Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-05-29
The Daily Short Story !
THE WINDOW. (
BY BARRY PAIN.

1870 up train. Having accomplished
all this successfully and having, in adj
| dition, found first class compartment
| with no beastIy human beings in 1t. he
| was as nearly as possible inclined to
be in a good and satisfied temper. He
| slapped open his inoffensive morning
/ paper, threw furious eye over the for
i eign news and began to read the prin-
4 cipal leading article. At intervals he
| observed aloud, Muck" This was a
habit of his when he read leading arti-
cles. 1t was not pretty exactly, but
then Henry Shapmsn Barker did not
| go in for prettiness. He had just re-
/ peated the observation for the fifth
time when the train drew up at Child
dleford (for Pigley).
| The one porter of Chiddleford Cfor
Tigley) opened the carriage door. which
| was bad. Augustus Sturt. a gentleman
of imperial appearance, entered, which
/ was worse. But these two outrages
sank back into insignificant tribes
when compared with what followed.
Augustus Sturt glared suspiciously at
Henry Shapman Barker. whistled os-
| tentatiously, crossed over to the far
side and let the window down. L am
not exaggerating. and 1 mean what
say-he let the window down.
Leave that window alone. sir.' bel
lowed Barker.
"Oh, hold your tonguer' said Sturt
CONTEMPORARY, coming back and tax
ing the seat Immediately opposite Bar
ker. He stretched his long legs across
the carriage so as to circumscribe as
far as possible the sphere OF action for
Bankers legs, drew n swollen pocket
book out and consulted 1t TO a whistled
accompaniment Of Gounod's "NaZa-
reth."
You don't know the rules about rail-
way carriage windows" said Barker
savagely. II don't ask or expect de-
cent manners from you. but there axe
rules. and I'll see that those rules are
carried OUT
eco 10 thunderr' said Sturt, resuming
his Gounod and notebook.
1.-THE first person who enters n car
riage has the Tight of control over the
windows OF that carriage. and I insist
that the window over there shall be
put up said Barker.
Sturt put down his pOcketbOok with
an air of tired resignation. ''Since you
must go on jabbering. l may as well
tell you what the rule really is. 1t may
save you from making n fool OF your
self in the future. AS you are sitting
in the corner seat on. the near side fac
ing the engine, you have Il right over
the near side window. and 1 haven't
interfered with il. You can put that
window up or down. You can put il in
your pocket. You can eat it if you like.
That's a matter between you and the
company. and don't care two straws
about IL anyway. But over the far
side window you have no more right
than the man in the moon. I've put
that window down, and it's going TO
stay down, and you can insist till you're
sick. and it won't make any differ
ence''
"Ah" said Barker, 81 see It's no good
wasting civility on you any longer. I'll
just have TO take things into my own
hands," He rose, crossed over. put the
far side window up and returned to his
seat. There" he said. make the best
you can of that"
II WILL" said Sturt grimly. He rose,
crossed over, let the far side window
down again and resumed his seat.
"And let me tell you" he added. that |
IL you put that window up again I'll
put my foot through it and punch your
fat head into the bargain. Go on!
Start as soon as you like"
every good, oh, very good indeed!
That's a threat of personal violence.
and Wen see what the guard has TO |
say to il at the very next station. 1 |
90 hot ora nd frp
pretty short way with Hooligans on |
this line. You'll be thrown out. Do
you understand that? Quit Outr' roar
ed Henry Shapman Barker. within an |
easy distance of apoplexy.
"Oh, stop that row and don't make |
such a baby of yourself. You aren't fit /
TO be let out alone" And Sturt osten-
tatiously resumed his pocketbook as /
the train slowed down into the next /
station.
Barker let down the near side win
dow, put his head out and shouted, |
"Guardr' Nobody took the least notice
OF him. Then he shouted. where's /
that guardT' Barker went on shout i
ing. Sturt resumed his whlstling.
The guard came at last bustling up |
just as the train was on the point of
starting. 81 know what 1t is. sir" said
the guard. "aDd you may well grumble.
It's not my fault, and I've spoken about
II and will again. Why, it's three days
no there's been no glass in that far
side windowI Shamefulp'
The guard hurried of. the train NOV
ed on. and Sturt and Barker sat glaring
at one another. Then they both said
the same thing in exactly the same
words and at exactly the same time.
They were as beautifully together as IL
They said:
"And now you see what fool you've
been making Of yourself."-Black and
White.
The Neero and the Earthquake.