:
Il should be much obliged: but I
guess it will he a case of street cars"
The languid youth raised his hat
again and crossed the deck with the
same old stroll. He mixed himself up
with the horses and carriages in the
middle of the boat. Then he appeared
just behind the chain that keeps the
horses back from the large middle
gate. He jumped the chain with tran
quill ease and stood talking with the
boat hand at the gate. The bachelor
girl watched him with interest. He
looked as though he had never in his
life hurried, and never would. The
boat struck the dock, the gates began
to open. Then certain young man
displayed unexpected qualities. He
shot through the crack of the middle
gate as though flung from lying
wedge, a scrambling crowd of men
: tackled him; but he went through
them and sprinted down the dock in a
way that would have won him laurels
if he had been hugging football in
stead of dress suit case. He disap-
peared: and the bachelor girl rubbed
her eyes.
When she reached the street a few
minutes later she found a mob of exas-
persted elderly gentlemen swearing at
the New York cab system. Two lonely
cabs stood at the curb, and in charge
of hem was an unruffied, Emphatic
youth. in elegant attire and with moth
: ing about him to suggest latent energy.
He stepped forward as the girl appear
e ed.
. these are our cabs" he said, quiet
r ly.
Sic beamed upOn him ardently: but