Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-08-13
NOT QUITE IN TIME

TNEN0SRI "Such a very
ZlgsA3 interesting cou.
~ ple,n she said,
with a strong accent on the first
syllable Of the adjective.
The man at her side grunted.
Pm sorry but that was all he did.
But then, you see, his book was
very absorbing and they had been
married a long time.
A shadow of a smile was on her
face as she continued, "He's so
very-er-emaciated, you know,
and she's such a glorious crea-
ture."
The book was lowered with a
jerk and the man follow ed his
wife's gaze. He was a philosO-
pher enough to know that a woman
described by one of her sisters as
glorious is worth looking at.
"Ah-a!' now smiling outright,
and giving a soft pat to the wraps
on her laps, ~ thought I'd make
you look"
The train was speeding north
ward from Florida. The dark
furs across the wOman's knees, in
straight cJnstrast with the bunch
of viOlets in her belt, and their
general half summer appearance,
will soon be necessary in the chill
March winds of the North.
'It must make one happy to
look like that" continues she of
the '~'starers," who is not as young
al she was 10 years ago. She
gives an odd little half laugh, half
sigh that makes her husband look
at her quickly and turn away
again.
Her clear, well carrying voice
reaches the subject of their atten-
ton distinctly. The effect is
peculiar. An expression OF i'm
patience comes over her face as
though she would turn andl tell
the people that in their staid com
monplace way they are ten times
as happy as she in all her youth
and beauty. Happy! the very
word annoys her. Then she turns
her head to see her husbands
white drawn face and the old sad
look creeps into her eyes again.
This muf1ed grief has been with
her so long she almost feels as
though she had never been light
hearted and merry. The time OF
her happiness seems long past.
That was when Jack, her Jack,
not this poor irail invalid at her
side, but strong, manly Jack, and
she had lived and loved. How
long ago it seemed! Their mar
riage and the honeymoon among
the Alps. The first dull dread as
Jack began to fail! All! that was
not long ago. Why, it seemed
only yesterday. And one night
in the library she had begged the
grave, kindly doctor to tell her the
truth. How well she remembered
his every word, his counsel to be
brave, his advice to run away
South somewhere, and how she
had read the despair in his eyes
she could not forget. Their hur-
ried flight South from the monster
of consumption runs through her
brain, and how Jack continued to
fail through it all. She had pray
ed they may reach home ii time
in time for WHAT She never ans
wered herself that question. She
must forget. A paper is in her
lap, and she tries to read, but
again and again she goes over the
same article without comprehend
ing it in the least. Through sheer
curiosity she compels herself to
see and understand. 1t is t'an
account of a new law in North
Carolina" and sounds familiar,
for the lovely Southern State is
her home. The queer legal word.
ing amuses her; the bad English
so obscure in meaning, appealing
to her feminine sense of humOT,
and she reads the statute through.
1t is a command to remove from
any train passing through the
State of North Carolina the body
of any person who shall die during |
the progress Of the train through
this State Immediately and with {
out delay.
Chow terrible should some poor !
wretch be put down by the side of
the road with his dead" says her
woman's heart.
The voice of the loquacfous I
neighbor breaks in upon her medi c
tations. These signs do fly By so
quickly" she is saying. 81 a
could barely see that we are Just i
IN North Carolina +
Tm-- -. = ~