The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-12-29
In the crush Line.'
BY HAROLD w. REED.

'.E. .~s by hh1tOAD W. AMINO e4H+s
They were there-four hundred Of
tthemr-at nine O'Clock in the morn
ing, Id spite of the November wind.
They were there not merely to hear
Brahms beautiful symphony and Bee
;thoVen's magnificent concentrations
they would have always with them
but that day they were intending to
see and hear the wonderful Pader-
ewski.
Every car that stopped at the cor
:ner unloaded its small crowd OF hero
w6rshipers and music-loyers.
"a Fat women climbed of backward
and came to attach themselves to the
end Of sthe Lire, bags waving and
shawls: streaming IN their wake;
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. their books and
yinsgitableFcandy m%iddle-agsd women
with eamp-stopls and novels pale
musicians; the peaIut-eating man;
the agum-chewng girl; the youth.
with the how-to-understand-music
book yticking out of his -poGketi the,
man about town. and even one or
two college men were there. II
Among the lateE arrivals sWas.sa
small boy, about fourteen years Of
age. He crossed the strestspn a run,
lodging skilfulfy the cars and teams,
and hurrying along The, curb until he
reached the end. OF the column, darted
itriumphantly into his place.
The next to join; tho line was d lit
lie girl of about the same age as the
hoy, and soon the two were talking
together like old friends.
Her name was Madeline and his
was Carl. Madeline's big sister had
"a studio right across the street, but
this was the first symphony concert
Madeleine had ever been to, as she
lived far out in the country and sell
dom came to the city. Carl had
frankly come to see his hero, the
great Paderewski, whom up to this
time he had had to worship at a dis
lance. The two children found much
to amuse them, and the long, cold
hours passed swiftly.
Now it was otAA half an hour to
opening-time, and a general stir
moved along the column. Camp
stools were packed up, books were
closed, magazines and papers were
thrown aside, and the great crowd
stretched Its stiff limbs and became
restless. Little Carl stamped the chill
out of his feet and felt to see If, his
bright quarter was still safe in his
trousers pocket.
At that moment a portly woman
brushed his elbow in passing, and
away rolled thesshinipg coin across
the sidewalk. Carl rushed out Of
line after 1t.
/ The woman, turning round, saw the
empty place, and as the guard was
not looking her way, and as Carl was
only a child, serenely slipped into the
vacancy. Carl squeezed back into
the little remaining space and said
nothing. He realized, however, the
serious difference this one woman
might make inlhis chances Of getting
one Of the limited number of seats.
All the forenoon schoolgirls from
farther down the line had been count.
ing the people ahead Of them and cal
culating their own prospects of get
ting in, and Carl had heard one of
them count, give hundred and one
five hundred and two" as she, passed
him. And there were only Ave hum
dred and five available seats, and
when 4 those were taken the doors
would close. "a
Presently the guards formedf the
column in a compact and ree'llar
order. Carl cried joyfuHy to Mad
cline: 5
They're going in! The lines
moving They're going ini"
His heart beat rapidly and his
breath came in gasps as he ap-
preached the door. Soon he would
see his idol. At last he vas right in
front of the tallyman, and as he
passed he heard the man call. "Fiye
hundred five! No more to-day"
So Madeline, too, had got in! But
when he turned, laughing, he saw the
guard put his arm before her and be-
gin to close the gate.
He was number five hundred and
FIVE! He jumped back and pushed
Madeline within the doors just as
they shut in his face.
""She'd never been before, and she
lives way out in the country" argued
Carl, bravely, to himself, as he turned
away.-Youth's Companion.