The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-03-12

MlSX M13VhsV name he did not
WMNNH-RG even know. 1t
w MIN y y \ happened in this
y" >'''' 'NN way. Tom was
q telegraph operator in the city, but
lived in q small suburban town. As
he sat in the train one morning on his
way in to work, he noticed among the
passengers who boarded the train at
one Of the stations, q beautiful girl
who entered his car and took the seat
directly in front of his. The morning
paper had no further interest for Tom
that day. All the way in to town he
SGT watching the girl in front Of him.
! shall not attempt to describe her.
Tom says she is the most beautiful
girl he ever saw. OF course he is
prejudiced, but I must admit that
have only seen one girl who surpassed
her. However, that has nothing to do
with my story.
What impressed my friend even
more than her beauty was her extreme
modesty-not the timid, futtering kind
Of modesty, which is so easily imi
tated by the heartless coquette, but
the strong, self-reliant kind, which
makes men keep their distance. She
did not shrink from the admiring
glances bestowed upon her by every
man in the car; neither aid she en-
courage them. She simply ignored
them. A man who would attempt to
firt with such girl must either be o
fool or be gifted with unlimited as.
surance. Tom was neither; so he
contented himself with admiring her
In silence.
Week after week went on and each
day found poor Tom more and more
deeply in love. The unconscious OBJ
ieot Of his alteration travelled on the
same train every day. Sometimes she
sat near him and his eyes nearly de.
voured her wondesful beauty. At
other times she sat ct the other end of
the car, where he could only catch oc-
casional glimpses of her past the heads
OF his fellow passengers. One day he
made great discovery. Her name
was Helen. He had heard q girl friend
call her so. That night Tom sat up
until three o'clock writing love letters
to Helen, and tearing them up as fast
as he wrote them.
The next morning Helen again o.
cupied the seat just in front of Tom.
He SGT gazing at her and building cas-
ties in the air. Presently his mind
turned to the love letters he had been
writing and he began to frame a new
one. AS he unused, he idly fingered
the window catch, which made click
ing sound similar to that of telegraph
instrument. Unconsciously he spelled
out the words Of the letter.
"Deatest Helen" ran the message,
II love you dearly. Say you will be
mine and" but he got no further,
for suddenly the girl turned in her
seat and looked him full in the face,
her eyes blazing with indignation.
Then she turned back and Selling the
catch on her window, clicked out the
reply:
GLOW dare you?'
Tom was completely dumbfounded.
He felt like jumping out of the window
and ending his miserable existence.
He reflected, however, TINT such a
rash proceeding would do him no good
and might possibly wound the feelings
Of the young lady. Moreover, his first
duty was to apologize. OF course it
would not do any good. She would
never have anything to do with such
an idiot as he had shown himself to
be. Still he could not we'll leave mat
ters as they were, so he again reached
for the window catch.
II beg your PARDON" clicked the
improvised key.
"Your insolence is objectionable"
was the reply.
''But let mo explain. I did not
know"
II don't care to hear your explana-
tion."
Just then the train pulled into the
station and the offended girl left the
Car without so much as looking back
Tom went to his work with heavy
heart. He could think of nothing
else all day but the stupid blunder
which had destroyed ell possibility Of
his ever winning the heart Of the fair
telegraph operator.
On the following morning ho took
an earlier train than usual, In order to