"Colonel Lunettes, do you know some gentleman going to U—— in this train?" inquired my friend ex-Governor T——, extending his hand to me in the car-house of one of our western cities. "I wish to place a very pretty young lady under the care of some suitable person for a short time, until she joins a party of friends."
"Really, my dear sir, I regret that I have just arrived," returned I; "you tempt me to turn about and go over the ground again."
"Uncle T——, there is H—— B—— just getting out of that car," cried a young lady, approaching us, with two or three fair companions, "perhaps he is going on."
At this moment a young man, in a dress that might have been that of the roughest back-woodsman, approached the group.
He wore a very broad-brimmed, coarse straw hat, capable of serving the double purpose of umbrella and chapeau, his hands were incased in strong gauntlet-gloves, and he carried a large engineer's field-book under one arm.
Removing his hat, as he somewhat hesitatingly advanced, and passing his hand over a beard of several days' growth, glancing downward, at the same time, upon heavy-soled boots, thickly encrusted with dry mud—
"Ladies," said he, "I am too dirty to come near you; I have been surveying in the swamps in this neighborhood for several days past, camping out, and jumped upon the cars a few miles back, bound for my stationary quarters and—the blessings of civilization!" And, with the color deepening in his sun-burnt face, he bowed to us all, with a grace that Count d'Orsay could scarcely have exceeded.
The youth was very cordially welcomed by his friends; little Kitty, who is privileged to say anything, declared she "never saw him look so handsome;" and, I confess, that even my flinty old heart was favorably moved towards the young engineer. I admired the good taste that dictated an explanation of the soiled condition of his clothes (his thick linen shirt, however, was clean); not an absurd apology for not being well-dressed, and I liked his use of the good, significant Saxon word that most truthfully described his condition.
After an exchange of civilities, turning respectfully to the governor, he said: "Governor T——, can I be of any service? You seemed to be looking for some one."
An explanation of the circumstances resulted in the resignation of his fair charge to the temporary care of this same toil-worn, "dirty" young engineer, by my friend, who is himself one of the most fastidious and world-polished of men!