The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-02
THE EVENING STORY
a Trafn Belated.
IBy TROY Allison.l

Erskine & Dilwood law arm. wandered
aimlessly around the new Union station
trying to kill time waiting for the train.
He had promised his partner that, as
he would be in Washington that week.
he would make q special point OF meet
ing Mrs. Erskines train and transfer
ring her safely to the southbOund train
He had started to the station an hour
might have time to look at the new
station which every Washingtonian was
loudly proclaiming the biggest in the
world. But here he found that an hour
was more time than q railway station
could satisfactorily I'LL, even though 1t
lived up to its reputation.
He looked at his watch and found,
| to his satisfaction, that it lacked only
six minutes until the Pittsburg train
was due. He hurried through the gates
and reached it just as q lefsurely ofh-
cial marked the train an hour late.
The official seemed. from Mr.. Dilwood's
in writing it slowly and carefully, as
II there was plenty of time for every
| thing.
..Uh-m.' said Mr.. Dilwood in an elo-
quent half voice
| The girl in front of him, who had
been anxiously cycling the same bulle-
ton, grasped the arm of the small boy
with her.
so dead tired of waiting in my life. II
| I only knew he would be sure to come
| it wouldn't seem SO bad 1t will be
| half-past six before the train gets in.
now. Bobbie-let's go in the cafe and
| get some hot chocolate, I'm going to
drink mine a spoonful at time and
count ten between each sip, to help
make that hour pass, for I've read ev-
| cry magazine on the stand"
| The hot chocolate evidently appealed
to Bobbie Dilwood saw him lead the
way toward the cafe with an absolute
| indifference to the failure of time
| schedules.
| When Dilwood stopped at the cash
ier's desk later to pay for a cigar, the
girl came to settle for the chocolate
| that had fallen decidedly short OF oc-
cupying an entire hour.
| Dilwood lighting his cigar at the
| lighter, spoke to the cashier. That
western train has had time for a full
| sized wreck
| The girls eyes 1ilated and she turn
| ed suddenly, utterly oblivious OF his
being an unintroduced man. Did you
say the western train had been wreck
| ed?' she asked breathlessly.
| "No-no-don't be frightened was
merely joking about the long wait" he
| hastened to assure her. She gave the
cashier 80 cent check and q bill, and
! in her excitement rushed on without
| the change to see with her own. eyes
| the latest bulletin. Dilwood smiled at
| the cashier.
| ooh, these women!" he said whim-
sically. IF you will lay that change
aside I will tell her to come for it
| before she leaves"
| I'm sorry gave you such fright,
| he said when he found her peering
! through the bars down the track.
I'm always expecting wreck-its
| one Of my horrers." The casual friend
| Illness Of her tone showed q childish in
| difference to his being a stranger.
| Perhaps you haven't lived in city
| long?' he hazarded, an indefinite some
| thing causing him to imagine that city
ways were strange to her.
"Oh, yes-ages-two years. Her eyes
were still focused on distant point on
| the track. s;s raT Sos s,,,ssSs !
Dilwood found himself possessed of
an amount OF curiosity foreign to him.
with the joy of living, yet frank to
childish degree, fascinated him.
| IF you don't mind my talking to
you and-Bobbie," he suggested,
boy, who had been taking stock OF
him admiringly. Dilwood knew he
had good tailor, and was gratifed to
| see that he had at least made good
1 impression on Bobbie.
The boys smile broadened.
"You won't find talking to my sis
| ter a hard job-she does 1t all her.
SELF he winked socially.
Now Bobbie Tisdale. you are al
ways pretending that / talk too much
I-anQ LQaG can peSlH III lis yCdi
one and bring history up to date in
an hours conversation.
Dilwood patted Bobbie on the back
with an affection not generally elicit
ed by small boys-but he no longer
looked upon Bobbie as small boy
| he was a method of procedure. Il
hope then. you will consider that you
have known me at least fifteen min
| utes-and will skip the creation, the
fall of Rome, the civil war and a few
other items and bring history far
| enough down to date to tell me more
friendly things"
"In the beginning I accepted a po-
sition under the civil service, and
moved to Washington and put Bobbie
in the public schools where he played
| football the first part of the term and
failed in Latin the second part there
Of" she laughed.
"There-I told you she could tell
everything she knew in few min
utes.' declared Bobbie disgustedly.
s'But she's promised not to tell John
about the Latin-he's coming on this
train we're waiting for-she's per-
fectly daffy about john"
! An unreasoning dislike to the name
of John sprang, full grown. to the
heart of Mr. Dilwood. us it per-
mitted to ask who John may be?" he
asked gloomily.
| "Oh-he may be president some
day-or most anything in that line"
! declared the boy airily, but just at
present he's our big brother coming
| to spend his two weeks vacation with
u.s. He's been in Chicago six months
learning to be 1awyer-he's clerk
| in Erskine & Dilwood's office"
Dilwood made a hasty search for
| his cardcase.
| II happen to be Dilwood," and his
entire satisfaction with his lot in life
beamed from his eyes. He Is re-
markably promising boy. Miss lis
dale" He was, in the meantime, try
| ing fervently to remember just which
of the twenty employees was Tisdale.
He himself travelled for the firm and
spent very little time in the office.
"Oh, Mr.. Dilwood. do you really