The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-15

| sake of our stricken fr1end-Ior MI
Harkless."
"And for the Carlow Herald COM
pleted the foreman.
The morning following that upon
which this conversation took place,
the two gentlemen stood together on
the station platform, awaiting the ar
rival of the express from Rouen. 1t
was a wet, gray day; the wide coun-
try lay dripping under formless wraps
of thin mist. and warm, drizzling rain
blackened the weather-beaten shin
giles of the station; made clear-re-
fecting puddles of the unevenly worn
planks of the platform, and dampen-
ed the packing cases that never went
anywhere too thoroughly for occupa-
ton by the station-lounger, and ran
in a little crystal stream off Fisbee's
brown cotton umbrella and down Mr..
Parkers back. The bus driver, Mr..
Bennett, the proprietor of two attend
ant "cut-unders," and three or four
other worthless whom business, or the
lack of it, called to that locality,
availed themselves of the shelter OF
the Waiting-room, but the gentlemen
of the Herald" were too agitated to
be confined, save by the limits of the
horizon. They had reached the sta.
ton half an hour before train time,
and consumed the interval in pacing
the platform under the cotton umbrel-
la, addressing each other only in mon
osyllables. Those in the waiting-room
gossiped eagerly, and for the thou
sandth time, about the late events,
and the tremendous news concerning
Fisbee. Judd Bennett looked out
through the rainy doorway at the lat
ter with reverence and a fine pride of
Craftsmanship. declaring it to be his
belief that Fisbee and Parker were
waiting for her at the present moment.
1t was lady, and a bird of lady,
too, else why should Gale Parker tie
wearing a coat, and be otherwise dood-
ed and fixed up beyond any wedding?
Judd and his friends were somewhat
excited over Parker.
Ffsbee was clad in his best shabby
black, which lent an air of state to the
occasion, but Mr.. Parker-Caleb Par
ker, whose heart, during his five years
of residence in Plattville, had oeen
steel-proof against all the feminine
Establishments of the town, whose long,
lank face had shown beneath as long,
and tanker, locks of proverbially UNI
combed hair, he who had for weeks
conspicuously affected a single, string
patched suspender, who never, even
upon the Sabbath day, wore a collar
or BACKED his shoes-what aesthetic
leaven had entered his soul that he
donned not coat alone, but also a
waistcoat with checks ?-and. more
than that, brilliant blue tie? What
had this iron youth to do with a ris-
ing excitement at train time and brill
liant blue ties?
Also, it might have been inquired if
this parade of fashion had no connec-
ton with the simultaneous action of
Mr.. Ross Schofield: for Ross was at
this hour engaged in decorating the
battered chairs in the Herald" edito-
rial room with blue satin ribbon. the
purchase of which at the Dry Goods
Emporium had been directed by a sud-
den inspiration of his superior of The
composing force. 1t was Ross iuten-
ton to garnish each chair with an
deliberately tied bow, but, as he was
no sailor and understood only the in
tricacies of a hard-knot, he confined
himself to that species of Ornamental
ton, leaving, however, very long ends
of ribbon hanging down after the man
ner of the pendants of rosettes.
1t scarcely needs the statement that
his labors were in honor of the new
editor-in- chief of the Carlow Herald"
The advent and the purposes of this
parsonage were, as yet known. GER
tainly to only those of the Herald"
and to the Briscoes. 1t had been ar
ranged, however, that Minnie and her
ton, for the journalistic crisis was
immoderately pressing; the Herald
was to appear on the morrow, and the
new editor wished to plunge directly
and without the briefest distraction
into the papers difficulties, now ac-
cumulated into veritable sea of trou-
bles. The editor was to be delivered
to the tBriscoes at eventide and le-
turned by them again at dewy morn.
and this fn "a IL,
gramme. 1t had been further--and
most earnestly-stipulated that when
the wounded proprietor of the ailing
journal should be informed of the adj
dition to his forces he was not TO
know, or to have the slenderest hint
of, the sex or identity of the person
in charge during his absence. It was
inevitable that Plattville (already gap
ing to the uttermosO would buzz
voluminously over it before night but
Judge Briscoe volunteered to prevent
the buzz from reaching Rouen. He
undertook to interview whatever citi-
zens should visit HAIRLESS, or write to
him-when his illness permitted visits
and letters-and forewarn them of the
incumbent's desires. To-day, the Judge
stayed at home with his daughter.
VINO trilled about the house for hap
p1ness, and, in their place the Her
ald' deputation of two had repaired 10
the station to act as a reception COM
mittee
Far away the whistle of the express
was heard, muff1ed to sweetness in the
damp, and the drivers, whip in hand
came out upon the platform. and the
loalers Issued, also, to stand under
the caves and lean their backs against
the drier boards. preparing to eye the
travellers with languid raillery.
Mr.. Parker, very nervous himself
telt the old mans elbow trembling
against his own as the great engine
reeking IN the mist, and sending great
clouds OF white vapor UP to the sky
rushed by them. and came TO a. stand.
SUI beyond the platform.
tlsbee and the foreman made haste
70 the nearest vestibule, and were
gazing blankly at its barred an
proaehes when they heard a tremuIous
tion.
pstairs and downstairs and In my
laay's chambsr Just behind YOU.
Turning quickly Parker beheld a
blphnlng and smiling little vision. a