The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-01-21
WHILE
THE TRAIN
WAITED
Copyright, 1908, by T. C. Mcclure

"Just some fruit and coffee for des-
sert."
The waiter picked up the plate hold
ing an untaSted entree.
"Why are we stopping here so long"
Freight train off de track ahead,
ma'am, but de wreckin crews heah,
ma'am"
Miss Ashton picked up the menu,
read it absentmindedly 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 a pretty village.
with yellow and white and gray and
white cottages placed at discreet dis
lance apart, with well kept lawns and
budding gardens in between.
Close to the crossing where the train
had come to sudden standstill was
with dark green shutters and imitation
colored glass windows. Even at this
distance Margaret recognized the ma
terial in those windows. They had re-
ceived samples when she was in the
altar guild at st. PauPs.
The waiter arrived with her dessert,
and she selected some white grapes
with elaborate care. When she looked
up again, boy came scampering down
the drive which divided two of the cot
tage homes. He swung baseball bat
in signal to another youngster emerg-
ing from another yard. Both homes
had barns and chicken yards in the
rear, and the boys wore sweaters.
"They have had their tea and have
done their chores" thought Miss Ash
ton, stirring her coffee slowly, land by
and by some one will call them both
in and pull down the shades"
A 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 reappeared empty
handed and ran back to her own home.
"She had borrowed something, no
doubt" said Miss Ashton to herself.
perhaps she had little tea this after
noon. We always borrowed things
from the Marsdens when we had teas"
She pushed aside her coffee cup, laid
a 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 a trim
little cottage. A young woman sat on
the step of the porch, "faScinatOr"
thrown over her shoulders. At the foot
of the step stood another woman hold
ing restless baby in her arms. The
two women were so earnestly engaged
in conversation that they did not notice
how the baby was stripping young buds
off the porch vine.
"Gossiping," murmured Miss Ashton.
She knew the narrow life only too
WELL 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 a
young man had shown you a few or
binary courtesies you were bound to
be engaged to him.
She swung her chair impatiently,
and her glance fell once more on the
church The sun was setting, and two
people were walking up the narrow
tagged path. The man pulled out
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. A 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.
"He's a leader in the church, no doubt.
A man must always be at the head Of
something" she thought. And Miss
Demure will be sitting down in the
amen corner soon watching him with
! adoring eyes because the whole congre-
CATION looks up TO him.
What a narrow set these people in
small towns were! Here was train
stalled in their midst bearing men of
millions, women who had Travelled at
home and abroad, interests that might
affect the world of trade, and they did
not stop so much as to inquire into the
trouble. They were so small, so mar
row, so self absorbed!
At last the train moved with great
| heaving strain on wheels and springs.
Margaret gave one more glance at the
| church. The lights were ablaZe, and
the young man was standing in front
of the congregation, book in his hand
The girl was at the organ.
| Margaret leaned back and closed her
eyes. She saw another church, another
man-and herself Then she turned her
thoughts resolutely into other chan
nels She glanced down at her bag.
She knew the papers in that bag meant
insurance policies for thousands, all
written by herself. She had stepped in
where other agents feared to tread and
had secured business. She was going
back to New York and the approval of
her superiors She would be glad to
shut herself in her private office and
take up her accumulated correspond
ence. She must have a new cabinet or
dered for that empty corner of her of
fee The papers to be filed in her de-
! partment were Increasing.
She gave her number to the cabman
-