Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-01-15
SMITHS FILTRATION.
He Succeeded in One Respect But the
Outcome Was Not Entirely
Gratifying.

The other night Smith was going
home on the cable car. 1t was about
$3.50 and the summer car was crowd
ed with business men returning from
their offices and women coming from
the downtown stores. On the seat OPP
posite him Smith saw a girl he
thought he knew. She was extreme
ly pretty and dressed in the latest
style. Her light golden hair was ar
ranged in big roll under the dearest
little hat in the world; she wore a
bunch of pink and white sweet peas
which were scarcely any fresher than
the color of her plump round cheek,
and altogether she was the most
agreeable looking object that Smith
had seen in long time. In fact,
everybody on the car was looking at
her; they just couldn't help it. Smith
was certain he had seen her before
somewhere, but for the life of him
he could not tell where. She looked
at him finally, and he thought she
recognized him, but he could not tell
for sure. He resolved to raise his hat,
anyway, the next time he caught her
eye. After awhile her gaze turned
toward him again and Smith bowed.
His salutation was returned with
slight flush, and Smiths heart gave a
bound. A fat man sitting next to
her got off just then, and Smith re-
solved to be bold and crossed over
and took his place, says the Chicago
Times-Herald.
"How do you do" he said, raising
his hat again. Charming weather,
isn't it?"
"Yes," she answered rather timidly.
"I've just been down to buy some
things for John"
"Happy John" thought Smith. IT
wonder who he may be anyway"
Then he added aloud: do you always
take the cable DOWNTOWN"
"Yes," she answered; "it's so con-
venient. I only have to walk one
block from where live"
"Would you mind telling me where
that is?" he said. give seen you so
many times, but somehow I can't tell
just where"
"Why certainly not" she answered.
81 live on Drexel boulevard, near For
tieth street."
"Why, that's right across the street
from where l live," said Smith.
"Yes," she answered, II see you go
downtown every morning"
Who on earth could she be, any
way? 1t was deucedly aggravating,
but he'd find out later.
And so they continued to talk on,
and Smith thought he was the hap
piest man on the car. He imagined
how sore the other men around him
felt, and how they all wished they
were in his place. He'd find out the
name of that girl, by Jove, and he'd
go and make a call on her. He was
sure he had the thing cinched.
At Twenty-second street the car
stopped and two elderly ladies got
on. Smith recognized one of them as
Mrs. Blank, who, lived in the gray
stone front across the street from
him. She looked at him and then at
the pretty girl and then said some
thing to her companion. She looked
over at Smith and then the two ladies
began to smile and finally to laugh.
They seemed to be immensely amused
at something.
At Forteth street they all got off,
Smith and the girl in front, the ladies
walking short distance behind. As
the four turned into the boulevard
Smith noticed that the porches were
well filled with people who were en-
loving the evening air. Now was the
time he'd cut figure; they'd all see
him and the girl. As they passed the
Browns house he noticed that young
Brown was sitting on the steps talk
ing to his sister, Poor Brown! he
wasn't in it.
Just then they came up to the
Blanks house, and the lovely girl
said: swell, I'll have TO say good
night to you now and the next mo.
ment she opened the gate, bowed to
Smith and walked down the gravel
path toward the back doorl
He looked at the retreating figure
Of the pretty girl in amazement and
then at Mrs. Blank, standing on the
front porch.
isn't Lena pretty" she said, "and I
she's just devoted to John, our hired
man. She's just been downtown buy
ing him a birthday present"
The laugh was on Smith.