The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-14

l.
Flow unspeakabiy drearyv' exclaimed
the new man, walking about the l.tt:e
station and gazing. bewildered, out over
the quiet country town. The agent whom
he had come up to relieve was talking
with a f1at-fgured, sinewy young farmer,
who had come to town TO have his pillow
sharpened. A man with one suspender,
driving a COW down the street, shouted TO
the agent: Hello, JIM" and the agent
waved his hand.
Come out an see us fore We go an
ueli cut a punkin."
jim smiled and nodded. The man
laughed loud and pushed his COW into an
alley.
what crude, vulgar lot of yaps in
habit this EARTH" unused the new man,
marking the folk of the village. He
had been all his life in the city His
father was president of a little railroad
down East. 1t had taken him just fifty
wears of hard work to reach that exalted
post, and that was his chief reason for
sending this beardless boy of his into the
throbbing West to learn the business. The
ordinary public school, The high school
and a course at business college was all
he got. and at 20 he was finished" after
the idea of the president. who, in his
youth had not Jared nearly we'll. A
single letter TO a superintendent in the
West was the boys introduction. He had
mastered the mystery of the key in little
while Railroad work of all sorts seemed
10 come as naturally to him as thirst
romes to an Indian, but he had lot 10
learn about men and things. 1t is not
enough for a man 20 be able to do bus
mess: he must know first of all how to
gel business.
Having grown weary of waiting, the
new man approached the agent with the
hone that that placid individual might see
in him a lot of energy going to waste, and
so cut short his visit with the lank young
farmer.
Charley" said the agent, stepping back
as the new man approached and waving
his hand with the air and ease of a farm
er showing a horse at a county fair, this
Is Mr. Cutter, your new agent. Mr.. Cut
ter Mr. Johnson"
MIR. johnson, stepping from his wagon
to the high platform, removed his glove
about to shake hands.
Mr.. Gutter bowed, smiled and then
stared at the farmers big feet, not even
noticing the almost outstretched hand.
1t is a pretty well established fact that
nothing is more disconcerting to a man
than to have another person stare at his
fer Pretty women often resort 10 this
expe,Tent when being crushed under the
poze of handsome, vulgar men, Ana So
seeing the agent staring at his teet' the
farmer blushed beneath his tan, steppeu
bock into his wagon and drove away
There was milk on one of his BOOTS.
Now the eve of the agent, trained 70
see many things at one and the same ~
saw all this; saw the look OF olsappoln
mont ubon the handsome face OF ms
,.n,++,e,i euccessor as he surveyed the
scene his impatence at the agent w
law his disgust with the agents famIllar-
it1- with the coarse people of the place.
and trjtied him, for, with his own depart
7,ro ba saw the business of the village
Going 10 the opposition line that touched
at the other side of the town.
"Can YOU show me about a little, now
asked the new man.
The agent made no reply, put turned 10
walk back to the wooden station.
"This is all new to me, you know
the new man remarked. I'm not very
long in the business. I've lived in the
city. too. all my life, and l dare say l
shall be awkward here. I'm not long in
the west
you behave as though you hadn't been
on earth more than a couple OF hours,
said the agent, carelessly shaking out his
keys.
The new man turned sharply.
At that moment a couple of unusually
pretty girls came romping down the plat
form.
The new man, standing at the end of
the building, could not be seen by the
i girls. as they came skipping along holding
hands, their big straw hats waving like
the wide wings of snow-white gulls.
Come on! Come on"' they were saying
TO the agent. We're going to the postof-
fee"
q can't This is my busy day." said
Il the agent, smiling. The girls failed to
4 see anything unusual in his smile.
They We're as wild and gay as the birds
8 las fresh and sweet as the flowers on
that spring morning.
"Aw-come on Jim," said the brunette
& lmpusively, pulling the agents arm.
Come, go a piece with US, anyway"
NO, no. said the agent, squeezing
her hand, and nodding toward the station,
q where the new man stood waiting.
"O-o-o-ow exclaimed the blonde blush
ing as herr big blue eyes fell upon the
handsome young man. The brunette fash
ed her black eyes. upon the stranger, who
now turned modestly away. Kind of up
ISM isn't he?" she said. "Goodby Jim"
and the two girls romped away.
The new man watched them until they
Jumped from the far end of the platform
and saloped off up the narrow board walk
that ran from the station along one side
OF the one street to the postofice.
Now there said the new man 10 the
4 agent There's where l should like 10
be introduced"
II Wen I'll introduce you to the Office if
81 you promise not to freeze it," said the
II agent coldly
II Inc new man flushed the least bits but
n IoAoWed into the station. The agent start
80 TO explain the use of the electric sig
mas to be displayed when he had orders
lor rain, or an order to hold a train
81 LOT orders, when the young man broke in
81 that"
81 20! you do? Wen. I'm glad for your
saAe that you know something. There's
surn lot 70 learn. and life is so short
me young man glared at the agent
put mat self-contained individual did