American essays -- 19th century; American fiction -- 19th century; American poetry -- 19th century; Short stories, American
One fine Saturday afternoon a young man got off the 9:10 p.m. Katy
train at the Houston depot, and looked about him in rather a
bewildered way. He was deliriously pastoral in his appearance, and
presented an aspect almost as rural as that of the young countryman
upon the stage as depicted by our leading comedians. He wore a very
long black coat of the cut that has perpetuated the name of the late
Prince Albert, such as is seen on Sundays at country churches, a pair
of pantaloons too short for his somewhat lengthy limbs, and a
wondrously tied scarf of deep crimson spotted with green. His face was
smoothly shaven, and wore a look of deep wonder, if not apprehension,
and his blue eyes were stretched to their widest as he viewed the
sights about him. In his hand he carried a long carpet bag of the old
style, made of some shiny substance resembling black oil cloth.
This young gentleman climbed nervously upon an electric car that was
pointed out to him as going into the center of the city, and held his
carpet bag upon his knees, clasping it with both hands, as if he
distrusted the other people upon the car.
As the car started again with a loud hum and scattering of sparks, he
grasped the arm of the seat in such a startled way that the conductor
could not repress a smile.
When the young man was approached for his fare, he opened the carpet
bag, pulling out a lot of socks and handkerchiefs, and after searching
for some time drew forth an old-fashioned beaded purse from which he
drew a nickel and handed it to the conductor.
When the car arrived at Main Street the young man requested that it be
stopped, and climbed off. He wandered up the side walk, stopping to
look with awe and admiration in the jewelers' windows, and his long
boot heels and awkward, mincing gait caused much amusement to
passersby.
Then it was that a well-dressed gentleman wearing a handsome light
Melton overcoat happened to pass, and his beautiful Malacca
gold-headed cane accidentally touched the elbow of the verdant-looking
young man.
"I beg a thousand pardons," said the well-dressed gentleman.
"It's all right, pardner," said the young man with a friendly smile.
"You ain't done no damage. You can't faze a Texas cow man with no
plaything like that. Don't mention it."
The well-dressed man bowed, and went leisurely on his way. The young
man stumbled on up Main Street to a corner, then turned in an aimless
way to the right and walked another block. There he looked up and saw
the illuminated clock in the market house tower, and drawing from his
vest pocket an immense silver watch fully as large as a saucer, he
wound it up with a key and set its hands with the clock in the tower.
While he was doing this a well-dressed gentleman carrying a
gold-headed Malacca cane slipped past and walked softly down the shady
side of the street, stopped in a deep shadow and seemed to be waiting
for someone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account