Wayside Courtships

ous wind against the pane of glass that his head touched. It was the midnight train from Marion rushing toward Warsaw like some

e would be. "First I must go through the university at Madison; then I'll

to him was historic, New York was the great metropolis, but Washingt

erted as it was frightfully cold. The engine shrieked warningly at intervals, the train rumbled hollowly over short bridges and across pik

and swore dreadfully at the railway company for not heating the cars. The wo

s valise; "and darned glad I am, too, I can tell yeh! I'll be stiff as a car-pin if

ter abnormally wide awake considering the time of night. She saw Albert

e. He'd study law, yes; but that would not prevent going to sociables and church fairs. And at these fairs the chances were g

by the sound o

outed the brakeman, coming in, e

e!" shout

telegram

th a sudden fear of disaster at

t Tyre. I'

rtl

Albert, looking at the brake

ut 2

der! A pretty

mpathetically. "Any ans

do the matter justice," Alber

friend

know

ded where I d

the brakeman said to Al

t' stop off l

ot; depends on

ne when I can. If you should happen to stay a few days, go an' see her. She sets up

it pay I'll look her up sure. I ain't no Va

opposite Albert, enc

in'. Y' see, she's only aunt by marriage, but I like her; an' I guess she's got about all she can stand up under, an' so I like t' help her a little when I can. The

, seizing his lantern, the brake

brakes," suggested Alber

the fr

ay so. They don't run fre

ugh. Many's the night I've broke all night on top of the old wooden cars, when the wind cut like a razor. Shear the

eed a job

ind of a job for the fun of it. Not much! He takes it because he's got to. That's as sure's you

oo-o-o-o

sympathetic pain as he thought of the men on the tops of the icy cars, with hands straining at the brake, and the wind cutting their faces like a sand-blast. His mind went out to the thou

the next station was Tyre. As he began to ge

's name is Welsh-Mrs. Robert Welsh. Sa

e morning-that is, if I f

ging bell and whizz of steam the train slowed d

ether, and pulled his cap

es!" he

himself to the platform before the station-a platform

!" called t

d ni

the brakeman swung his lantern, and the train drew off into the bl

by a ferocious wind; a dingy little den called a station-no other shelter in sight; no sign o

d with a sudden fear; th

imly seen figure with a lantern-a man evident

," was the

w f

t a m

mil

hat I sai

'll be b

here, 'r y' 'll freeze t' death. I'd go over to the

y' wo

wou

is the Arte

hem li

them

they'

mmar make Old Grammati

d toward Albert, his form being almost lost

'd try it," grinned

ight close after me; they's some ditches he

is owned by th

up

u're th

ittle scheme

l do," repl

ed without lo

ds till morning; you'll nee

e clerk, hitherto a shadow and a voice, came to light as a middle-age

. It don't do nawthin' but blow, blow. Wan

rd little lamps and tried

hite bean woul

t!" sugges

ness out o' the window fo

r cent," s

in," replied the man, tramping along a narrow hallway, and talk

or there'd be

you saw away on one o' the bell-collar steaks this h

l thereof,'" called Albert after him

division of duty. It was a vile place at any time, but on a morning like this it was appalling. The water

" said Albert to the clerk,

e day clerk, with a wink. "Old

n its like. He fled from the place without a glance behind, and took passage in an omnibus for the town, a mile

entitled "The Eldorado," and Albert dashed in at the doo

s ears, he heard a chuckle-a slow, sly, insulting chuckle-turned, and

Bert! th

, you are? Why didn't you telegraph me at

, a tall, alert, handsome fel

rt said: "Well, now, what's the meaning of al

of Logan,' and thinks I, 'By jinks! I'd better drop in ahead of him with Blaine's

When did yo

ght, six

ing warmer and

; what ye going

thing is to find a boarding place where we

but I'm going to look up a place

ght; he

the feet cried out with a note like glass and steel. The windows of the stores were thick with frost, and Al

king, chatting, and spitting aimlessly into a huge spittoon made of boards and fil

tlemen tell us wher

then the clerk behi

h and three west, next to la

they pushed out into the cold again, d

f this," muttered Be

k, and as the young men waited they could look down on the mead

en, or twelve years

ere Mrs. We

s,

her to come

n't you sit down by the fire?" she ad

ir of crayon portraits on the wall, one supposedly a baby-a figure dressed like a child of six months, but with a face old and cynical enough to be forty-five. The

w eyes and a patient smile, came

? Did you wa

he fact is, we're book agents, a

yes, I kee

rakeman on the midnight

us people. Why, yes; I've got room for you, I guess-this room here."

