The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08

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snOWdrltt may bring ABOUT strange "c-
Quaintance,
We were several hours late. The din
ing car was to be put on at the next sta
ton, if we ever reached it, for we were
now at standstil with but remote chan
ees of being snow-plowed out. All
the satisfaction we received from the
trainmen generally was that the wind
was blowing thirty miles an hour
and that we should probably remain
where we were until rescued. We accept
ed our fate with varying degrees of reslg-
nation. Some fumed and softly swore;
others pulled collars up about ears and
caps down over eyes, and sank back into
seats with kind of signing despair. On
the whole the few women in the car re-
signed themselves to circumstances rather
better than the men. The car was COM
Portable, but the question of food might
eventually become serious.
My head was on the back of the seat
and l was watching the whirling snow
outside, and the dusk closeing menacingly
In, when, suddenly, self-assured voice
said
Wouldn't you all like something real
hot and nice TO drink
The voice was as Enthusiastically kind as
feminine, but it had an oratorical trill
and thrill in 1t. 1t suggested footlights,
scenery, and stage effects. In surprise,
glanced up at the section across from
mine. Al intervals during the day l had
noticed the occupant of number eight.
Her dress indicated a somewhat effustve
prosperity She was conspiculously ring
ed, ear-ringed, and brooched; and when
she moved 1t was with the silken rustic
dear to some feminine hearts. She might
have been thirty-five; 1t was impossible
to tell, since art had arrested time. Her
fawless teeth, her bright brown curly
front, babe defiance to years. But her
gray eyes were eXpectant, and showed
that nature had bestowed on her perpet-
ual youth; altogether the lady was SUI
1lcicutly agreeable to the eye to look at
twice. her face was broad and showed
q certain untormulated intelligence, and
her nose was u little eager member,
never qui,e sun. So l concluded that the
LADY naO at least TWO Qualities-a massive
perSlslc uUe and ali active curiosity.
I5ut / Vas not prepared for his evident
interest III the welfare of her feliowtrav-
eiels. Alter her W Ords the car was, for
u moment, very still, and then an Eng
lisnmaI, who was fenced in with rugs,
coats, hat boxes, and papers, looked out
OIL his ian ana exclaimed
'GuoG Goa. madam, III give you
guinea Tor anything hot you may chance
to nave
Sir" rolled forth my compatriot, do
you suppose l expect money!" And l
never reauzed until then what nIthy lucre
money reany is. Then. turning obIiging-
y to the rest Of US, while the English
man stared transfiXed, she continued:
II SO On Ihe principle that what is MkeIy
TO he tisnL place Tor one is likely TO be
q tlghl lace for two; so l go prepared"
She had, while speaking, taken out Of
her tray cling bag a pasteboard box and
tin canister. The porter was summoned,
and, IL the tWinkiing, had put into Its
socket an adjustable table, and the lady
placed her box and canister upon it. We
watched her with deepest interest and eX-
pectation. Out of the box she took an
alcohol lamp stove, and, lifting the lid Of
the canister, the UdoT Of fresh-ground
coffee ilIied the air. AS an unconscious
sigh of satisfaction went through the
Car, our benefactress beamed upon US and
said:
Il used to tell my husband, Prof.
Foam, that for putting heart and spirit
into one, there's nothing like real good
coffee; and l always carry the best"
There was no ostentation in this
speech; she simply meant to justify our
expectations. AS my section was near
est to Mrs. Foam, 1t fell to my lot to
help her. We got a few cups from the
porter, and the rest Of US used such
drinking utensils as we happened to have.
The coffee was delicious; We all agreed
it was finer than any nectar.
This little episode made us all more
neighborly, and as Mrs. Foam and had
the middle section, we talked across the
dividing line Of the aisle. She was in
clned to be autobiographical Her own
world was very important, and she the
most important person in it, Had 1 not
heard, OF course, of Prof. Foam? I adj
milted that 1 had not been SO fortunate
To cover up my ignorance, 1 asked in
what college or university the professor
had held chair? For the most casual
glance at Mrs. Foam was sufficient to
show that her husband was of the
past.
'Oh, he wasn't that kind of a profess
cor, she said with easy candor He
took his title from the Foam institute
you've surely heard of that?" Still I
was obliged to confess ignorance. my
husband founded it, she said, with
pride; cts the most successful thing of
its kind in the country. 1t was his own
idea altogether, his own method. He
was professor of oratory and stammer-
ing; that is, he taught the one and cured
the other. 1 was one of his first pu-
pills"
1 soon discovered that Mrs. Foam had
two modes of speech; one the everyday
colloquial, the other, the evening plat
form. The two modes never seemed to
blend, but appeared in turn, according
to the subject under discussion. Her
photographed remarks were vague
and lacked the unifying influence of
time and place. For instance, she did
not tell us when or where she was born,
but remarked that she had been Graded
in the lap of reform. YET as she did not
mention what reform, was at loss. Mrs.
Foam was one Of those excellent Ameri-
cans who talk as If the battle Of Bunker
Hill had been fought last week Eng
land" she said, was always hoodWink
ing America" I had heard, of course,
of Senator Hatcher? And I was obliged
TO admit that 1 had Well, Senator
Hatcher had told a friend of hers that
he was convinced there We're British
emissaries, previous to the last election,
at work in the very halls of the capitol
itself. He had said as much In some OF