Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1908-11-27

by way of Ozark, and the brCvity of
the instruction conveyed no hint of
its tremendous significance. no hint of
the fact that though the stage coach
has practically disappeared from our
midst, in the bobtail train it's spirit
goes marching ON. Accustomed to q
world that takes q shameless pride in
its flyers in trains as ineXorablc as
time and tide. how was | to suspect
that the bobtail train was a bit of old
time poesy set like jewel IN the pro.
sale present. that coming 10y way of
Ozark would involve a spiritual renas
cencc; that | should arrive at my
journeys end with a heart quickcnCd
and purified? Yet so It was.
| emerged from the sleeper at y.
into morning all blue and gold spar
blc. At the ticket window I'm the time.
worn station | lluttered anXiously In
the background of several overstop-
ping Missourians who seemed to be
indulging a lazy zost for railroad in.
formation. Stonily / watched the clock.
whose long. gaunt finger was creeping
closer and closer to the decisive hour,
| tormented by visions of the Ozark
train giving a last wild shrek and de.
parting without me. In the midst of
my fidgety despair the foreground
shifted with the deliberation of a stage
scene and | found myself next the
wicket.
Even in the preoccupation Of that
moment the severity of the ticket
agents face impressed me. Why so
unutterable gravity at so natural a
question? Had | perchance outraged
some canon of railroad etiquette by
asking when the train for Ozark would
leave. and II not, what could be the
meaning of the lurking dignity in his
| glance? Puzzled. but not daunted, |
| turned away.
There was, It seemed. time for the
lunch counter taste for which ]
have unflinchingly preserved in spite
OF tough steaks and stale sandwiches.
For me there has always been a gla-
NOR about them, and | was soon dang
ling happily from a revolving stool,
awaiting wheat cakes and coffee. star
ing immodestly at the god-llke profile
of the youth who presided over the
cash register and humming to myself
from sheer contentment.
The coffee and cakes were hot. the
profile all too perfect. In the glow
produced by the three | quite forgot
that these joys were en- passant until
my eyes happened to fall upon the
large, plain face of a clock on the op-
posite wall IL was the sort OF clock
that one simply could not doubt. One
knew that II had always done its duty.
always would. and in a trice ! had
ceased to dangle and was standing be-
fore the god, adjuring him by the nine
forty train to Ozark TO make haste
with my change. to strike the mystic
keys, pull the stop and gather my
dimes and quarters from the drawer
prestissimo. an 1t please him. He was
not, | must confess, visibly affected
by my objurgations. lie, too. eyed me
frigidly, and performed his solo on the
cash register tempo.
A big. putting, assertive monster OF
an engine was at that moment bring
ing a train to a stop on the platform
AS the last passenger alighted | pre-
sented myself at the steps, glowing
with triumph and half inclined to wave
my handkerchief at the ticket man ant
curtsey derisively to the Apollo of the
cash register, for had | not achieved
that train in the face of official cold
ness and encouragement that nigh
well have sent me some other way
round? In the midst of my triumph {
protesting voice fell upon my ear.
dis yere amt youah train lady
Youah train. hits ovah yundah som
air Guess yo' don need to rum"
This information, delivered by a col
ored porter, had at least one redeem
ing feature. II was accompanied by 1
grin, and | no longer felt myself al
offense in the land. With few prouC
snorts and Kisses the great engine
dragged it's train away, leaving th'
platform TO the Ozark train and me
found it at last-an archaic day
coach poignantly suggestive of tn
days of Robert Fulton, coupled I,
some 1at-cars loaded with cinders
There was no engine In sight, bu
one no longer wondered. Nothing nov
seemed more probable than a round
house filled with engines all haughtil
refusing to draw the train to Ozark
From time TO time loose-jointed mer
and worn women with babes in arm
and fringes of them cllnging to thei
skirts, sauntered in and dispose
themselves about with lack of hast
that was ominous. ! vain | searche
their faces for some fixed intention q
departure. Their intentions seemed t
be In the air.
Two drummers, one stout, crease
and of slovenly appearance, the othe
, spare and groomed, looked as II the
, had once meant to, but had given
up, and plunged into the morning pa
pers for forgetfulness. At last ther
was a final rustling of the papers a
they threw them aside. their news el
? hausted The Ozark train rename