The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-09-04

woman sitting opposite me-a young
woman, with baby on her knees
whose expression was as inane and
vacnous as that Of the baby itself
Everybody was wet and uncomforta-
BILE, and we all hated each other with
cordial hatred.
Well, the bus rumbled on, and no
body seemed inclined to move. We
were all bound for Hammersmith. |
leaned back in my seat as we'll as l
could, to make more room for my
stout neighbor, who kept wedging me
closer against the rail; the girl was
leaning back, too and my arm--I
couldn't help Impressed against hers.
| had my hand upon the rail, you see;
she had both of hers clasped upon her
lap She wore no gloves, and she had
a cheap ring on one of her fingers
an engagement ring, / suppose it was
meant to be. Nobody spoke, and by
degrees / began to feel sleepy-forgot
all about the bus, even about the lit
tie lady by my side, and allowed my
mind to be a perfect blank. have
rather habit OF doing that after a
heavy day, and give you my word
it's most restful to the brain.
| At the same time, / suppose-as
the clairyoyants would say--the brain
is particularly receptive when it is in
that condition. Anyway, after a while
curious mist began to form before
my eyes, mist which soon became a
blur of dim color; and this gradually
worked itself to a focus of light in
which felt, somehow, that could
see pictures If l wished 1t was a
strange sensation, quite new to me. l
wasn't asleep, you understand If l
tried could see the vacuous faces of
the woman who sat opposite me and
the baby on her knees, the mist dis
polling to let me do so; but when I
gave myself up to the thoughtless re-
pose it collected again, and the clear
| spot in the centre became more de-
fined / was conscious of one other
thing-a curious tingling sensation
in my left arm, the arm that pressed
against that of the girl by my side;
1t was just as if the blood were rush
Ing from her veins to mine I don't
know if make myself clear; it was
such a curious experience for a
matter-of-fact man like myself that |
hardly know how to express it, |
hadn't the smallest desire to read the
the girls thoughts or to intrude my
self unwarrantably into her affairs;
but | couldn't help myself any more
than she could; we had got unaccoun-
taboy en- rapport-isn't that what you
call TIA sort Of unconscious cele-
bratoni.
Well, she must have been thinking
hard of something that had recently
happened to her-that very day, /
take it. And saw it all with her
eyes First of all a dingy workroom
"a lot of girls sitting at long table
and sewing mechanically dress mate
rails of some sort-I'm no good at de-
scribing that kind OF thing, but | saw
it as clearly as if I'd been in the
room. The floor litter, the table a
litter, patterns. stuff of avery hue and
quality, cut and uncut, yards of it,
spread out or tumbled together; dunn
my figures, some partially clad, some
only framework and wooden bust;
sprays of artificial flowers, lace, rib
bon, cotton. Cotton! Why, the at
mosphere of the place seemed loaded
with it, You know the close smell OF
a Diapers shop? l assure you / got
exactly that kind of impression
All the girls seemed to be chatter
ing together gayly enough-all except
my girl. saw her as plainly as
see you. She was working a sewing
machine, and she kept glancing at a
big, clumsy clock upon the wall She
could hardly see the time by it, for
the room was so full of mist; there
were flaming gas jets hanging from
the ceiling, but they didn't seem tc
give sufficient light However, l knew
we'll enough what the girl wanted;
she was anxious for the hour to strike
4 when she would be at liberty 70 take
her departure. The minutes seemed
to drag out into eternity for her.
''Will he be there?" That is what
she was repeating to herself, and Of
course, being for the tine, as it were
in her brain, knew all about him
as much as she did. anyway.
n thought, with her. that he would be
certain to turn up at The appointed
n meeting place.