The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-29

" gagged in decorating the bat
tered chairs in the Herald edi
~ torial room with blue satin
ribbon, the purchase of which at the
Dry Goods Emporium had been direct
ed by a sudden inspiration of his supe-
rior, Mr.. Parker of the composing
force. 1t was Ross intention to gar
nish each chair with an elaborately
tied bow, but as he was no sailor and
understood only the intricacies of
hard knot he confined himself to that
species of ornamentation, leaving. how
ever. very long ends of ribbon banging
down after the manner of the pendants
of rosettes. Mr.. Schofield was alone at
his labor, his two confreres having be-
taken themselves to the station to meet
the train from Rouen.
1t was a wet, gray day. The wide
country lay dripping under formless
wraps OF thin mist. and the warm, driz-
zling rain blackened the weather beat
en- shingles Of the station, made clear
rejecting puddles ON the unevenly
worn planks of the platform and damp
ened the packing cases too thoroughly
for occupation by the station lounger.
The bus driver, Mr.. Bennett, and the
proprietors of two attendant "cut un-
ders" and three or four other worthless
whom business or the lack OF 1t called
to that locality availed themselves Of
the shelter OF the waiting room, but the
gentlemen OF the Herald were too agi-
tated to be confined save by the limits
of the horizon
They had reached the station half an
hour before train time and consumed
the interval in pacing the platform un-
der a big cotton umbrella, addressing
each other only in monosyllables. Those
in the waiting room gossiped eagerly
and for the thousandth time about the
late events and particularly about the
tremendous news OF Fisbee. Judd Ben
nett looked out through the rainy door
way at the latter with reverence and a
| fine pride of townsmanship. He de-
| clared IL to be his belief that Fisbee
and Parker were waiting for her now.
For all Carlow knew why Fisbee had
gone to meet the strange lady at the
station when she had come to visit
1 the Briseoes. why he had come with
ner To the lecture, why he had taken
| supper at the Briscoes' three times and
4 dinner twice when she was there. Fis-
bee had told the story to Parker on n
melancholy afternoon as they sat to-
gether in the Herald office. and Parker
had told the town. 1t was simple
enough indeed, and Fisbee's past was
1 n mystery no longer. Ii might have
4 been revealed years before had there
been anything in particular TO reveal
and IL it had ever occurred to Fisbee
to talk of himself and his affairs.
Things had habit of not occurring to
Fisbee.
Mr.. Parker, very nervous himself,
felt his companions elbow trembling
against his own as the great engine.
reeking in the mist and sending great
clouds of white vapor up to the sky,
swooped down the track, rushed by
1 them and came to a standstill beyond
| the platform. Ffsbee and the foreman
made haste to the nearest vestibule
| and were gazing blankly at its barred
approaches when they heard a silvery
laugh behind them and an exclamation
Upstairs and downstairs and in my
Il
| dearr
Turning quickly, the foreman behel6
a blushing and smiling little vision, &
; vision with light brown hair. a vision
enveloped in a light brown rain cloal
and with brown gloves from whicl
the handles of a big brown travelling
, bag were let fall as the vision dis
, appeared under the cotton umbrella
3 while the smitten Judd Bennett reele'
, gasping against the station.
: Dearest" the girl cried to the oil
man, you should have been looking
!, | for me between the devil and the dee
!. sea, the parlor car and the smoker
|, I've given up cigars, and I've begul
0 / 10 study economy. so l didn't come o.
/ eitherr'
i. The drizzle and mist blew In unde
5 the top OF the 'cut under" as the
0 drove rapidly into town, and bright III
tie drops sparkled on the fair hrl
above the new editors forehead and o
| the long lashes above the new editor
| cheeks. She shook these transfer
gems of lightly as she paused in I'll
q doorway OF the office ut the top or IL
rickety stairway.
Mr.. Schofield had just added the la'
Il touch to his decorations and manage
TO slide into his coat as the party can
up the stairs, and now. perspirin
proud. embarrassed, he assumed an
titude ut once deprecatory Of his e.
deavors and pointedly expectant
concentrations for the results. IL
was u modest youth and consciou
After his first sight OF her as she sto'
ID I'm the doorway it was several days D
J. fore he could lift his distressed ey
under the new editors glance or, l
deed. dare 10 avail himself OF mo
IN than a has1y and futtering stare
n her when her back was turnedJ
1r she entered the room he sidled aloi
n the wall and laughed sheepishly
nothing.
rsI Every chair in the room was orn
mented with one of his blue rosett'
nd tied carefully and firmly to the midd
tslaf Of each chair back. There III