The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1914-12-28

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conductor, however, and then discreet
" departed.
Two drummers getting on soon after
ward gazed electrified at the interior
OF the car.
Just run over somebody" one Of
them asked the conductor, az a burs
of general conversation anne through
the partly open door.
No" he said, surlfly.
We'll, what is that in there-Sun.
day school convention, or trade union2-
the other man asked faoetousiy.
The conductor ran a scornful eye
over the indignant suburbanites with
In.
There's twenty-stx Of them" he
said, disgustedly. "and they're as crazy
as a sky-rocket in a snow storm" He
refused to explain further and went IL
to collect the fares in moody silenca
There had been some demur about
the second fare, but after consultation
It was decided to pay It.
The passengers were becoming bet
ter acquainted. When a messenger
boy took q flying leap and managed to
scramble to the platform, he bdle1d
the amazing spectacle Of a a full Of
people in animated conversation with
one another.
Say he said, pointing through the
glass Of the door, whats the trolley
party?"
"Lot Of damn lunatics," snarled the
conductor, and lapsed into morose ST.
lence.
At tne end of the line the conductor
opened the door with q jerk.
"An out" he said. This car is
going back to town"
We'll get of at W1lklnsvtlle, and no
place else" said one firmly. and amid
a silence broken only by the swapping
OF watch cases as the mutineers con.
suited the time, the a started back
to town. The Man came in and sat
down not far from the Girl, but she
only chatted pleasantly with the nttle
widow across from her.
The conductor and motorman were
not so mlrthful now; there was an air
of grim determination about the TWEEN.
ty-six that made the cold night air
warm and comfortable by comparison
In the meantime a common trouble
was bringing the people inside closer
together. 1t developed that tte woman
with tho baby had a cloth bag inside of
her coat containing three hundred and
afty.fve pennies-"one for every day
Of his life" she explained amiably; q
brought them along, it isn't safe to
leave them"
So the pennies were brought out and
suitably exchanged, and the next time
the fares were paid tnpopper, leaving
the conductor white with rage and Wis
IDLY bullying.
1t was eight o'clock when the a be.
gan its next trip from town. The pas
sengers. we're growing hungry, and
when the last transient had gone, leay.
ing only the steady occupants, the
Man conversed secretly with the ba'
ker's boy. AS a result the white COY.
cred basket was passed around, with
a bag of apples from one OF the mar.
ket baskets.
Two passengers weakened at tho
end Of that trip and got on, leaving
only a space of empty seat between
the Man and the Girl. The little widow
eyed the gap disapprovingly, but the
Man stonily read the advertisement for
somebody's pork and beans, and the
car. after another request from the
conductor, q little less courteous this
time-that they move into the car
ahead-started back to town.
The Girl was feeling very llonely and
unhappy. Once or twice she looked at
the relentless profile near her but it
was unresponsively classic. Not for
worlds would she have shown less
spirit than the other women in tho
car, and got out. But she was staf
from sitting, her head was aching from
excitement and hunger-and Just a
little from the quarrel.
AS for the Man, it is very possible to
gaze stonily straight ahead, and yet
see clearly every movement of a girl
some distance to your left. He had an
ache, too, but 1t was a lonely sort Of
heartRche.
AS for the little widow, she pulled
her lack veil over the Tim OF ner nat
feeling very sad and alone, and o
dering IL she had ever been5so foolish
when she had some mi to love her.
At the barn the car switched of and
rolled slowly, echoingly into the dim
ness of the building. There 1t was
stopped with q jerk, the conductor
switched of the light and heat. and
with the motorman made his way to
the Office.
The little widow shiyered. What II
the Man should go? 1t would be SO
like a man to leave at this PSYCHOLOGY.
cal moment, when the Girl was hun
CRY, and lonely. and forlorn; for the
tired eyes and the culver of a proud
chin had not been lost on the woman
behind the veil.
The committee shunled out and
struggled through the darkness toward
the faint beacon OF the ONCE liglk
After q time they reGppeared, led by
an apologize man with a lantern.
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