ead. He wanted to abolish the whole post-office
department.

I've always realized what the city gate must have meant to the medieval
loafers, because I've watched Homeburg's city gate at the 4:11 train so
often. There's Mrs. Sim Estabrook getting home. Must have been
unexpected. No one to meet her. Wonder if Sim's sick again. I'll call up
pretty soon. Wimble Horn's been to Chicago again, evidently. Wonder if
he'll dump his last eighty acres into the Board of Trade. Who's the
fine-looking duck in the fur-lined coat? Not a transient, evidently. He
passed Josh by. Must be visiting somebody. Yes; Mrs. Ackley's kissing
him. That might mean a scandal in New York, but at home it means
relatives. Poor old Jedson Bane's back, I see. Looks pretty bad.
Hospital didn't help him. Guess he's not long for us. Hello, Jed, old
man! How are you? Better? That's fine. You're looking great! For the
love of Mike, will you take a swift look at what's got off? I believe
it's from college. They don't wear clothes like that anywhere else. Oh,
yes, of course, that's why the Singers' automobile came down. Don't know
what we'd do, now that the circus has passed us up, if it wasn't for
Sally Singer. She imports a new specimen from the University about every
two weeks.

The crowd is off, and you hurl a few good-bys at the travelers getting
on. Our two editors check them off as they go. The _Argus_ and the
_Democrat_ get all their news at this train. There's no slipping in and
out of town in Homeburg. One and all we face the gantlet. Young Andy
Lowes hates to have us beg him not to miss the morning train back, as we
do three times a week; but he simply has to go to Jonesville that
often, and we all know why, and he knows we know. The Parsons are rid of
their Aunt Mary at last. She's worse than an oyster. Put her in a
guest-room and she grows fast to it. They've had her for six months now.
Hello! Peter Link's son is going down to Jonesville. Guess he's got his
job back. Andy would be a good boy if he would only stop trying to make
the distilleries work nights. There goes old Colonel Ackley on his
weekly trip. Wonder if he thinks he fools any one with that suit case.
Ever since the town went dry, he's had business in the next county.
Hello, Colonel! Don't drop that case. You'll break a suit of clothes!
Watch him glare.

The engine has gotten its breath by this time. Ever notice how human an
engine sounds when it stops after a long run and the air-bra