The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-09

sTOWluS III MS uedIC MS last COL0-
mission was the hanging up of the
bowler hat
He stood on the arm of the seat to
reach the high hook. From here he
paused to glare down with an attempt
at irony.
rs they anything else?"
NO. You may get down"
The magnificent patronage OF this
wilted the porter completely. He re-
turned to the lower level, and shut
fed along the aisle in a trance. He
was quickly recalled by a sharp:
"Pawtah!"
"Yassah!"
What time does this bally train
start?"
"Ten-thutty, sab"
But it's only ten now"
"Yassah. It'll be ten-thutty a lit
tie later"
do you mean to tell me that I've
got to sit hyah for half an hour-just
waitin'?"
The porter essayed another bit of
irony:
Well" he drawled, Il might ten
the conducta you're ready. And meb-
be he'd start the train. But the time
table says ten-thutty."
He watched the effect of his satire,
but it fell back unheeded from the
granite dome of the Englishman,
whose only comment was:
'Oh, never mind. I'll wait
The porter cast his eyes up in de-
spair, and turned away. once more to
be recalled.
"Oh, pawtah!"
"Yassah!"
Il think well put on my slippahs."
viii WEI"
You might hand me that large bag
No. stupid, the othah one. You might
open it. No, it's in the othah one. All,
that's it. You may set it down"
Mr.. Wedgewood brought forth a
soft cap and pair of red slippers
The porter made another effort to
escape, his thoughts as black as his
face. Again the relentless recall:
"Oh, pawtah, l think we'll upbutton
my boots"
He was too weak to murmur Vas
sab" He simply fell on one knee
and got to work.
There was a witness to his helpless
rage-a newcomer, the American
counterpart of the Englishman in all
that makes travel difficult for the fel.
low travellers. Ira Lathrop was zeal
Gus to resent anything short OF per-
lection. quick and loud of complaint,
apparently impossible to please.
In everything else he was the OPP
posite of the Englishman. He was
burly, middle-aged, rough, careless in
attire, careless OF speech-as uncouth
and savage as one can well be who Is
| plainly a man of means.
1t was not enough that a freeborn
| Afro-American should be caught kneel.
ing to an Englishman. But when he
had escaped this penance, and ad-
vanced Hospitality to the newcomer.
he must be greeted with a snarl
Say, are you the porter of this car.
or that mans nurse?"
II can't tell yet. What's yo' mum
ba, please?"
The answer was the ticket The
porter screwed M his eyes to read
the pencilled scrawl.
| ''Numba sem. Heah she is, boss
Right next to a lot of women, Ill
bet. Couldn't you put me in the mems
end of the carp
Not ve'y well, sub. I reckon the
cab is done sold out"
With a growl of rage, Ira Lathrop
slammed into the seat his entire hand
baggage, one ancient and rusty valise
The porter gazed upon him with in
creased depression. The passenger
list had opened inauspiciously with
two of the worst types of travellers
the Anglo-Saxon race has developed
But their anger was not their wors,
trait in the porter's eyes. He was, In
limited way, an expert in human
character.
When you meet a stranger you re
veal your own character in what you
ask about his. With some, the first
question is, Who are his people?'
With others, What has he achieved? p
With others, How much is he worth 2
Each gauges his cordially according
to his estimate.
The porter was not curious on AM
OF these points. He showed a demo
cratic Indifference to them. His on,
vital inquiry was:
How much will he tip?"
His inspection of his first tive
charges promised small returns. HI
buttoned up his cordially, and de
termined to waste upon them the ir
reducible minimum OF attention.
1t would take at least a brida
couple to retsore the balance. Blu
bridal couples in their first bloom
rarely fell to the lot Of that porter, 70
what bridal couple wants to lock 1,
: self In with a crowd of passengers 70
the first seventy-two hours OF wedde'
bliss?
The porter banished the hope as
vanity. Little he knew how eagerl
the young castaways from tina
wrecked taxicab desired to be brida
couple, and to catch this train.
But the Englishman was restiv
again:
"Pawtah! ! say. pawtah!"
"Yassah!"