The Project Gutenberg EBook of Hooking Watermelons, by Edward Bellamy

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Title: Hooking Watermelons
1898

Author: Edward Bellamy

Release Date: September 21, 2007 [EBook #22703]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by David Widger

HOOKING WATERMELONS

By Edward Bellamy

1898

The train slackened, a brakeman thrust his head in at the door and
shouted "Bah,"--a mysterious formality observed on American trains as
they enter towns,--and an elderly lady, two drummers, and a young
man with a satchel got out, followed by the languid envy of the other
passengers, who had longer or shorter penances of heat and dust before
them. The train got under way again, while the knot of loafers about the
station proceeded to eye the arrivals as judicially as if they were a
committee of safety to protect the village from invasion by doubtful
characters. The old lady, apparently laboring under some such
impression, regarded them deferentially, as nervous travelers on
arriving in strange places generally do regard everybody who seems to
feel at home. The drummers briskly disappeared down the main street,
each anxious to anticipate the other at the stores. The young man with
the satchel, however, did not get away till he had shaken hands and
exchanged a few good-natured inquiries with one of the loungers.

"Who's that, Bill?" asked one of the group, staring after the retreating
figure with lazy curiosity.

"Why, did n't you know him? Thought everybody knew him. That's Arthur
Steele," replied the one who had shaken hands, in a tone of cordiality
indicating that his politeness had left a pleasant impression on his
mind, as Arthur Steele's politeness generally did.

"Who is he, anyhow?" pursued the other.

"Why, he 's a Fairfield boy" (the brakeman pronounced it "Bah"), "born
and brought up here. His folks allers lived right next to mine, and now
he's doin' a rushin' lawyer trade down New York, and I expect he's just
rakin' the stamps. Did yer see that diamond pin he wore?"

"S'pose it's genooine?" asked a third loafer, with interest.

"Course it was. I tell you he'