Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-27
/ ofinlng an
Acquaintance
By RlLHARD MARkLEY

ing paper when something moved me
to look up. There sat a girl looking
straight at me with pair of great
dark, liquid eyes which bespoke an I'M
conscious interest in me. On meeting
my gaze she half started, turned hers
away, and slight blush passed across
her cheeks like the flush of an aurora.
: The conductor was passing through
the car and at the moment called:
Fares, pleased"
This was evidently a relief to the
girls embarrassment. Opening a porte
monnaie she carried III her hand, she
began to look fer change. She took out
several samples, a tiny bit of paper on
which were written v0luminous memo
randa, and finally d bill. which she Of
fered to the conductor
Don't give change for more than a
dollar" he said. handing her back a So
bill.
But | have nothing else,' she said
lugubriously.
Cant help it: you must pay your
fare or get Off"
In jiffy | had n nickel out of my
vest pocket and handed it to the con-
ductor. He dropped it in his pocket,
! rang his bell and passed out of this
| story.
| But the girl did not She thanked me
| in a melodious voice that penetrated
| my soul and asked me for my address,
! that she might return my loan. told
| her that it would be a lot of trouble
| for her TO send coin, and the amount
was not worth it. She insisted. and
| gave her what she asked for.
But my giving her my address would
! not necessarily gain me hers. And her
| address | must have. OF course
would not think of intruding myself
| further upon her by opening a conver
sation with her, so we sat mute, keep
ing one eye on my paper, the other ON
| her.
| | passed the place where l had in
| tended to leave the car without alight
ing, for | had settled upon a plan
| When ! saw the girl glance at the
! names of the streets l, too, looked out
through the window and began to fold
my newspaper purposely doubling il
| SO that it would not fit in my pocket
This gave me an opportunity to refold
II again and again. and only got it In
its place when the girl called on the
| conductor to stop the car. We left the
| platform together. handing her down
] 'Since we alight at the same time"
| | said. raising my hat with all the def
| erence l could summon, 1--WE might get
| the change for your bill. and you would
| nor be put to the trouble of sending me
| a nickel"
THANK you for suggesting it," she
replied. I'VE are near Hogan's drug
| store, where there is a subpostoffice,
| and can buy some stamps. That will
| insure my getting the change need"
| We walked short distance together
| to the drug store. 1t was evident from
| the moment the girl entered that she
| was known there. The clerk who sold
! her the stamps asked her if she had
received thH package he had sent her
the day before. calling her Miss Cum
! nings. This gave me her name. On
| RECEIVING" the change for her bin with
! lie stamps. she handed me a nickel |
| have ii III a,bDX containing scarf pins.
| studs sleeve buttons and sNch other
/ articles as II rlau must have
! Having squared the financial account,
she went TO the toilet counter. where
J she purchased some articles. tnrued
! 10 the cigar staEd AMI spent an equal
| amount of time Sclee Sin" athing to
, smoke. ! was there long enough to
| hear the Girl tel, .ie .ler,i TO send her
| purchases 10 IL, S,o>:l aycnne
SO far, so GOOD, !>had h"r rame and
address. Sila r9sstd oat AHEAD OF me
; ne formal nod. {IAlf an hour later
| PASSED l25 Scoyii avenue. which was
! several blocks from The drug store.
What should be my next move was a
! loser. | spent n week trying TO find
fone one who could introduce me to
| the girl | desired tn knew and failed
But must know her. One day pat
f: on my thinking cap and unused to this
effect: She wishes to know me. OF
that | am certain from the expression
in her eyes when | looked up from my
paper at her in the street car. She
will forgive every advance that indi
Gates | am trying to form her acQuaint
ance improperly.
Having come TO this conclusion,
wrote her note saying that +! had dis,
covered the njcke, she had given me &c
lie counterfeit. | would net trouble her
to return It, but with her permission
would bring it to her and receive a real
nickel or Eve copper cents. whichever