Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-09-16
THE BEGINNING Of
A LONG JOURNEY,
BY GEORGE HERBERT BONN.
copyright. 1863, by American Press Asso-
citation.

A few years ago | was obliged to
connect between two railroads by stage
coach. had been d,ulg some hard
travelling was tired out and my nerves
We're generally nnstruug. The only
other passengers in the coach were III
old gentleman and young lady whom
l presumed to be his daughter. They
occupied the back seat and the II nj.
There was no middle seat. Indeed. the
coach was a small. shabby affair.
ghost Of the solid. imposing vehicle IN
which our ancestors used To ride. Both
windows We're up. and. thinking to i'm
prove the air, which seemed to he to
be very Stufy. let down the one next
to which | was sitting. The yount
lady sat directly opposite me and
when | lowered the window cast an
apprehensive glance at her father. an
other at me- then coolly put the win
dow back IN its place.
Had she been man there would
have been an explosion then and there.
AS 1t was. set my lips together.
breathrd hard and racked my brain for
a gentlemanly means Of crushing her.
At last, finding what considered
honeyed thunderbolt. launched II.
Madam" began Jelly. had you
BEG your pardon. sir. but l am not
madam"
This took away something Of the
steel cold sharpness OF what | had to
say. for couldn't begin with Miss
it would sound ridiculous.
81 assure YOU" began again. that
whether you are miss or madam
makes no difference whatsoever In this
instance. | was about to say
ut makes some difference TO ma
whether or no | am addressed prop
erly."
| waited few moments.
Had you" | began third time.
"said to me. May | ask you to allow
the windo-" to remain closed. my
father being delicate and l fearing
draft for him. would certainly
Had YOU said, DO you object to my
lowering the Window | would have
had an opportunity to tell you wheth-
er | wished it open or closed. You
took II upon yourself to lower 1t. ana
therefore took it upon myself to
close It."
"Technically you are right, really
wrong With stuffy atmosphere like
this it is to be presumed that you
would prefer at least one open win
nh
me to lower IT,"
And common protection OF my
right to be consulted in the matter
compelled me to raise it."
| knew In my heart that l was
wrong but when the nerves are the
handspring Of ones acts one gets deep
err into the mlre.
II have supposed" l replied after
some silence. that Il woman's
strength is in her weakness. Granting
your right to be consulted-and | con-
cede you this right as one OF the soft
err seX"-I put an unnecessary infection
on the word "sOfter"-"as to granting
this right | say. would 1t not have
been more effective with gentleman
to have
with gentleman. yes"
"You must excuse me-" l retorted
holly, from further discussion with
one who forgets"-
At this point something occurred to
stop my speech--something that filled
me with establishment. The old gen.
tleman. who had been paying no at
tention to our fitting, took an orange
out of his pocket. tore off a large
piece of the rind and threw 1t out Of
the closed window. 1t went right
through the glass without sound or
resistance. put my hand where I
had supposed the pane to be. and there
was no pane there.
The young lady burst into merry
laugh.
Ordinarily | should have laughed
too. But in addition to headache
and strained nerves had placed my
self in false position and about moth
ing.
Ibid you know there was no glass
thereY' | asked in the same cold tone
as before.
Prom the first"
"Then your fear of draft upon your
father
This gentleman Is not my father.
nor Is he with me. | don't think he
has understood what we have been
talking about. | heard him speaking
German with the driver. You acted
without consulting him or me, SO
concluded to-
Teach me poiteness.
BY way Of reply she took up
lunch box and, opening 1t, handed me a
chicken sandwich. l took 1t and sew
eral more. following them up with
other eatables. Then ! took out my
flask and washed the whole down with
a stiff horn. | was about to take out
my cigar case when l stopped sud-
denly.
do you object to smoker asked
politely.
"Not at ALL" she replied. with
smile.
"Nor that COMPOUNDED old fellow be-
side you?"
II can't tell, not speaking his Ian
guage. But since he Is a German !
presume he doesn't. Besides. there Is
plenty of fresh air coming in through
the closed window"
Whether II was the lunch or the mel
low corn juice or PAIR Of dimpies I
now noticed fanking the girls smile.
the rest of the journey was as delight.
full as its beginning had been unpleas.
ant. Indeed. it has never ended. That
girl and are travelling on through life
in company.