The Coolidge examiner., 1933-04-14
Holiday Manners
9 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service
By JANE OSBORN


seven years. lie considered himself
as much d New Yorker as any of
his associates and was Thoroughly
acclinIated save in one respect. He
couldn't endure to travel in the sub.
way because, In order to get info
the trains al all during rush hours,
he had TO push his way ahead of
girls and women.
Finally he had hurried away In
disgust and had travelled an hour
by surface car TO his destination.
For years now he had had a small
bachelors apartment within easy
walking distance of his office and.
never having married, he consoled
himself that at least he didn't have
TO use the subway.
Then came a Wednesday after.
noon before a holiday. By taking
six O'Clock train south he could
make a connection with another
train that, sometime around dawn
the next day, would bring him to
the out-of-the-way village nesting
among southern hills which, faith.
ful 10 old traditions, he called home.
If he missed that six o'clock train
he couldn't hope to get home for
the holiday dinner.
Tom was delayed on important
business in his office, took a taxi
for the FIVE blocks to his Washing
ton. square apartment to get his
suitcase and found that the only
way he could hope to catch his
train from he Grand Central sta
tiOn was via the hated subway. And
even then there would be little time
to spare.
Crowds, hordes of people, were
pouring into the subway station
With a firm grip on his suitcase,
Tom forged forward with the horde
girl headed for the gates seemed
to stand between him and his chance
of getting the train and Tom rushed
rudely by her-so rudely that as he
did so he heard little gasp and a
surprised "Of all things" There
was something in the softness of
the vOice-just a suggestion of a
drawl-that set his conscience prick
ing. II was as II his own mother
had gently reproved him. Tom
looked back, saw the girl clearly
and saw that at another entrance
of the same train she was bravely
trying to gain admission. She, too.
carried suitcase.
The satisfaction of having caught
the train was marred by Toms con-
tinued self-reproof. Then, looking
up as porter escorted passenger
to the section Just opposite his, he
saw q face that was familiar and
heard a voice saying THANK you"
to the porter. that 1t seemed to
him ne had heard a hundred times
before.
For Just q minute Tom racked his
brain and then he knew 1t was the
girl he had jostled in the subway,
Tom knew that she recognized him.
Now at least she could see that he
had had to catch a train. but then
so had she and he had very nearly
prevented her from doing so.
81 don't believe you recognized
me-" she said. catching up to him
in the vestibule of the train on the
way to the diner. you're Tom Ma
son-and I'm Caroline Dare. ! used
to spend my summers In Hastings
when was a little girl and you
used to be home from college. Once
you took me out In your car. / was
only about ten and don't believe
I'd ever had such good time"
So Tom asked for the privilege OF
taking Caroline to dinner-an invi'
tation which she accepted. Caroline
was working In the city-just for a
lark-and now she was going back
for @ four days holiday to join her
family. She hadn't been there for
ever so long. but II was the place In
all the world that seemed most like
home to her.
People from that part of the
country" she explained to Tom. "al-
ways seem so much more consider.
ate and well bred than the people
you meet in the cities"
Tom told Caroline how delighted
he was that they might 90 on their
journey together and made her
promise that she would do bit of
exploring around the mountain
slopes near Hastings with him dur
ing their vacation.
I'D know you were from Has
tings anywhere | met you," she said
with a mixture of shyness and te
merity that Tom found delightful
DO you know, while | was hurry
ing to catch this train a man al
most knocked me down. and he nev
er stopped to beg my pardon-jusf
rushed on TO catch his train.
Couldn't imagine man from Has
tings doing little thing like that.
could you?"
Did you have chance to see
what he looked like? asked Tom
eagerly.