Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1891 — OLDER THAN HE LOOKED. [ARTICLE]

OLDER THAN HE LOOKED.

H« Was Willing to Give Up Hu Seat, But ” Chicago Tribune. The south bound suburban car was crowded and several ladies were standing in the aisle. “I am a good deal older than I look miss, ” observed a somewhat fleshy man in one of the seats, addressing a young woman standing near him, “or I would offer you this seat.” She bridled a little and replied that it was not of any consequence. “I beg your pardon, miss,” he insisted, “but I think it is. No man under ordinary circumstances should keep his seat * and permit a lady to stand. You would hardly think,’’ he added with engaging frankness, “that I am in ,ipy, .fifty-fifth year. Yet such is the fact. lam often taken to be about thirty or thirty five. lam old enough, I presume, to be your grandfather. QUnder these circumstances I am sure you will pardon the seeming impoliteness—’ “l am not asking you for your seat, sir,” said the young woman with some irritation. The conversation had begun to attract the atten tion of everybody in that part of the car. “I know ft, miss,” he responded, blandly. “But J should take pleasure, as I said, in offering it to you if 1 were not beginning to feel that agt is creeping on. When a man is ok enough to be the grandfather of : young woman whom he sees stand ing up and is so unfortunately handi capped by his youthful appearance that he seems to be guilty of unpar donable rudeness, in not offering her the seat' he is occupying, it is due to himself that he should explain—” “I am not asking you for any explanation, air! ’ she retorted. “I know it, miss,” he rejoined. with unruffled suavity, “but I feel that I cannot, in justice to myself, omit to offer one. When a man is old enough to be—” But she had flirted angrily to the farther end of the car. A. petroleum bicycle makes 49 miles an hour. English syndicate are buying woolen plants.