The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-13
when HIRAM WAITED
FOR HIS Wife

which Mrs. Smith was returning from
Pinehurst, y. G.
I'll have TO tell this about Hiram,
said Mrs. Samuel Smith. at may not
seem very cousinly thing to do, but
it's too good to keep. You see, Mrs
Hiram Smith had been at Pinehurst
for some weeks, and on Monday Hi
ram got a telegram saying that she
was starting home and that her train
was due to arrive at Jersey City about
$50 o'clock on Tuesday evening. Hi
ram made plans accordingly, start
ing away from Freeport early on Tues
day afternoon, arrived with time to
spare at the Jersey City station.
Walking up and down the concourse
he saw hundreds of commuters hurry
ing for their trains and listened to
the stentorian announcements as to
the movements of trains emanating
from man with megaphone.
There was nothing said about a
train from Pinehurst, but Hiram did
not think that was strange, he just
walked up and down and waited. Six.
thirty came, but no sign Of the Pine
hurst train. This did not seem an
usual, these southern expresses are
often late, thought Hiram, and tramp.
ed up and down the concourse some
more. Seven o'clock, 1880, and still
no Pinehurst train. Hiram began to
feel the pangs of hunger, also the
pangs of worriment at the nonappear-
ance if his wife. Finally he applied
at the information window with the
idea of finding out something-ex-
planning at the same time that the
men at the gates did not seem to have
a very clear idea as to the arrival of
trains
40, DEAR said the man at the
window, turning to a nearby mirror to
adjust his cravat, these southern
trains are very often hours behind
time. The one from Pinehurst will
probably be very late. Move along,
please; there are persons behind you
who wish information
Then there was more tramping
about in that cherries concourse, the
scanning of strange faces and tense
watch for the Pinehurst special that
did not appear. At ten o'clock things
began to look deserted and apparently
the megaphone man had retired for
the night. All was stiffness at 1890
o'clock, and the only sound was the
PARKWAY clang of the bell of some
yard locomotive. Hiram decided to
try the so-called information bureau
once more. He moved in rather
gingerly way to the window and
peered in. There he saw an old man
asleep.
"'Please,' said Hiram, will you
tell me when the Pinehurst train will
arrive?'
"The elderly man awoke with a
yawn.
'Pinehurst,' he said hazily. Pine
hurst? Tomorrow morning = she's
late-she'll get in tomorrow morn
ing and then returned to repose.
"Disconsoiate, Hiram watched the
scrubwomen who were now cleaning
up the station, for awhile, and then
decided that he needed rest. He would
go quickly to some hotel on the New
York side and snatch a few hours Of
needed sleep. This was good plan,
and he followed it, leaving call for
four o'clock with the clerk, so that
he might be on hand early the next
morning for the Pinehurst train.
To; f,1 20 n1a WI
routed Hiram out at four o'clock the
next morning, and no extra charge.
Hiram forthwith snatched a hasty
breakfast and hurried again to Jersey
City to the great concourse where the
trains arrived Things were pretty
much deserted at such an early hour,
and it was a long time before Hiram
could find a person to whom he might
breach the subject of Pinehurst trains.
At first he thought the train had al
ready arrived, and his conscience
smote him because he had gone to
the hotel to rest. Such was not the
case, however, he found upon inquiry
of a yawning and uniformed attend.
ant. The Pinehurst train, said the
tired officer, was very late-might not
be in for an hour or two.
Hiram waited 1t was eight
D'clock-S:30 and still no news of the
Pinehurst express. Crowds filled the
station and many looked askance at
Hiram, wan and pale through the long
vigil. Would that train never come
THE megaphone man appeared
again, staggering, important, as if he
had some weighty message to deliver.
Raising the horn TO his lips, the
megaphone man roared forth the ques-
ton:
"1s Hiram Il. Smith in the sta
tion?'
Hiram raised his hand. I'm here,
he said, with all the strength he could
muster.
Mr.. Smith, you are wanted on
the telephone advised the announcer,
and Hiram hurried toward the booth.
It was the bank at Rockville Center
that had been trying to get him
they are on the wire now the attend
ant said. Hiram took the receiver and
said 'Hellon weakly.