The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-01-29
WHILE
THE TRAIN
WAITED
BY a. s. Ric6ar
Copyright, 1905. by I. c. McCtuv

The waiter coughed obsequiousIy
and Margaret Ashton turned toward
him impatiently.
'Just some fruit and coffee for des
sert"
The waiter picked up the plate hold
ing an untasted entrce.
"Why are we stopping here so long?'
Freight train off de track ahead
ma'am, but de wreckin' crews hcah
ma'am."
Miss Ashton picked up the menu,
read it abscntmindedly and laid it
down again. Then her glance travelled
back to the panorama spread beyond
the dining cars window. 1t was the
residence district of Il pretty village.
with yellow and white and gray and
white cottages placed ut Il discreet dis
tance apart. with we'll kept lawns and
budding gardens in between.
Close to the crossing where the train
had come TO n sudden standstill was
the church, painted in pcarly white.
with dark green shutters and imitation
colorcd glass windows. Even at this
distance Margaret recognized the ma
.tcral in those windows. They Lad re-
ceivcd samples when she was in the
altar guild ut st. Paurs.
The waiter arrived with her DESSERT
and she selected some white grapes
with elaborate care. When shc looked
up again, boy came scImpering down
the drive which divided TWO of the cot
tage homes. He swung Il baseball bat
in signal TO another youngStcr Cmcrg-
ing from another yard. Both homes
had barns and chicken yards in the
rear. and the boys Wore sweaters.
"Thcy have had their tea and have
done their chores" thought Miss Ash
ton, stirring her coffee slowly. "and by
and by some one will call them both
in and pull down the shades
4 woman ran across the back yard |
of the house nearest the tracks. carry |
ing something under her apron. She |
disappeared in the Kitchen doorway of |
the next house, then rcappcared empty |
handed and ran back TO her own home
"Shc had borrowed something, no
doubt" said Miss Ashton to herself |
Perhaps she had Il little tea this after |
noon. We always borrowed things J
from the Marsdcns when we had teas"
She pushed aside her coffee cup, laid |
bill on the silver tray which the |
waiter offered and left the car. Her |
chair was in the drawing room car for
ward She found herself looking |
straight into the side yard of Il trim |
little cottage. a young woman sat OH |
the step OF the porch, 4 "fasCinator"
thrown over her shoulders. At the foot |
Of the step stood another woman hold |
ing restless baby in her arms. The
two women We're SO earnestly engaged
conversation that they did not notice
how the baby was stripping young buds
off the porch vine.
"Gossiping," murmurcd Miss Ashton.
She knew the narrow life only too
we'll. She had run away from it years
before. She wanted to go where your
next door neighbor did not count the
skirts and shirt waists on your line
where no one insisted that because 4
young man had shown YOU Il few or
dinary courtesics you We're bound to
be engaged to him.
She swung her chair impatiCntly,
and her glance fell once more Oh the
church. The sun was setting, and two
people We're walking up the narrow
tagged path. The man pulled out a
key, threw open the church door, and
they both passed in. He did not look
like a minister. He was something of
an athlete and had an alert air. \ mo-
ment later he was opening the window.
The girl was not in sight, but Mar
garet was certain that she was putting
flowers in the vase at the pulpit.
"Ies Il leader in the church, no doubt.
A man must always lie at the head of
something" she thought ".lnd Miss
Dcmurc will be sitting down in the
amen corner soon watching him with
adoring eyes because the whole congrc.
cation looks up to him.