St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-12-01
a message certain il ! to be etfectual "..Dar.
ling John, do come, ''ietc. ~ Ill /. =.

! "at n'uchi;enqurln8 ;e'nq man has been
pacing. the dock many hours. in, the
.broili"s sun, his eyes fixed On the dis
tant bend Of the, river, continually a .ex:.
cited and depressed by sloops and 9th:
er small craft, which came into View
every five minutes. Savage was be
when the news Of the Spread Eagle
reached him, and strides across the
city to take the GERS to Retlin1 in order
to meet the Niddletown train, which
bore the Spread Eagles passenger, as
he vas informed. By this course los
ing the telegram, which pursued him
throughout Hartford, much to the dis
gust Of the Office boy who had il t6 de.
liver, and who brought il back, late in
the afternoon, with the news that Mr..
Popki"s was not in town! No, be was
staring at every woman who set foot on
the Berlin platform. In valn.s Hears
it said that the Spread Eagle got off in
the course Of an hour or 50, and is now
on her way to Hartford. Fortunately,
in Johns opinion, the Northern train
passestin few moments; he will ye,
be in time. So he .ls-to sec his wife S
enormous trunks delivered at the.door
by the expressnian engaged in the
morning to seize and bear away all lug
gage labeled Popkins: and who has tri,-!
umphantly done the same. Then his
mother thrusts the telegram into his
hands, Ills eyes and brain collect its
meaniug. I!c I5crceis IS that Few mo
"ents so"ly are lvfl in. Which 70 CATCH.
the la>t train. Jumps INTO the Ex-
preseman's cart and is driven like mad
to the station.
Mrs: Popkins having awaited the ar.
rivai Of the Hartford train and the ap.
pearance Of her lor1,a 9 sure "som.thing
dreadf"l' has huppened TO hin: when
Idme gees BY and Popkins does not
come. There is not even a message
for her at the telegraph Office, whittier
she went second time. She rashly
resolves on proceeding to Hartford, and
seeking her own ,fortune Is very
much surprised at seeingsa at the railroad
depot the same mustachcd unknown.
lie comes forward to offer his services
with the loftiest air of distant respect
The truth was, Mollie had so helpless
way of acting, and possessed such a
sweet baby face, that it seemed the du-
ty Of some man to take care of her, and
this one had, not been able to diyest
himself Of the wish to see her safely to
the end Of her journey. 1t naturally
happened that he helped her ont of
the: cars on reaching Hartford, and
procured her a carriage.
"Add to yonr kindness" begged. Mol
lie, "and direct me to a good hotel, for
1 am 4 perfect stranger here" .;'''s
About the time she was driving
.hroush Hartford streets the wretched
John was being informed at the hotel
in Middletown Of the departure Of Mrs.
Popkins for Hartford. He has passed
her on the road! Driven reckless, he
turned out the most desperate side Of
bis character: Bought pint of pea
nuts in dismalnewspaper store, where
he also observed a few ancient pies pet.
r'fying in the windows, accompanied by
large yellow cubes OF sponge CAKE
Stufing the peanuts into his pockets,
he walked down the broad Main street
Of the city, and there began to eat his
purchase, and throw down the husks
thereof. Ii was now dusk. Hc count
ed nineteen young women going to
some evening meeting, Saw two men
shutting up store. Attcrward observed
a crowd Of seven in front Of the Post
Office. In these exciting scenes be
wears away the time until the hour for
leaving approaches, Performs a SLOW
march to the station, where the hustle
of departure is represented by a cart
and horse backed to- the side door OF
the building, and small ragamuffins put
ting pins upon the track to be flattcr-
ed into swords. The silence appals
John. A tall lank man, arrayed in
shirt and pantaloons, is unlocking the
door Of small hole. Is breathlessly
questioned BY the traveller. >>s'5 IS
:'Train Ieave! Eight minutes" re-
.sponde'l shirt-sleeves, pointedly, and
burics himself in the hole. And now
the, ticket window is thrown up with
loud squeak, a few people appear, an
engine lcisurely enters the depot and
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