Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-10

concerned, at least
After the Forty-second street tun
mel had been passed and the train hat
emerged once more into daylight, Nub
| bins transferred the most of tn,
| bundles from his lap to the rack over
head, and presently ventured upon tn,
remark that it was fine day.
BEG pardon, sir!" said the female
grenadier, suddenly Strengthening VI
and glancing inquiringly at Nubbins.
Il said it's a fine day." explained
Nubbins, raising his voice to a shout.
Gay? Oh, we'll try to be, but it:
rather hard sometimes for a lone fe
male to keep up her spir-''
A clammy perspiration broke out or
Nubbins. Excuse me-" he inter.
rupted, hastily, 81 said fine day; moi
gay, but day; day, day."
Say? Let EN- say what they're g
mind to. I guess Abigail Doolittle has
got money enough SO she don't ask
any odds of anybody-present com
pany excepted. Of course it is diff
ferent with you. The minute my
nephew introduced us to each other
felt that we were going to be friends
intimate friends, as I may say"
Nubbins' face was now the color oil
an Italian sunset, and he was earnest
ly longing for the bottom to drop out
Of the car and let him through, or fo1
some other catastrophe to come to his
rescue, but as usual in such cases in
spite Of the subdued chickering's of the
more thoughtless of the passengers his
companion calmly went on:
yes, Mr.. Bubbins, the very instant
[ set my eyes on you l said to myself,
here is a congenial soul, man that !
can trust; and l hope we shall have no
secrets from each other. I am rich,
but wealth is not all that is worth
living for You may be poor, Mr.
Bubbins-'
'My name is Nubbins, madam, not
Bubbins," shouted the embarrassed
bachelor, "and if you will change the
subject to something less personal I
shall be greatly obliged to you"
"Obliged to me? Not at all, Mr.
Grubbins. No obligation whatever !
am only too happy"
Great Peters!" groaned Nubbins,
what on earth is the old lady driving
at, anyhow" And then raising his
voice he fairly howled: Madam, your
nephew expects me to see you safely
off the train at Troy, and I'll do it, but
in the meantime | propose
"TO adjourn to the smoking car and
stay there until we reach your sta
tion,' Nubbins was about to say. but
Miss Doolittle was too quick for him.
Her ear caught the word propose, and
that was enough for her. The SUI
preme moment of her life had arrived
at last-or at least she thought it had
and with a cry of joy she Topped
over on Nubbins' shoulder, knocking
his hat off and sending it spinning
across the aisle, and nearly smashed
his ribs against the side of the seat
"Oh, you dear, good man. I felt
sure right from the start that you were
going to propose! l knew the symp-
toms right off, and-What's the mat
ter, lovely? Hain't been taken sick
dill OIL d sudden, nave you
But Nubbins, who had wriggled out
of the seat and (without waiting to Sc
cure his hat) was frantically spring
ing down the aisle in the direction OF
the smoker, answered not
Dashing out of the door and slam
ming it shut behind him, scooted
across the platform and disappeared
into the corner seat next to the coal
box he gasped:
"By George! That was a pretty
narrow escape for me. If I hadn't
got away just as | did she'd have
hunted up a minister, in case there
was one to be had on the train, and
married me in spite Of myself"
Half an hour later, when his courage
had begun to return (but not suf-
ficiently to induce him to again enter
the car containing Miss Doolittle),
said:
would you like to earn $50"
Just try me and see," responded the
brakeman with wink
All right; go back into the next
car and tell the 6-foot female in the
last seat that I'm dead and that the
corpse would like his hat"
Yes, sir
And then, after you bring me my
hat, if you will stand guard and see
that she doesn't get in here to slobber
over my remains between here and
Troy, and when the train reaches there
help her off with her bundles, and see
that she stays off, I'll see that you get
the V and another on top of it."
Yes, sir; just leave it to me and IL
fix it all right, sir"
And five minutes later Nubbins had
his rescued hat, now somewhat the
worse for wear, pulled down over his
eyes, and was peacefully doing in his
seat, while the vigilant brakeman
with one S. fee in his pocket, and q
second in view only 40 miles away, was
doing picket duty at the door.-Ex-
change.