Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1901-05-25
SEEING MRS. GODFREY OFF.
~0 ThIngs They Do ana Say at RaSIa
road StatiOnsParEdngs.

SA0 ThiRgs They DO ana Say AT Rats
road StatiOnsPaFEdngs.
Do Ne ever say more idotic things
than when we go to railroad stations
60 see our friends off? Do our faces
ever look more vacuous than when We
hurl our last imbecile remarks in at
| the car windows? Do we ever make
| feebler jokes or more imbrue our adj
vice I'm commonplace? I think not.
Mrs. Godfrey in a cheering womanI
and she has been heard to say that
she was proud of her friends; but do
not think she was proud of them
| yesterday when they gathered in the
Union station TO bid her farewell be-
! fore she left for Honolulu. Neither
| did she herself shine with any partlc-
ular fuster. We were gathered IN the
women'S waiting room when she came
in. After she had greeted US al,
| bought her ticket and sent man
| down to check her baggage, most
| appalling silence fell on the group.
you'll write to me before you get
| to San Francisco, won't you?' Mar
garet Deane said with the most in
tense fervor.
"Oh, of course Mrs. Godfrey an
I
| acted the same promise.
Another silence fell, broken by Mac
| Donald. ''Will you have to change
| cars?" he asked anxrously. Mac
| Donald thinks no more of crossing
| the continent than he does of buying
| = cigar, but he added: Its the deuce
| to change cars, you know"
''Eo, l don't have to change cars till
I get to Frisco Mrs. Godfrey said.
| This remark was hailed as joke and
| we all laughed uproarously.
"You are the jolliest woman!" little
wakefield said, admiringly. We'll al
miss you awfuny."
| A chorus Of regrets arose. Mrs.
| Godfrey said that we must remember
| that she was coming back in the
spring.
"And then you'll be our Honolulu
queen,'' the infant said.
Now, don't get the plague" sweet
old Mrs. Chisholm said, land have
you got my belladonna. plasters for
seasdckness? And have you got thoss
tablets? They are so good if you-if
/ you feel bilious, and"
| Mrs. Godfrey, you ought to have
some dried beef to chew If you get
seasick," Macdonald said. Everybody
now offered a sure cure for seasick-
@ess, and Mrs. Godfrey pretended that
she would buy them all in San Fran
cisco.
| Another silence fell on the company.
sI wonder what time you get to Oma-
ha,'' Margaret Deane asked. Mrs.
Godfrey didn't know nor care, but
| Wakefield and Macdonald got fold
4 er and spent several minutes in liking
the exact minute. We then held d
II
Cor a berth Before this question, IN
| which nobody felt the slightest inter
est, was settled, Wakefield discovered
that it was time to go down to the
train.
The women all squealed at this an
nouncement; the men fought cour-
teously for the privilege of carrying
Mrs. Godfrey's hand luggage. We all
went into the car with her. The men
| shook hands with Mrs. Godfrey and
the women kissed her dhmply be
tween sobs.
sNow, do write to US ALL" Mrs
| Chisholm said, land remember about
the belladonna plaster"
eyes, do write often and tell us al
| about the Sandwich Islands,, the
chorus cried. "Good-bye-good-bye.
We fled out of the car and theI
gathered in a knot under Mrs. God
rey'sWindow. We wiped our eyes anc
| smiled out. Don't get married while
you are gone" the infant said IN
sudden accession of idiocy.
Mrs. Godfrey laughed and Wakefield
and Macdonald looked at the infant
| as II they desired ardently to eat heI
| bones, picture, hat and all. Mrs
| Chisholm said that marriage was q
Hottery, Nobody disputed this, and
Margaret changed the subject by ask,
ing If Mrs. Godfrey was sure she nae
her ticket and her check
The traveller showed them to us. L
was time for the train 10 move. we
| all said again, 'Goodbye-be sure tE
take care of yourself. Don't forget e
write" and those other senseieSs
things that people say through cal
| windows.
Mrs. Godfrey smiled and said "Good
bye, goodbye"
The train moved out of the shed ana
me were turning away when the ntan
had a CLEAN of lucidity. Why, MI
MacDo6aid, you forgot to give he
that box Of candy, and Mr.. Wakenei' ,e
has got his roses in his hands yet.
The two men looked first fooi7sh
then vicious. Mrs. Chisholm d1ve<
into her riticu1e and set up 1ouc
wall. "And I forgot to give her III
, beiladonna plasters." She turned Il
the infant, "Here, dear, you tax
them. They'll be real convenien
when Won go to school this fall.
0Thsnk you,'' the infant returned
She looked hopefully toward Wake
field and MacDonald, expecting then
to follow suit with the flowers ane
candy, but they only glared at he1
and went up the steps toward the
street. The rest of US toiIoWed
Somehow we all felt that we had no
: distinguished ourselves in the parO'ni
: hour.-Chicago News.