Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-03-30
A Scraped
Acquaintance
BY RICHARD MATKEY

QlHl-talee VITA MS IeilOW travellers.
BY this means avoided much Of the
tedium OF niy calling 10 facilitate
good fellowship ! carried cigars for
the men and eweetmeats for the
women.
/ was travelling one Gay in a train
from morning till evening. j pretty
girl was sitting alone by herself. ut-
lizing two seats, lie one for herself.
the other for her belongings. / took
/ tie seat facing her and peered sfeadi-
! ~ out through the window as though
/ looking for something. Then suddenly
( | turned from the window and covered
my face with my hands. When I re-
moved them the girl was looking at me
/ curiously.
Il dare say / said to her, that you
take me for lunatic. l will explain
We have just passed the home of my
childhood. There my parents both
died; there my sister was married
From there | went forth a poor boy
to struggle with the world
This cooked up tale excited a COM
miseration that appeared in her fea-
lures. especially her beautiful eyes.
Having effected an acquaintance,
dropped playing a part and acted my
own sane self. l informed the young
lady truthfully where ! belonged and
as much about myself as | cared to
have her know. She returned my con-
idence by telling me that she was a
country girl going to the city TO seek
employment
During the afternoon the car filed
up, and one of the vacant seats we
were using for our hand baggage was
occupied by man, who set his suit
case in the aisle beside him. / there
upon lifted a suit case of my own and
one belonging to the girl to the rack.
and the newcomer concluded to do the
same with his own suit case.
This man seemed very i'll at ease.
He was constantly changing his posi-
ton, and whenever the car door open
ed behind him he would turn around
and look to see who had entered.
As we approached the terminal | no
ticed that this agitation increased.
/ had got so far with the girl as to
exchange addresses and | was TO call
upon her. She was going to board
ing house, where, | took it, she would
stay till her money gave out. ! had
really become interested in her and
fully intended if she got into trouble TO
pack her off to her country home. pay
ing her way myself.
When we reached the terminal the
man who was sitting with US arose,
CROPPED in the rack for his suit case
for there was little light in the car
and. swinging 1t down. left with it l |
handed the girl her suit case and took |
the remaining one myself. On alight- /
ing our paths parted. and l babe her |
goodby. telling her that I would see |
her soon.
another trip almost Immediately and /
did not return for three months. By |
this time she had passed out Of my |
so far as any desire to pursue
the acquaintance was concerned, but
[ was troubled for fear she had been
ground to powder under the wheels
Of the great destroyer. / wrote her
note, frankly stating the case and ask
ng her if she were In trouble and If
70 / would gladly help her out.
/ received a reply from her home In
he country. She said that my letter
had been forwarded to her. She had
from the city under circum-
stances that had resulted from her
meeting with me. She seemed very
lppreciative of the interest had taken
n her welfare and especially Of my
,ffer to help her In case she were in
rouble. II in my travels I happened
o visit the place where she lived and
you'd call upon her she would explain
more fully.
On one of my subsequent trips my
-oute lay through the town OF her res
dence, and / stopped over on purpose
o hear those circumstances connected
With her meeting with me. The same
evening / appeared at her home. She
vas apparently living in comfort This
vas her statement:
when / reached my boarding house
m the day / met you 1 found that /
lad some one else's suit case. l forced
t open to see il it contained the ad-
lress of the owner that l might ex-
hange it for my own. Wrapped in
ONE mems underclothing / found a
iackage containing a large number OF
yhat / was told were securities. L
new 1 had hit on something of i'm
but was afraid to ask for ad-
ice as to =hat to do with it. On ex-
mining the securities saw that some
4 them bore the stamp of a certain
ank / took them to the bank and
allied for one OF its officers. l was
AIKEN into the presidents private Office
nd laid the securities on desk before
i'm. He was much delighted and as
onished. They had been stolen from
be bank several years before.
eWhen l told CT my journey and the
IAN who took a seat wIsh us the pres
lent said that he was doubtless bring
80 fla -oo,,rsf;aS RI tho eirV hOt cot I