The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-07

Special Correspondence.
NEW YORK, Sept. 5.-A large self
satisfied looking young man boarded a
down town Sixth avenue elevated train
at Ninety-third street on Sunday even
ing last. He was pretty WE'LL dressed
in conventional Sunday evening call
ing attire, and he looked as if he knew
it.
He deposited himself in a place next
to one of the cross seats, gave couple
of bitches at the knees of his trousers
to prevent them from bagging, and
then glanced about the car In a sort of
critical, self-approving way.
A pretty girl, carrying a hymnal and
prayer book sat In seat directly
opposite him. She was demure looking
and yet the appearance of this selfsat-
isfied young man caused a certain, sly
twinkle to manifest itself in her eyes,
particularly when she low cred them
and gazed steadily in the direction of
the young mans shoes.
Now If there's anything particularly
calculated to make the average man
nervous 1t is to have his feet gaZed at
by anybody on a street car. Nine men
out of ten will in such circumstances
Immediately conclude that there is
something wrong, twitch nervously,
and end by examining their feet to find
out what is attracting attention.
Moreover, there are many cruel
young women in the world who are
cognizant of this weakness of man,
and who consequently make it a point
to fasten their gaze upon the shoes
Of especially complacent and well
groomed young men.
Familiar With the Scheme.
This particular young man appeared
~ H. %, lfs,,.r 1aD,
young woman opposite him continued
to gaze in a fascinated sort of way at
his feet he seemed to be saying to HIM
self, as he carefully avoided becoming
frustrated and refrained from inclining
his head to look at his shoes, some
thing of this sort:
Hal that girl over there thinks she's
going to get me on the stampede by
that focus she's fastened upon my
shoes with her pretty eyes. Old game.
Only catches raw agriculturists nova
days.
It'll just fool her up a few Retalia-
tons the only method. I'll just sling
a reprisal or two by directing a strain
ed and intense gaze at those nice, high
heeled boots of hers.
"Thatll be a gentle hint to her that
she's not successful in trying to work
a frayed and frazzled one off on me.
And I'll bet myself a nice fall hat that
she'll end by pulling her skirts more
closely about her feet inside of forty
two seconds, or thereabouts."
So the self satisfied looking young
man leaned back In his seat, let
his eyes fall upon the floor of the car
just at the point where the shapely
feet Of the young woman opposite him
touched it, and kept them there He
waited for the young woman to begin
SQuirming uneaSily.
She gave not a squirm, but looked
idly out of the car window FOR a mo-
ment, and then resumed her careful
examination Of the young mans shoes.
Kept on Gazing.
II guess she's on" the young man
seemed to be thinking, but I'll keep
right at it, and see who lasts the
longer"
So he kept right on gazing fixedly at
the demure looking young woman's
neat boots. On her part she continued
to alternate her gaze between glances
out of the car window and at the
young mans shoes. She didn't look the
least worried over the young mans
elaborate examination of her shoes. At
Eighteenth street she left the car, after