The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-22
CLEANED BY A GIRL.

1t was unusually crowded for morn
ing train--crowded with people bent upon
business, or whose destinations lay at
out-of-the-way stations. We arrived at
a place where branch meets the main
line, and a girl got on. You would
scarcely have looked at her twice, for
she was extremely commonplace-if any
thing, commonplace can be extreme She
passed down the aisle of the car in an
embarrassed, self-conscious way, look
ing to the right and to the left for va
cant seat; but there was none.
AT last she stopped in hesitation where
1 sat- and timidly faltered, 'Is this seat
engaged?" mo" I said, a bit CURLY,
picking up my purse and a book which
lay on the seat and drawing nearer the
window. The scenes outside showing
gray and cold against the dull skies
with more than thought of winter in
them, failed to interest me- Almost UNI
consciously I turned and scrutinized my
neighbor. She wore an od-fashioned
black coat, a poor, faded blue dress, and
a dark green hat ornamented with small
punches of very blue violets. Somehow
that combination seemed to me most
inartistic, though I can not say why
blue violets on a green background
should be so. She had the look in her
face of one who had not only been born
without the traditional silver spoon, but
who had long ago resigned all hope Of
ever gaining the spoon. I began to
think about my abrupt no." and to
wish that L had made 1t more reassuring
and civil. If I had only remembered In
time I might have made use of the old
fashioned mo, ma am" which, perhaps.
would have been the means of putting
things in better light for her. Any
way, now it was too late, and again 1
looked out of the window.
We had come to the pine tree part of
the state There was nothing in the
pines to suggest it, but l remembered a
letter l once wrote. Tt was a very inn
portant little letter, and after 1 had
written it I went over it, scratching out
a word too brusque or softening down an
expression too bristling and looking It
over 1 was glad that l had written, in
stead Of having spoken, for then L
should never have been able to change
the words I had first chosen
In life 1t is so hard to scratch out. al
though, truly, 1t is possible to write over
what is already written. | turned sud-
denly to the girl at this point in my med
itations and waited until I caught the
covert glance she gave me. Are you go
ing far?' l asked then, as cordially as
possible. A pleasant smile broke over her
face at this sudden show Of friendliness,
as she naIneu, diluoSl eagerly, Hef QeS-
tination. 1t was not hard to find things
to talk about after that, though we talk
ed mostly of herself. should have guess
ed, If she had not told me, that she was
one Of the worlds long-sulfering, a serv-
ant in city woman's kitchen. Her
home was in the country, near a village
that borders upon a chain of lakes-that
fairy land of Minnesota. But the family
was large and as yet only hoping to be
some day well off, so she was forced
to find work in the city. She did not like
the city very well, and from her point
of view, indeed. 1t was not pleasant
place. Yes, she was very glad that she
was going home, and she did not intend