an hav

the p

doll

s. All right; we'll be with you

mother in the back-the same tired droop in the shoulders, the same colorless d

ve got to be at my baking

ight here while you go and order our trunks

o from the Moody and Sankey hymnal. He was in the midst of the chorus of "Let your lower lights," etc., when a young woman e

t was Stella

g with his best grace; "I might as w

t frail. Her eyes were of the sunniest blue, her face pale and somewhat thin, b

ext thing to a burglar

at, but I was surpris

I in your way?" he inquire

lay very well, I think. It i

ther fellows all wanted to

as a weary droop in her voice; she seem

Marion,

in my se

Then I had to quit and

ut here on this infernal b

rest now, noticing his fine

I haven't. At first I didn't think I could live; but I did

hat she was no ordinary girl, and sh

y of the scholars you know. Even the teachers are not the same

boarded on the same street; used t' go home t

hat, for mother needs me at home." There was anot

amma wan

resemblance to her mother. Bert couldn't forget that smile, and he was stil

ugh your nostrils; freeze y'r nose solid as a bottle," he announced, throwing

o anxious to get into this house, hey?" he sai

it, notwithstanding his innocen

ouse; might 'a' known it," Hartl

f till about ten minute

inked pro

l me! Is s

you wouldn't

I wouldn't? I'd like to see the girl I wou

at this moment wit

nt: Blaine's 'Twenty Years,' plain cloth, sprinkled edges, three dollars; half calf, thre

the door of the parlor. Hartley followed her in, a

after they returned to the sitting room, with the p

inner time, and I must

h, appearing at the door leading to the kitch

-Nice people," said Hartley, as he shut the door of their

her boarders: the Brann brothers, newsdealers; old man Troutt, who kept the livery stable (and smelled of it);

med to this, and made little account of the service. He did notice the hands of the girl, how

Bert free to observe Maud. She was not more than twenty, he d

'Bout six munce ago s'm' fellers come all through here claimin' t' be after information about the county and the leadin' citizens; wanted t' write

scheme," gri

hen the book come-wal!" Here he stopped to roar. "I don't s'pose you ever see a madder lot o' men in your life. In the first place, they got

uld sa

know how kind o' lily-livered Lawyer Ransom is? Wal, he looked like ol' black Joe; he was the madde

then. Why, I should 'a' thought

deliver the books theirselves; they hired Dick Basc

f the table. "Hartley offered me a good thing to come, and as I needed m

nothing stand in the way of business, however. He had been at school with Al

ep up with his class, if possible, and was deep in a

called, stu

red, her

that sounds

in her arms. "I wish you'd let me bring the woo

you were in. We

ook. "I am conditioned on Latin. I'm

knew the book

read

little

ia obliqua. They bother me yet. I hate t

e. She read it easily, and he thanked her. It was amazing how we

lace. The girl sank into a chair almost unconsciously as they talked of Madison-a great city to them-of the Capitol building, of

unniest time of all my life. Oh, those walks and talks! Those recitations in the dear

He was obliged to cough two or three

. I thought I'd go crazy. The days seemed forty-eight hours long. It was so lonesome, and so dreary on rainy days! Bu

" she said plaintively

ked Albert, deeply affect

y strong, and the boys were so rude. If I could teach in a seminary-teach

her pure intellectual spirit. Her large blue eyes were deep with thought, and the pale face, lighted by

e went on. "It was nothing but work, work, and mud

nter, and I've always lived here; but we have peopl

daylight, and going out to the barn to do chores, to get ready to go into the field to work!

e house day after day, and doing just the same things over an' over, year after y

lks are workin' hard, why, of course he can't lay around and st

't let me do as much as I would." The girl looked at her slender hands. "You see, I'm not very s

t just like that about my

eep feeling, and then the girl co

hard for mother." The boy felt a sympathetic lump in his throat as the girl went on again: "But she does

course was open, nor that there was any heroism o

u'd kill me in a year. I've made up my mind to study law and enter the bar. Lawyers manage to get hold of enough to live on decen

were heard on the walk outside, and the

dn't think-I fo

om shortly after she left

ill at the

rt, with ease.

of the county officials. In these small towns the big man is the politician or the clergyman. I've nailed

in an anxious tone. "I can't sel

r discount to the clergy, ye know. Oh, they're on to that little racket-no trouble. If you can get a few of

plunged his face into the ice-

worked Rock River this way last month, and made

anything that is needed,

ked. You've got t' have some savvy in this, just like any other business." H

s lik

. Didn't the old lady have a time of it raisin' me? Phewee! Patient! Job wasn't a patchin'. But t

is hair, a very nice b