Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-29

| al my lollCW pdssoLSoIS Wsso gu uPO-ANSet9I
although continued travel in suth convey
anc Is would, should have imagined, pro-
duced tenuity), l was yet enabled to cal
culate, by the time consumed, that l must
be getting near my destination.
One or two persons having left the vehi-
Gle, I began to think that might be able
to extricste myself without much difficult
ty. So l felt for my purse, and by exer-
tons, which l may fairly designate as 'Su-
perhumsn," managed to get it out of my
pocket. First felt in the gold depart
ment, simply because ones fingers always
do get there when one wants the silver
one. One never carries gold, when one goes
out with ones husband shoping, for obvious
reasons, and therefore 1 was not surprised
| to find none. Then felt in the silver de-
partment; and shudder shook my frame,
for there was nothing there. However, l
always carry stamps, and the man would
surely take twelve stamps inssesd of four
pence. Alas that very morning had given
my sister all my stamps save one TO put on
q quantity of charity circulars she was
posting; and that one she had laughingly
refused to take upon the ground that it had
no gum on it, and looked as If it had been
used before. IhatdoubtfaI stamp i0as all
that InoIO found myself possessed of IN the
i0ay of legal tender.
Hot and cold, pale and flushed, fever dry
and damp with the dews OF terror-all
these physical changes took me one after
the other while mentally my reason was
shaken to its very center. had never
been in the position of an unprotected fe-
male before. l scarcely knew what it was
q H., Nd
within call. As to being alone and penni- |
less, could scarcely picture to myself the !
horrors of such situation. At this mo- |
ment over the shoulder of my opposite |
neighbor, beheld prison van pass by, as
though it had been sent me for sign. A |
little later while l was still discussing |
scheme after scheme of escape, dismissing |
one after the other as imprscticsble, mob |
Of people obstructed our progress, the fig |
ures in the foreground Of which were 8 |
policeman snds lady elegantly dressed the |
latter of whom had been taken up for shop |
lifting. "Sarge her right, man." observed |
the only member of my own sex now left |
in the vehicle; and the uncompromising |
way in which she said it shattered in an |
instant the resolve L had formed of asking |
her-for the love of all she held sacred
to lend me fourpennybit. felt certain
she would see me borne away to prison or
the hulks, OF Whatever drea5ful destination
my circumstances might earn for me, with
out psng Of pity. fancied remember
ed the very words of some penal statute
specially directed against persons who OBJ
tanned 8 ride in public conveyance lllder
false prctenesS-the last three words in
particular were impressed upon my mem.
Ory. How many days would elspse, 1
wondered, before l should be permitted 70
communicate with my husband?
As for asking a stranger gentleman 70
lend me fourpence was sure that never
could do that. 1 felt, to begin with, that I
should scarcely be able to make myself
heard in the turmoil, and that he would re-
iterste: HWhat, ms'sm?' and make me re-
pest the dreadful request dozen times
And now we were getting swfully near
the terrace for which / was bound. We
passed through Westbourn Place, where
there were many tradesmen's shops with
which dealt; and perhaps l could have
persuaded the conductor 10 step with me
into the grocer's OF the hsirdresser's and so
get paid but dared not let these people
know that ever travelled in an omnibus;
it would get sll over the neighborhood; no
wss better than such disclos-
ure as that Past the cleaning shops we
ratified and into the familiar terrace, with
in stonethrow Of my happy home
HThe lady for Westbourn Terrace"
cried the conductor, stopping the vehicle,
and ainging open the door with crash.
HNever mind" said 1 feebly-"neyer
mind, my good man, it's Ofno consequence;
I'll go on little farther"
AUST as you please ms'sm," returned
the conductor, and looking at me rather
queerly; ftthere's no hexlTa charge TO the
journeys end.
"Thank goodness for thai" murmured 1;
u cannot then be declared defaulter to q
greater extent than fourpence. The offence
Is not increased by my sitting here; and
surely procrastinstion Is better than imme-
date peril. By waiting until this horrid
machine stops shall have an opportunity
Of private conference with this man, and
my passionate appeal may move him.
Not however, that 1 had much hope of
this for he was q hard and shining man,
npon whom the rain seemed to have no
effect beyond making him shine the more
a=d tears would probably be even less re-
gsrded.
After had observed that at was of
no nsequence where got out" the 9TH
er passengers all fixed their eyes upon me
furtiVely, and although evidently strangers
10 one another, exchanged meaning looks
among themselves. l knew very well
what they were winking about. They
concluded was out of my mind; and
when l thought OF the dear children at
home, flsttenmg their noses sgainst the
drawing room window, in hopeful expec-
tation of their mammals return, ana of
the loose money that was lying in the
dressing case, any smallest coin of which
would be worth forty times its weight in
virgin gold, il it was only in my pocket in
stead of there, felt that was very near
going mad in reality. However these
wretches 81 60 out, one after another; and
heard the osnductor scramble over the
roof of the vehicle, doubtless TO
tell his friend the driver what
q queer fare they had got in
side, and who was Determined 10 have
her moneys worth by going as far as it
would take her. Porone moment the idea
of taking the opportunity Of the door be-
iny left uugArded, crossed my mind; but
how very dangerous had
always heard it was to attempt TO leave
a carrisge while in rapid motion, put
sside that unworthy scheme with honest
We were now going very
fast, and thereby learned by experience
why they pack one into ompibCses like hgs
in drum. If this were not done, the in-
mates would be tossed violently from side
to side, ssjI was, like psrched pens in s..fry-
ing-pan. 1 also learned for the first time
On this occasion how very far London ex-
tends westward, and what a number Of
Il dare say spcctable-persen live on
the wrong side OF Westbourn Terrace. At
last, amidst neighborhood which appear
II - bo-a haap hnilf tho dau haEoro wa