The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-11-15
st1aoo..o. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
AN INTERLUDE
By vlrna Weosln.
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crowd swayed 10 aud fro, Rurging over
the very track on which the overland
train would come with Ito burden Of
troops from the east. The air wss
heavy with the scent Of flowers.
The long balcony In front Of the su-
perintendent's Office was filled with a
line Of gayIy dressed people, who stood
patiently looking az the moving mREs
below them. There woTkmcn from the
great railroad shops iostled ladies In
dainty attire; and schoOlboys and
street urchins lodged under the srms
81 their elders. making for themselves
swift scrpcntine paths through the
crowd
Almost in the center Of the station
a fat Mexican woman stood guard over
a baby buggy. in which rat black
eyed infant clutchinR a tiny American
Tag in IT, dirty little hand.
There was a sudden pressure from
the crowd az the end OF the depot, and
the band marched in.
In the forward movement of the
crowd Gertrude SERVER found herself
forced to tho verge Of the platform, and
not far from the nearest track. She
stood there with her sister, piquant
figure In lavender One year Of mar
rage and two Of wiiowhood had taken
little from her youth. and she thought
with a rnile that any possible acquaint-
ancc among the troops from her old
home could not fail to recognize her
4 vague excitement stirred her; an
underlined recognition Of the potential.
titles Of the incidents Of life AZ she
left her home, she had plucked a single
magnolia aE an Offering TO some one
rhe might chance TO know. Now she
held the blossom carefully. that Il
might not be crushed in the crowd.
The scream of whistle was followed
by the rush Of the train into the
crowded station. Soldiers leaned from
the windows with wreAthE of roses on
their heads. or stood on the platforms,
their hands full Of flowers. In the
midst ot the music and cheers women
pressed forward with baskets of flow.
crs holding them up 70 the windows.
In their wake followed train Of young
girls, some Of them demanding hard.
tack and brass buttons, and others ask.
ing for the soldiers autographs In
their albums,
Mrs. SERVER stood still, eagerly scan.
ming the cars rs they passed. for the
glimpse OF familiar face. Now, as
she tried 10 move along the line, she
found hersek hemmed In by the crowd
Her sister had fallen behind, and was
talking 20 m acquaintance behind her.
The train had stopped. Under the
command of an officer, a detail OF sol
diers, two from each car. marched
through the waiting-room into large
room beyond where a committee Of la
dies handed them baskets OF provisions
and boxes Of fruit. The baskets con-
tnined sandwiches and radishes and
onions, with envelopes OF salt. aud po-
tato salad done up in candy boxes The
fruit consisted OF oranges and cherries.
with lemons for the sick. The march
ing OF the soldiers increased the noise
and the movement of The crowd.
The music OF the band had changed
TO columbia. the Gem of the Ocean. 1"
A boy az Is or 10 leaned out Of q win
dow and received Il bunch Of earnation
pinks with smile. Mrs. SERVER
watched him with mcmentary amuse-
ment On his head and about HIS neck
were garlandt Of flowers, and the but.
tonholer Of his jacket wer. decorated
with blossoms.
She passed on, pausing q moment 10
listen to the loquRcious chatter Of a
biue-coat In the next car. He leaned
far out the window. detailing his ex-
perienceh with more fiuency than gram
mar. to a group OF interested listeners.
At the next window eat great, stolIti
fellow, surveying the scene about him
In grave silence. She wondered idly
what rustIe region had been his home.
and what thoughts moved siuggishiy
in his brain. Then she upbraided her
self for her instructive classification of
him. Had he not volunteered 70 Rght
and TO die, II need be, for his country +?
And had not that deed alone placed
him above the plane of mere intelles-
tualityT
''Ciive me your flower, lady" said a
ssncy young voice.
She locked up into 4 pair of laughing
eyes. Tire owner Of the orbs put his
head out OF the window, and she saw
that 1t was crowned with q wreath OF
roses. He held bouquet in his hand.
"No," she said; Il win save 10 for
some poor fellow who hasn't any
A voice sounded close in her earn ~
/ though In answer 60 her rrmark.
They say that the boys In the cars
a. the rear are complaining that they
don't get envy attention" IL taid.
She pushed her way through the
!, crowd, ssilI scanning the faces at this
windowM The large white petals Of the
magnolia had begun TO droon.
The time Of the stop - Sacramento
had almost expired when che reached
the Last ear. Here the crowd had
thinned and several officers stood on
the 6epst platform. talking to little
knots a. people. one wss standing
With hi bark 10 her. she xtopred with
shortened breath and grew su&dsaiy
I white.
In ncmest the cro~d. che ehe<fa,
the maslc and th< aazs ha1 1ake6 frum
her senses. She st0od n snhnxhes
| Tardea Of m ~astsrn ~, VIII III
sptV sssnt ef plahs = ~ oestslls -