The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1920-03-04

"Tm sorry, sir-prOreSSor. nur these
two vacant tables are, SO 10 speak. re-
served, and the other table wouldn't be
safe. There is something the matter
with the chairs there. wouldn't
hardly want you 90 sit there: 50 since
you are IN such Il hurry, professor.
am going to ask this lady here n she
will let YOU sit at her table. Thank
y"u, ma'am." And NJ l.. " with a
gracious smile made HoZcEiah feel
that he was entirely welcome.
There seemed 10 be no awkward
bitches in what followed. Hezekiah
accompanied NJ l. Y. back to the
car where their chairs were located,
and instead "f sitting in his own
chair, he took orr that belonged 70
a passenger who had abandoned his
in favor of the smoker
They talked about an sorts or
things but Hrzrkiah did not mem
tion his work as professor nor hiS
university interests. nor I'D VI. T.. V.
say anything that would Indicate I'M
due pride in her social position.
V, he had the vision of tho array
Of hat boxes before him AMI the other
pieces Of smart luggage. lie recalled
that his sister. Who was looked upon
as extremely cXtravagant. never had
but two trunks and one hatbox in
her travels. Her drc~~maha~'S hills
had been the despair of his tight-ns,ed
grandfather. How large would
mans income have to hr. he asked
himself 10 Justify him in asking
girl who had all that luggage 20 marry
him?
Inadvertently Hrzckiah mentioned
that he WAS. after a night and a day
In IN" next town, going 20 make his
way on To the East. NJ l.. V. biushed
and said that her plans were the
same. So they met and they became
aS intimate as It is possible for two
people who have no real knowledge
of each others identity 10 become.
And of course the psychological mo-
ment came. That IS, It was the mo
mcnt when. according to Hezekiah, he
could no longer endure the suspense
Of not knowing whether the charming
NJ. l.. V. returned in a measure the re-
gard that he was Showering upon her.
II was on their third trip together.
They had met without either knowing
that the other was to continue trav-
cling eastward. and Hezekiah, for his
part, explained away any suspicious
that might have made NJ. l.. V. suspect
that he was in reality so lOw-brOw
on individual as a travelling salesman
/ by saying that he was out on visit
TO some college Professors on some inn
portant commission for his university.
/ The college professors" in question
were hardware retailers and his uni
verSity" was the wash-boiler factory es-
tablished by his grandfather.
HeZekiah had not thought out just
what he would say by way of making
the final explanation; he had decided
that he would have TO know whether
/ NJ. l.. V. cared for him. If she did,
perhaps she would care enough to for
give his deceit. If she did nOt-well,
I
| and she would go on thinking of him
as a very learned individual.
When he told her OF his regard
they were going at the rite of sixty
miles an hour over a smooth stretch
of rail-she turned perceptibly paler.
He had said: II knew from the first
| that you had all sorts of mOney-and
that you were high in society. 1 saw
the trunks, remember, and thought
that my sister, whom I had thought
had all the clothes any woman could
want, never had a quarter as much
baggage know all that, and yet 1
am having the nerve to ask you to
think of me as a possible husband"
Then it was that NJ. L. V. blanched.
please, don't ask me why. But I
would rather never let our-Our friend
ship go any further. If do you will
| hate me-"
Hezekiah leaned across the gap that
persisted between their Pullman
chairs. 81 could never hate you, little
girl" he said, and there was a warmth
In his voice that surprised even him
self .
well, then, I'll tell you. You'll sec
how you and could never-never 60
any further. / have never had much
of an education and you are so learned.
I've read what good books could, and
all that, but 1t isn't the same. And
then, you see. I'm a travelling sales
woman. l sell hats for a big New
York milliner-those are the boxes Of
sample hats that you saw"