Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13

hedges to rise and wing to the ethereal
fields and view the wonders of the waking
world.
Across the lane now came the tree toad
trll with which girls call each other. Ere
da. smiling, put up her pretty head, and
from her pink throat there rippied an an
sweTing call, as clear and musical as the
!ark's song The hedge grew high between
them, but these wingIess birds heard and
answered each other. and then romped back
TO their respective homes.
AT 3 o clock, in that quiet hour that in
tervenes between breakfast and dinner on
wel-reguIated farm. they always went
to the post office. This had been their
habit for some time. Now it became ne
cesSity Every morning they stood at the
little window, and every morning the new
man, who had already learned to look for
them gong and coming, saw them creeping
up the platform the dark one reading the
fair one listening to whatever the reader
cared TO read aloud. He had seen her
snamelessly kiss the agent goodbye when
the agent went away and now he know
that these daily letters came from the hap
by lover whose place he had taken at the
station. He could not, if he would take the
old agents place in the heart of the viva
c.ous brunette who invariably lifted her
dark eyes from the letter to shoot a pass
ing glance a. the new man but he felt that
with the love Of the fair one even this
dusty deSo!ate country village. with its IA
tiguing mOnotOny. would become an Eden.
mad not even holding acquaintance with
her. He had been introduced to her
brother, and had almost laughed in his
face But how was he 20 know that that
Gaunt individual with a busted" under lip
ana milk on his boot was brother to an
angel.
The farmer and the new man had met
once Since-Only once. The agent had
smiled and said Good morning" The
farmer, wearing natty spring suit, had
gwen him cold storage stare and asked
for a round trip to Chicago. The fair one
had looked at the new man on the morning
OF ms arrival, not once. but twice or thrice
ne Had caught her at it, and il pleased
his vanity, but now she never lifted her big
piue eyes from the hot pine boards of the
depot platform as she strolled past. Mani
testify she had seen her brother
And SO the days went by Today pre-
c'Seiy like yesterday, and tomorrow the
same as today. or morning he had ham
ana eggs. al noon, in the one-chair barber
Shop. he read the pictures in the Police
Gazette, and at evening heard the village
band ''practicing" in the village park.
Ill
As early as in the morning the farmer
! foik began to arrive in carriages. carry
ans. IN lumber wagons, afoot, abike and
on horseback. They were coming into the
| village to take the excursion train for Dew
lis lake, where they were going to read
I
dom.
According to the notion OF the farmer
io.k, there was but one train. but the agent
| Knew better, and tried to tell them; but
they would not understand. a s O'Clock a
long train. drawn by two locomotives
slowed Tor the crossing and then steamed
| up to the station. but to the amaze
intnt OF the multitude. steamed on with
out stopping. BEFORE the people recovered
/ from their surprise another train showed
up- As II approached, the waiting impa-
ueut people lined up near the edge Of the
PLATFORM The engineer fearing that those
III the rear might push the others off. OPEN
! ea MS cylinder cocks and sprayed the crimp
al out OF the bangs of the country maidens
IN the front row. When the steam had
blown away the train was gone Every
car was loaded and there We're one or two
bare heads at each window Now the
FARMER FOLK began to get angry They had
been told by the local paper. by peopIa
| from Chicago, by big bills on barns and
| fences. and by the agent, that the road
| would run grand excursion to the DEVILS
lake on the Fourth. They had come to
| town 10 take the train and the train had
not stopped for them. They were hot"
Presently another train whistled. slowed
for the crossing. pulled up and stoned al
| the station. The agent coming out with
; the mail pouch, saw the people "sduatting
to jump, and began to tell them that this
was not an excursion train. A man with
red hair told the agent to go to the devil
they were going TO the lake. he said Be
| fore the train had come to a stop the peo-
pie began TO pile on, and the trainmen be-
gan 10 explain that this was the fast mail
that excursion tickets would not be hon
oFed there-but the people did not hear