The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-12
WHILE
THE TRAIN
WAITED
By A. s. RiebarAsen
Copyright. 1905. bp 4. C. MeQurs

The waiter coughed obsequiously,
and Margaret Ashton turned toward
him impatiently.
Just some fruit and coffee for des-
gert."
The waiter picked up the plate hold
Ing an untasted entree.
why are we stopping here 30 long?"
Freight train on de track ahead,
ma'am, but de wreckin' crews heah,
ma'am."
Miss Ashton picked up the menu,
read IL absentmindedly and laid II
down again. Then her glance Travelled
back to the panorama spread beyond
residence district of a pretty village.
with yellow and white and gray and
white cottages placed at q discreet dis
tance apart. with well kept lawns and
budding gardens In between. cFlq
Close to the crossing where the train
had come to a sudden standstill was
the church. painted In pearly white.
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. Paurs.
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 a 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 ehores," thought Miss Ash.
ton, stirring her coffee slowly, and 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, nc
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
q bill on the silver tray which the
waiter offered and left the car. HeI
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 or
the step Of the porch, a ''fascinator
thrown over her shoulders. At the foo
Of the step stood another woman hold
ing a restless baby in her arms. Ths
two women were so earnestly engaged
In conversation that they did not notics
how the baby was stripping young budi
Of the porch vine.
"Gossiping," murmured Miss Ashton
She knew the narrow life only tot
we'll. She had run away from II year
before. She wanted to go where YOU
next door neighbor did not count thu
skirts and shirt waists on your line
where no one insisted that because I
young man had shown you q few or
dinary courtesies you were bound Il
be engaged to him.
She swung her chair impatiently
and her glance fell once more on thu
church. The sun was setting. and tw,
people were walking up the marrow
tagged path. The man pulled out ,
key, threw open the church door. ant
they both passed In. He did not lool
like a minister He was something o
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 putin,
flowers in the vase at the pulpit.
Hes leader In the church. no doubt
A man must always be at the head o
something" she thought. And Mis-
Demure will be sitting down In tn
amen corner soon watching him witt
adoring eyes because the whole congre
CATION looks up TO him."
What q narrow set these people II
small towns werei Here was a trail
stalled In their midst bearing men o
millions, women who had Travelled q
home and abroad. interests that Nigh
affect the world OF trade. and they di'
not stop 50 much as to inquire into tn
trouble. They were so small, % mai
row, so self absorbed
At last the train moved with great
heaying strain on wheels and springs
Margaret gave one more glance at th
church. The lights were ablaze, an
the young man was standing in from
Of the congregation. book In his hand
The girl was at the organ.
Margaret leaned back and closed he
eyes. She saw another church. anothe
man-and herself. Then she turned he
thoughts resolutely into other char
nels. She glanced down at her baG
She knew the papers In that bag mean
insurance policies for thousands. a
written by herself. She had stepped 4
where other agents feared to tread an
had secured business. She was goin
back TO New York and the approval o
her superlors. She would be glad {
shut herself in her private office an
take up her accumulated correspond
ence. She must have a new cabinet ol
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 cabma
and was whisked OF into the glare @
Broadway's lights. By and by the
turned into quiet side street. Sh
mounted the steps leading TO a dir
brownstone apartment house, shook ou
her keys and h.rried to her room.
There were 10 matches. and shs ran