Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-08-27

"OH, DEAR, I CAN JUST E 1T sHRINK!"
| months before she had not had Jim's
preferences so clearly in mind, but
| three months in New York had altered
joys standpoint.
She choked back the tears-they lay
| so near the surface now-and opened q
book, but her thoughts would wander
/ back to the "up country" which she
/ had left, not content to settle down in
the village school-or in a village home
either, for that matter-after gradu-
ating from q normal college.
"Twenty-third street," called the
conductor.
Joy looked forlornly out into the
early wet darkness and gave a sudden
exclamation.
A car from the West Twenty-third
street ferry had disgorged a crowd OF
| transfers that were making q rush for
| her car. These the conductor met by
| the monotonous command, "Let 'em
| of-let 'em off,"
The crowd paused, held in check by
a young nan with a general appear
ance of squareness. His shoulders
were square. So were his firm lower
jaw and his tanned forehead.
AS to his dealings, Joy could testify
that they also were square, too square
| sometimes in that he had taken her at
her word and for three dreary months
remained silent.
"Oh," she exclaimed, tits Jim!"
Fortunately neither the large mar
nor the son of Hungary understood the
English language or the language of
tones or they would have suspected
that a Klondike had suddenly been
| rolled to the feet Of the damp little
public school substitute between them.
Impulsively she struggled to her feet
under the impression that she was go
ing to meet Jim and as impulsively sat
down again. remembering that she
could not. Would he see her? She
waited breathlessly. with parted lips,
when he entered.
In looking for a seat his eyes travel
ed straight past the now trembling lit
tie substitute without seeing her. A
big lump rose in her throat. Perhaps
he did not wish to see her. Perhaps
he had been in the city for weeks and
had not looked her up. 1t was just as
we'll. she reasoned, that he had not,
because her landlady had recently rent.
ed the parlor. so there would have
been nc place for him to sit, but-but
| she wanted to be remembered Just the
same.
The lump in her throat increased in
size, and the lights blurred. up coun
try" she had been Of too great impor.
lance to be overlooked
The square young man had found
seat on the same side Of the car, and
nothing Of him was visible from joys
position save the hand bag at his
feet. Joy had not noticed this before
1t proclaimed the fact that he had Just
arrived, and she was suddenly enabled
to swallow the lump in her throat.
At Thirty-irst street an old colored
nanny boarded the car and, after one
look at the full seats, chung to a strap
There was an %instant's pause, and Their
joys eyes glowed softly and Joys
heart beat warmly.
THAT'S like JIM" she whispered to
herself. THAT'S the way they do up
country" for the square young mar
was clinging to the strap and the col.
ored nanny was seated.
BIS back was toward Joy now-his
straight, square shouldered back. II
rested her just to look at It She had
not realized before how tired she was
Being only a substitute. she was the
natural prey Of every grade in the
great school building where her task
was the unenviable one Of taking the
place Of absent teachers. one day IN
this room. one day in that. q stranger