Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-13
IRA VELS IN PHILADELPHIA
BY Christopher Morley

the light Three other men come dashing
up and are let through by the kindness of
the usher. Then comes the sailor galloping
along with heavy suitcase. Here he is.
Here's your ticket Again the gate is
opened and the navy man tears down the
platform The train is already moving, but
he Just makes it, Far out, in the bright
sunlight beyond the station. the engine can
be seen pulling out, ejecting q stiff spire of
smoke and horizontal pillows of steam
A L THE same time rumbles in the hourly
"A express from New York. Watch the
people come out. Here is the brisk little
man with a brown bag, who always leads
the crowd The men from the smoker are
first, putting pipes or cigars. They all seem
to know exactly where they want to go and
push on relentlessly. After the main body
of travellers come the Pullman passengers
usually followed by porters. Here is a girl
in very neat blue suit Her porter carries
an enormous black hat box painted with
very swagger stripes of green She is
pretty. in rather frank way bat too dusty
with powder. An actress, one Ayupposes A
tall young man steps out frosn the crowd
something very rakish about Sim too She
looks surprised Nice of me to meet you.
wasn't it?' he says. They walk off to-
gether, and one notices the really admirable
hang of her blue skirt, just reaching her
fawn spats. Sorry she uses so much pow
der. Curious thing; the same young chap
was back again an hour later. this time to
meet a man on the next New York train.
They both wore brightly FURNISHED brown
shoes and seemed to have completely mas
tered life's perplcXities. All these little
dramas were enacted to merry undertone
of constant sound the clear chime of bells.
+lo noflt thp, nfI II.
rumble of baggage trucks, the slither of
thousands of feet.
THERE is not much kissing done when
J. people arrive from New York. but if
you will linger about the gate when the
Limited gets in from Chicago you will see
that humanity pays more affectionate trib-
ute to friends arriving from that strange
country. There was one odd little group of
three man and woman greeted another
lady who arrived on the Chicago train. The
two women kissed with luxurious smack
ing Then the man and the arrival kissed
| The Chicago lady wore an enormous tilted
hat with plumes. well, I'm here" she
| said, but without any great enthusiasm.
| The man was obviously frightfully glad
| to see her. But stand how he would she
| kept the slant of her hat between her
| face and him. He tried valiantly to get
| a straight look at her. She would not
| meet his gaze. He put his head on one
side astonishingly like rooster, and his
whole attitude expressed an earnest desire
| to please. When he spoke to her she an
swered to the other woman. She handed
him her, baggage checks without looking at
| him. Then she pointed to a very heavy
package at her feet. With weary resig-
nation he toted it, and they moved away.
|
| INSIDE the station the world is divided
i sharply into two halves On the train
ward side all is hustle and stir; the bright
colors of newsstands and flower stalls. brisk
consultation of timetables at the informa
tion desk, little telephone booths, where
lights wink and off. In one of these
booths, with the door open for greater cool :
ness. buyer is reporting to his home Office
the results of an out town trip. "How
much did you sold of that?' he says 'He
offered me lot--pretty nice leather--he
wanted seventy hvs-well, listen. finally !
offered him sixty five--Oh, no, no, no.. he
claims it's dollar grade--well don't
know, It might be ninety cent maybe.
But abaft the big stairway auel
solemnify rsigns. The long tenehes az ths