, 1922-01-28

was. II 30 FlcNeQs crazy as Aunt
Fanny had called t. Agitation first
took this form; that was all. Love
end change Of dress are closely allied /;
add IN happier times when Noble cane
home from work and would see Julia
In the evening he usually changed his
clothes No doubt there Is some faint
tracery here too indistinct to p
contemplation.
When he left the house he walked
rapidly downtown. and toward the
end Of this onemiie journey he ran I:
but as he was then approaching the
railway station. no n thought him
eccentric. He was, however; sJr
when be entered the station he vent
to Z bench and sat looking Upward
for moro than ten minutes; then rose
and went to a ticket-window and astad
for q timetable
"what roadT' the clerk inquired.
AN points SOUTH" said Noble.
He placed the timetable. still fold
ed. In his pocket. rested IN elbow on
the brass apron of the window, and
would have given himself up TO re-
Elections. though urged to move away.
Several people wishing to buy tickets
had formed a line behind him and
they perceived that Noble had nothing
more to say to the clerk. The latter
encouraged their protests. and even
went so far as to exciaim, For
heavens sakei Can't you let these
folks buy their ticketsr' And since
Noble sim did not moye: MY gosh.
haven't you got no feetl"
"Feet7 Oh. yes" said Noble gently.
I'm going away" And wen back to
his seat.
After a while he sought to study
his timetable. Ordinarily. his mind
was one OF those able to decipher and
comprehend railway timetables; he
had few gifts. but this was one of
them. II failed him. now: and he
wandered back to the ticket-window.
and, after urgent coaching. eventually
took his place at the end instead OF at
the head Of the line that waited there.
In his turn he came ngain 10 the win
dow. and departed from II after a
conversation with the clerk which left
the latter in unconscious accord with
Aunt Fanny Atwater's commisernting
adjective, though the clerks W pity
vas expressed in argot. 'The poor
nut" he explained to his next client.
Wants TO buy q ticket on n train
that don't pull out till ten t~hlrty-nve
tonight; and me film II nll out,
stnmpin' 1t and everything. what fort
Turned out all his pockets aud
copldn't come nearer'n eight dollars
short o. the pricei Where you want
TO goT'
Noble went back 70 his bench and
sat there for a long time, though there
was no time long or short for him.
He was not yet consciously suffering
greatly: o was he thinking Mt nll.
True, he had a dim, persistent impulse
to Rction-or else why should he be
at the stationf-but for the clearest
expression of his condition II Is neces-
sary to borrow a culinary symbol; he
was Telling. The state Of shock was
slowly dispensing while n perception
Of anguish as slowly increased. He
was beginning to swallow nothing ri
intervals, and the intervals were grow.
ing shorter.
Dusk was misting down, outdoors
when with dragging steps he came out
OF the station. He looked haziiy up
and down the street, where the corner.
lamps and shop-windows now were
lighted, and. after dreary hesitation,
he went In search Of a pawn-shop, and
found me-. The old man who operated
II must have been a philanthropist, for
Noble was so fortunate as to secure q
loan OF nine dollars upon his watch.
Surprised at this, he returned to the
station. and went back to the same old
bench.
A little after SIX o'clock a changing
and commotion In the train-shed out
side, attending the arrival OF a
Through express" stirred him from
his torpor. He walked heavily across
the room to the same ticket-window
he had blocked before, but there was
no queue attached to It now. He
rested his elbow on the apron and his
chin upon his hand, and for some me
ments the clerk waited until he should
clerk. who had Just relieved the other.
"welli Welt" he said at last.
"Tll take IT now" Noble responded.
gently.
"Whatm you take now?"
"That ticketl"
"What ticket7"
"Thc sare one I wanted before"
Noble sighed.
The clerk gave him a piercing look,
glanced out OF the window and saw
TINT there were no other clients, then
went to a desk eft the farther end Of
his compartment, and took up some
clerical work he had In hand.
Noble leaned upon the apron of the
window. waiting; and If he thought
anything, he thought the man vas
serving him.
The high, resonant room became
clamorous with voices and with the
mingling echoes of footsteps on the
tiled floor, as passengers from the ex-
press hurried to the street, or nor
gaily struggled through, shouting to