The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-18
In An
Omnibus

muCn III lnut sOlI vi 'hihe' ~"
wouldn't expect 1t from matter-of-
fact old city man like me would you
I've had to look on the practical side
OF things t\sr since | was boy
Al the same. | did have a rather
curious experience the other evening.
1t was only triiling affair. and
darcsay there is nothing in it really
nut I've tried to apply the ordinary
rules of experience to it-tried TO
work It out by the rule of three. as
II were: but somehow there's always
hitch that can't quite level up.
Here's the story for what It's
worth: | had had busy day at the
osice, and was tired out when took
my usual bus home-Hammersmith.
you know; and / had walked as far
as Charing Gross by way OF exercise
and to clear my brain of stuffy fig
ures. It had Just begun to drizzle,
and / was lucky to get place In the
'bus-just about the centre of the
left side 1t was. up against the metal
bar that divides the long seat into
halves.
There was only Just room for me.
for my two fellow passengers on the
right were bulky individuals. so |
was wedged up pretty tight against
the bar. It's lucky that I'm not
big man myself or / don't know what
we would have done. AS 1t was, in
settling down. my arm came rather
sharply into contact with the should
er OF a girl VINO was placed on my
left-1ust the other side of the bar,
you understand. She gave a little
cry and started, just as If she had
been aroused from a nap, and didn't
quite know where she was.
or course l apologized and then
forgot all about the matter. didn't
even look at the girl, didn't realize II
she were smart or shabby, fair or
dark 1t is very rare for me to take
interest in folk meet in omnibuses
She was quite young-nineteen or
twenty perhaps-neither pretty nor
ugly and of nondescript coloring. Her
hair was fiuffed out on either side Of
her head, covering the top halves OF
her ears, and she wore round cap
O. some cheap fur. 1t was quite un-
pretentious, but somehow 1t suited
her. Her features were rather thin.
and she had no complexion to speak
OF; one could easily guess that she
was out in all sorts Of weather. or
subjected to an unwholesome atmos-
phere of some kind.
on, no; | wasn't the least bit fas-
cinated, or any rot OF that sort. I'm
not the kind of man who Is always on
the lookout for chance acquaintances
that game is played out as far as
am concerned. But | bad to think
OF something and the girl by my side
was more interesting than any of the
other stodgy folk who had got into
the 'bus-a job lot II ever there was
one. There was woman sitting op'
posite me-a young woman. with q
baby on her knees-whose expression
was as inane and vacuous as that ol
the baby itself, Everybody was wet
and uncomfortable, and we all hated
each other with cordial hatred.
Well. the bus rumbled on, ant
nobody seemed inclined to move. We
were all bound for Hammersmith.
leaned back in my seat as well as
could, to make room for my stou
neighbor, who kept wedging mi
closer against the rail; the girl wa
leaning back too. and my arm
couldn't help 1t, pressed against hers
/ had my hand upon the rail. yol
see; she had both of hers clasped up
on her lap. She wore no gloves, an,
she had a cheap ring on one Of he
fingers-an engagement-ring l sup
pose it was meant to be. Nobod
spoke, and by degrees | began to fee
even about the little lady by my side
and allowed my mind to be perfec
blank. ! have rather a habit of dc
ing that after heavy day, and Civ
you my word. it's most restful t
the brain.
At the same time, | suppose-a
the clairvoyants would say-th
brain is particularly receptive whe
1t is in that condition. Anyway, a.
ter a while curious mist began
form before my eyes. mist whic
soon became a blur of dim color; an
this gradually worked itself to a IL
Gus of light. in which hfelt somehow
that could see pictures IL | wished
II was a strange sensation, quite ne
to me. | wasn't asleep, you unde
stand. If | tried | could see tn
vacuous faces OF the woman who ST
opposite me and the baby on ht
knees, the mist dispelling to let n
do So but wnen | gave myself up
the thoughtless repoee 1t cUiiecte
again, and the clear spot in the Gel
tre became more defined. | was col