Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-04-25
HIS FAvORITE PAPER
BY JOHN KANE.

Young Whitman, Nho lives In a
suouro. was staining with his back to
Tue approaching train one morning,
peacefully gazing upon the autumnal
landscape. with a bundle OF newspa-
pers under his arm-it was young
Whitman's habit to buy all the news
papers In order to get what he called
q broad point OF view-when he felt
a slight lug at the topmost paper. In
stinctiyely he frightened his grip.
There was another tug, this time a
more decided one. II was also slightly
impatient, and It vas successful. Az
the newspaper slipped from under his
arm young Whitman was aware that
4 coin was being pressed into his
hand. He turned just In time to catch
a glimpse OF n pink, softly curved
cheek under an engulhng hat, and to
see the young woman deity whip her
spells into n shape convenient for car.
rying as she ran.
Before he could recover his breath
sufficiently to call to her his assailant
had become lost In the crowd that was
boarding the train. All he could be
sure or was the pink cheek, n hat that
looked to his bewildered masculine
eye like all the other hats that were
bobbing about the station and a blue
serge suit.
Young Whitman looked at the coin
In his hand; then he looked at the
newspapers that remained under his
arm. She had taken his ~favorite, the
one thai he really depended upon for
his literary meal. Then he looked up
into h grinning countenance of a
neighbor.
Took you for a newsboy, did she?"
chortled the n~eighbor.
Once more young Whitman looked
down at the money In his hand. He
held II out helplcssly. Can you beat
that?" he said, dazedly.
In spite OF his loss, the memory of
that pink check remained pleasantly
with young Whitman for some time.
For its sake he tool a decided inter.
est IN nondescript hats and blue
serge suits for several weeks after
ward. Probably It was this newly de-
Veloped interest that made him notice
one evening In the street car which
was bearing him and a number of
others over 10 his station that directly
In front of him sat a pink.cheeked
wearer of q blue serge suit and a hat
OF the kind already inadequately de-
scribed.
He was some little distance behind
the young woman and when on getting
out he passed the seat in which she
had been sitting he saw that she had
left a parcel lying there. He seized
the parcel and made after the owner.
y beg your pardon" he said. raising
his hat, but l think you left his in
the car"
The girl looked down at the parcel.
1T is mine," she said. Thank you
yer so much"
She moved TO the sidewalk and a lit
tie way out of the crowd without ia.
king the parcel. Then she opened and
plunged her hand into the recesses of
an enormous handbag. After a more
or less prolonged scrabble" among its
contents she brought forth a small
purse. She scanned It's contents
eagerly.
Dear me-" young Whitman heard
her murmur. 81 haven't a thing but a
quarter. l suppose I'll have to give
him that"
The parcel was taken from him with
hasty courtesy. Once more he felt a
coin pressed into his hand. A vaguely
lmpersonal voice breathed. Thank
you ever So much" and the owner OF
the parcel had disappeared trainward.
Young Whitman stood still. ponder
Ing. Il bet you anything, he remarked,
presently, to homself. that that is the
very same girl. II is fate!"
Nimbly and shamelessly he rushed
Into the train. searched until he found
the girl In the blue serge suit. and
then seated himself directly behind
her. He was determined that he
would at least know her next time
they met.
He was so confident that another
meeting had been arranged by fate
that he felt no surprise when upon go.
Ing over to call some evenings later
upon his friends the Parkinsons he
found there the girl OF the tips. Mrs.
Parkinson presented him to her. in
forming him that the girl was Parkln-
sno's sister. and that she was going
TO pass the winter with them.
The rest followed naturally enough
They are married now.
MY dear" young Mrs. Whitman
rays whenever her husband starts to
tell the story OF their early encoun-
tiers, really. the only thing I noticed
about him each time was his shoes
they were shocklngly rusty and worn.
II you could have seen theml He
Insists that I said n quarter was too
much for him. but. as n matter OF fact.
would have gladly given him more,
for his shoes looked as If he must be
hungry. I'm glad / married him any.
way, for now ] make him keep his
shoes looking observation-disclosures
Daily News.