Democratic messenger., 1908-11-07
!: JIMSIE sf THE ;;
: TRESTLE. F;
Q BY CECILY ALLEN.
Q Copyrighted 1905 by Associated {
BY CECILY ALLEN.
"opyrlghted 1908. by Associated
Literary Press


Jimsie had learned to watch for her
long before she noticed him. The 7:0S
was never so crowded as the %. and
Betty Larned had no trouble In getting
the same seat every morning. the next
TO the last In the third ear
She liked that particular seat because
II gave her long view of the marshy
creek and the great bay beyond. pour
ing It's restless waters into the sea.
Iimsie's post was on the great trestle
approaching the drawbridge At first
he had simply watched the trains as
they slowed up before passing over the
| draw.
Being young man OF considerable
imagination. he could picture the long
line Of commuters winding to the fer
rIea and then breaking on the shores
II the big city beyond like stream
iong confined to narrow banks. What
u multitude of interests they repre-
sented. And to how many Of the
great warehouses. skyscrapers and
stores they must scatter.
He felt quite sure that the girl with
the light brown hair and gentle gray
eyes worked very far uptown. for she
the girl commuters preferred the :23.
which brought them into town just In
lime 10 make offices and stores for the
3 o'clock openings.
In this Jimsic was wrong. Betty
worked quite close To the ferry. but
She was an earnest. ambitious young
person with horror Of being tardy.
50 she took no chances on the T:23
being late. Drawbridgcs she had
heard. were tricky
This rumor was confirmed one morn
ing when the excursion steamer Lena
Belle turned contrary IN the draw.
and the 1e0S stood on the narrow tres
! tie till the crew Of the Lena Belle
could bring her to time And that was
the morning Betty noticed Jimsic for
the first time
Iimsle might have run along with the
rcst of the railroad boys To watch the
crew of the Lena Belle. hut he had
something more pleasant 10 watch the
| girllsh face NJ the first window from
/ the end OF the third car on the stalled
train
The third ear stood right IN front Of
his little shanty. and directly Jimsic
/ had reported the delay of the train To
headquarters by telephone he dashed
back to the track. gazcd up and met
the soft gray eyes sluarely.
InStinctively his hand went up To his
hat then dropped. aud flush blazed
up under his healthy tan. The gray
eyes opened very wide. then were hid
den 10y long lashes.
No; Betty was quite sure she had
never seen this very good looking young
man before lie did not live at Green
/ port. and he had never worked In the
store
Maybe she had met him at the single
dance she had attended at the Big
/ -Four Social club. But. no; he was not
the sort Of man who went TO those
balls. Betty was quite sure. II was be
cause she had not liked the men that
she had refused all succeeding invita-
tions from tile club
She raised her lashes Just a tiny bit
and met respectful hut nndcnlably
admiring glance from Jimsie's brown
eyes. She tried 10 look across the aisle
at the impatient passengers. then down
the bay but the sun danced SO madly
on the blue water that II hurt her eyes
! Aud as she had 10 look somewhere she
looked down again into the brown eyes
of the young track foreman.
Then. with n jerk, the Lena Belle
| plunged forward into the current. rail
way men shouted orders, there were a
creaking and rafting Of machinery and
chains, and the 7:0S plunged on toward
town.
Jimsie waved friendly hand after
the retreatlng Lena Belle. Good old
boat! II had given him good chance
10 study the little girl ut close range.
and he had net been disappointed
What was raore. he knew that she
had taken his measure and would
know him the next time they met.
Now. the books ON etiquette and the
learned women writer's for magazines
tell you that you must hc properly in
troduced TO man. You must he chap
croned. and the more pretty you are
the more rigid must be the chapcron-
age
But the workaday world changes
many OF these things, Iimsic began to
plan on meeting the owner Of the gray
eyes somehow. somewhere. without the
aid or consent of chaperon. II you
love girl you love her and You win
her that was JImsie's lexicon ~ good
form.
And Betty fell TO dreaming ~ the
good looking young chap who was
watching for her every morning when
the T:0S approached the bridge. First
their eyes carried the message then
they smiled. and finally they nodded
every morning.