The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-19
A Corrected Prejudice.

I
Of roses, waved her adieux from the rear
platform u the car The house party
was breaking up, and she was on her
way home. II had been a lovely week
and her mind was st.I filed with the
nearness Of its delights. She sat back
with her eyes upon the flying land
scape, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
Then she realized that somebody was
Standing in the aisle. She looked around
A tan young man with a frank smile
was gazing down At her. He raised his
hat
This Is Quite a pleasant surprise" ne
said No It isn't" he IaughinEly ad-
ded. Strange how we get in he habit
Of saying these meaningless things. rs
a great pleasure, OF course. but it ism {
a surprise. 1 knew you were going On
this train
The roses and her handbag and the
latest magazine were on the seat beside
/ her. but Mabel did not offer 10 remove
them.
She answered his greeting in we'll
bred and digni1ed way, with no trace Of
special friendliness in her tone.
Presently. win a courteous phrase IN
/ which he expressed the hope that -
could help TO brighten her journey, he
raised his hat and passed along, evident
~ on his way to the smokers car.
There was a great deal of mirror work
/ along the sides of the car. There We're
/ strips of glass between the windows, and
there were other strips below them, and
Mabel musing above her magazine with
4 its cover opened before her as a pre-
tense, found that by looking In these
strips at certain angles she could get a.
very fair view Of a number of her fel-
low passengers along the other side Of
the aisle
And just as she made this discovery
Arthur Blake returned. He came down
the aisle and threw hasty glance at
her as he passed ard then took a seat
( on the opposite side Of the car, a Ettle
back Of where Mabel sat
There was no doubt that he was a
/ fine looking fellow. Of course. Mabel
took good care that he shouldn't discover
that she was watching him. Then she
/ soon found out that, although ne had
| every opportunity to watch her. he didn't
| avail himself Of the chance as he might
/ have done. On the contrary, he only
/ threw two or three casual glauces in
I her direction as if to assure himself that
she was all right. Then he drew some
/ letters from his pocket and looked them
/ through. When he had finished them he
/ produced a memorandum book and made
I a number Of figures. And Mabel noticed
/ that his face wore quite different ex-
4 preston while these business transac-
/ tons were under way. After he put
/ aside his memorandum book he sat stlI
for q moment and his brow was knit
| as if in deep thought over some abstruse
( problem. And Mabel covertly watching
/ him in the mirror, felt that this was
/ an Arthur Blake whom she had never
met
! Then his face 1fghtened and he glanced
along the aisle Half way UP the car q
| young man, several years Arthur's Jun
/ ior occupied a seat. He was a pale and
/ cadaverOus youth with a look Of deep
melancholy on his troubled face Arthur
walked up the aisle and paused by this
/ passenger and Mabel saw his lips move
/ The invalid, for such the youth must
I be, looked up with a sorrOwful, sulen
/ expression and briefly nodded Then Ar
/ thur spoke again, leaning upon the seat
| and smilingly regarding the young man.
/ This time the youth made some reply
/ and Arthur laughed merrily. The invalid
! responded with a slightly frosty smile
and then Arthur slipped into the seat
! beside him. In five minutes they were
/ chatting ike old friends. When Arthur
/ arose to leave. the invalid hastily put out
/ his hand and Arthur shook it warmly.
/ The porter had met arthur and hand
/ cd him yellow envelope. He turned as
/ he tore It open and glanced at the mes
U
/ There was an old lady, very neat
and very white old iady-whtte Of face,
( and hair and neck scarf-WhO sat nearly
/ opposite Mabel and this sweet old lady
had fallen asleep Arthur paused and
! looked at her. Then he went back and
/ spoke to the porter. A moment later he
! returned with a pillow. The gentle old
/ lady was only in a doze and she opened
/ her eyes as Arthur proffeTed the easier
/ resting place. She smf1ng1y accepted It
/ and let him place It carefully beneath
/ her siIvered head.
And all this time Mabel had been
watching the young man in me teltale
mirror. was this the idler, the man 20
/ no sentiment, the selfish pleasure
/ seeker? She felt her checks color as she
/ realized her lack Of charity. her stupid
] and unfounded prejudice. And vet he
/ had idled and was he not on the car a
/ this moment on a silly love chase2
/ A moment later when Arthur turned
I and caught her eve she was looking
/ scuarelv at him. He thought she had
1 never seemed so beautiful The soft
/ flush on her cheeks was wonderfully be-
coming. In each hand she held a bunch
Of the lovely roses that had lain beside
! her on the seat Fer gaze told him
/ she wanted him. He stepped to her
side
perhaps your friends would Ike
! these" she said as she held UP the now
/ ers.
He knew what she meant.
/ "Of course thew would" he cried IN
bovfsh pleasure And then he added IN
/ a lower tone as he reached down for the
/ roses. 'TTow very. very thoushtf8lP
! Mabel Redeemed again and looked away.
and this time did not follow MS move
ments IN the glass.
J
/ '0rhev were both delighted" he said
( sand send you their grateful scknowl-
/ clements
Mabel looked M and caught the eve 81
the invalid youth. who smiled and nod
/ aed to her and held I'D the flowers. and
/ she smiled ans nodded back. And chen
She smiled and nodded 70 the dear cd
lady who had pressed her dear old face
/ into the roses az If they brought bac
/ the sweetness u her happy youth.
y find Z shall be IN Pittsburg for sew
eral weeks" said Arthur "a telegram
/ has Just reached me that somewhat
4 changes nv 2 ans-or rather it DrolonVs
them"
go you are on a business trfp2~ SAID
Mabel with the slightest inta-roEative
I Infection
'7vhv. yes" Arthur fauzningiv answer
! ed 'rPu=fn-ss fancy. ~ c0n7iia .
I importance and recurring instant at'en-
I fon took this train FRI answer 20
I telegraph can from vour eftv. and 'g=t
{ now received another ~csseEe VAN
ing -na that my presence r demanded as
I p meeting ~ corsoit6a 81 interests f-ere
/ this afternoon zee rsf8 arc
+ 81 NraNe1 slowly clearing t7s POSES from
he zeat BESIDE Eer r am afrai5 &
went ~ Htha- you have th7uzhr ne
Good ---r o< an s7'rr Tr f-r- *