The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-28
"a ID z $3.50 cunEAn
seiution in = Parlor Car b. a Man Of Nerve
81 q pfnlcniA PrnhInm.

Va 8inacuAt EIonAoms
The black smoke had been pouring through
the open windows Of the car. The windows
had to be left open. for The heat was %insutter-
able. No parlor ear ever held q more wilted-
looking lot Of passengers. They we're fairly
spick and hpan looking when they got aboard
near the end Of the line: but they soon sue
oumbed. The Cannon Ball had again excited
derision by being twenty minutes behind time.
That delay began their distress. For twenty
minutes the engine OF their train pulled Inn
potently as It waited for the down train
to pass. When the way was at last clear shirt
waists had lost their stiffness. nearly every
face was duskv with smoke and not a collar
stood up. ResiGnedly the passengers sat about
waiting for the train to complete its SEEM
inRly intermlnable series Of stops and reach
owl 1t was too hot to read or talk. The
weather and the conditions made everybody
too limp for anything but idle. listless staring
through the windows Mt the dusty landscape
or at the tired faces OF the others who sat
about In the anne demorallzed way. nh con-
ductor calling the stations or the occasional en-
frances OF new arrivals awakened no interest
in the car. Everybody wastoo fargone o rthat.
The train was within twenty minutes Of the
city when an incident occurred which did cause
symptoms OF interest among the passengers.
Seated In the centre Of the car was a young
man dressed with more care than any other
man about him. His rough tweed suit showed
none OF the effects OF the smoke and dust. His
brown gloves and his broad brimm cd gray hat
were little suggestive OF the discomforts Of the
journey. But his high collar had gone the way
OF everything Btarched in that car. It had coll
lapsed completely. It stood scarcely higher
than the band Of his shirt. AS o protection for
q sore throat 1t might have served as well as
any OF the white flannel rags 30 dear as .
lwn ~ g. 49, hN~.A - n-lI-xA L. ~ A.. 49,.
Of such an .nilment. But as q collar It was q
tn Tf Pssh nf n s0S sS,s tf 4 ;I Ais conduct ID Ss5 Sht s;YCs inI Ris.
epicpously. he lifted a square leather travelling
bag into ~ drew e bunehofk keys from his pocket
him WITH With ls ing IdH Interest," er ! RaSS %Rss4 he e' opsne ca
SUfEy. fS % @S %KO SAT PeG near Gh RIa0t WRild u he g
3 SbIi: S SsiSlsSsP' e sT pair q p tS Slss SSss!sslss,.
lis hands ana closed the top y the bag. i was
hand SsT1 S Sas a WI Whites Sse eoflar w Sid sq SSd imniiad "a Rss
The tired passengers were actively Interested
t aSHiTi pair rae Of 0S oYes w w9s r re- Re e R1s watch Sa fhnG tEs;
PNrSsess, That was the young mans purpose;
70 one Of the two mirrors that hung in the car.
Every eye. followed him. He. was conscious Of
the attention, for nobody made any attempt to
The limp collar was promptly whisked of
and. went into one ofthe owners pockets. The
fresh one was slowly and deliberately adjusted.
Before that the string necktie was Slipped onto
1t. Then the one evidence OF weakness which
the complete self-possession Of the
performance was noticed. His fingers
fumbled when 1t came to the front collar but
he recovered from an instant OF embarrass-
and completed the operation as success
July as he might have done in the privacy Of
his own room.
When he turned suddenly to walk back to his
seat every eye dropped. quietly. But he gave
no evidence OF having known that they were
staring at him with interest. Once more tho
top OF the bag was lifted, the soiled collar fell
among the mixed contents and the key chain
neappeared. Then he fitted ON his hat, settled
Town in the seat, and his gloves were drawn
on. Nobody had spoken since he first
opened the bag. Every thought had been on
him; In spite OF his apparent GOODNESS, the
strain, had been more. than he could bear.
hough. AS he buttoned the last button on his
glove he looked at the man who sat next to
him. Their eyes met. Self-control was now
tut Of the question.
I" Afool." he said to the man, wouldn't
AVE had the nerve to change that collar. led
AYE landed In the city with that wilted one."
The speech was as much relief to the rest of
he car as 1t was to the man who had finally
'een driven to u~ttering it. Nobody looked at
i'm again and when the passengers a few mo-;
nents afterward seized their bags and hurried
or the ferry he had been completely forgotten.