The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-23

went down to the depot q short
while before train time. which, if !
remember correctly. was about 3 II.
IN. Upon inquiry l learned that the
train was two hours late.
II had no business back up town
and concluded to dispose of my
spare time at the depot. | went out
on the platform after awhile and
walked up and down. thinking Of
various matters connected with my
trip. The depot was one Of those
old fashioned structures with the
gents waiting room at one end and
the ladies' at the other, with the of
fees between them. Very few peo.
pie were about the depot at the time,
and to them ] gave little notice, hut
later on my attention was attracted
to a very prepossessing type of the
country girl standing in the door
way Of the ladies' waiting room. OF
cnnyse, IL :hcsse days, wien q good
looking girl appeared on the ecene
I at once became interested, and
after passing her q time or two /
drew near and remarked to her that
sine seemed to be waiting for q train
as well as myself. She replied in
the affirmative and q desultory talk
followed regarding the weather, the
country, and go on, and I soon learn
ed that she was II student in the
Manhattan college and was going
out on my train for that place.
but how arc we to kill these
two hours7' : remarked to her after
awhile; but of course che didn't
know.
Just across the track from the
depot several coal mines were oper-
ated ut that time, and / made some
remark about them and suggested
that l believed that I would 60 over
and go down into one of them, us !
had never been in o mine Of any kind.
She thought that would be interest
ing, and said it in such a ann
that l politely introduced myself and
invited hel to accompany me. She,
IN turn told me her namefand in a
very modest and becoming manner
thanked me for the invitation and
said that she would be glad = go i
did something right here which l
cannot explain and which afterward
caused me untold embarrassment and
modification, but I believe taught
me a very valuable lesson. 1 have
seen a good deal Of life, as you well
know, but this was tho first time in
my experience, and the last, that /
ever sailed under false co1ors. When
introducing myself. I geve her u
fictitious name. I do not know why
/ did go, for ! knew enough of hu-
man nature to understand at a
glance that this young lady was
honest and upright, and I had no ul-
terror motive or design in my mind
when / told her that my name was
Harry McConkey.
I'VE went over to the nearest
shaft and soon obtained The neces-
sary permission of the boss to go
down into the dark chambers of the
earth below. Accompanied by a
guide we got into one of the cages
and descended several hundred feet.
When the bottom WE reached. we
were shown through various dark
lanes, where men and mules were at
work taking out the black diamonds.
Miss - was very much interested
IN what she saw, and when we
emerged from the mine sins thanked
me again for my kindness in invit-
ing her to accompany me. When we
got back TO the depot, we learned to
our disappointment that the train
was an hour later than it was at first
reported. This would make it sup
per time and after. I.suggested sup
per, and invited the lady to go back
up town with me to get something
to eat. She would go. she said, but
not as my guest, but on condition
that ! permit her to pay for her own
supper, and she gave as her reason
for this our short acquaintance. OF
course I preferred to pay for the
suppers myself, but I appreciated
the fact that the young lady was
liz HCoseAOA EA0 tOOt, uuu
/ permitted her to have her way in
the matter,
We went up town ard into the
best restaurant the place afforded,
and while we were eating she told
me of her home, her parents, broth
ers, sisters, her school life, how she
had taught school in her home dis
irict farther down in the etate, ell
the time go ladylike and modest and
calling me Mr.. McConkey' with
e...!: sraHsness anu simplicity that
my conscience wouia hardly STAND
6siif and permit the imposition to 20
on, but it did, a fact that I'll regret
the longest day I live.
II told her enough falsehoods and
romanccs then and during the even
ing to make a good sized book. Told
her how l had been in Chino md