St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-04-03
Wated TO-" at the DO,Cnley Station.

that | had taken my wife's advice. and
gone TO Downley by an earlier train.
The weather had grown much worse in
stead OF better, and not only did the wind
blow as bolstcrOusly as it had done all
day, but its gusts now drove before them
heavy ram which womld have wetted
one through in Il very few minutes As
rule, diScngaged cabs crawling past my
house were Il nuisance, and now | had
waited full quarter OF an hour without
seeing one, and | knew that the margin
| beyond the number of minutes absolutely
necessary for getting TO the station was
growing dangerously narrow. There
was howl-there was a dcluge could
never walk to the station in this ALI
there was one. In answer to the mans
hail dashed through my little garden,
and in Il few seconds was inside a four
wheeler
Great Southern, sir! yessir," said
the man, as he stood at the door, the
RAIN pouring from his oilSkin in streams
AN uncommon nasty III ght, sir"
SO ii was, and SO | should fancy the
poor fellow found it, for when he opened
The door for me to .llight ut the station,
4 complete ring of water formed where
he stood. We were i'll pretty good time
after all, and | got my ticket and was
seated comfortably in the carriage for
some minutes before the moment of start
in". There were very few passengers in
any of the carriages, and i'll the one by
which | travelled, and which was mark
ed for the Downlcy branch, there were
but two or three, and | was the only oc-
cupant Of my compartment The last
| bell had rung, the whistle had sounded.
! the premonitOry scream from the engine
| had been giycn, and then of course had
followed the first tug, when | heard Il
voice shout
This way, sir, this way"
y guard tore along the platform, fol-
| lowed by u bclated passenger; my door
was unlocked. the stranger Jumped pant
Ing in. the door was slammed To. Il shi-
ling changed hands rapidly, and we swept
from the station.
by love- exclaimed the new conner,
wipiuc his forehead a> he spoke, ''by
Joye. that was II close thin"
.'Ncry.' | aSscntcd, and the last train
too"
The last train, certainly. said my
companion. Il believe there is no way
whatever Of getting to Downley if you
ns, this train
There j. none" l replied, which i
very iuconveuicut.
.Oh, excessively so,' returned he.
''IIavc you any objection ~
OF course. "A, he said this, he exhibited
his cigar case, and finding | had no OBJ
| icctiun. he pressed cIgar upon me.
which | may remark was one of the very
hest ever smoked, and then. without
further speech, he reclincd with his eyes
closed, a though in deep thought.
He wae a tall. good lookin" man with
in, beard and mou~tachc. very black
and full. But | could not help thinking
that his head was little too much like
a head from a hairdresser's window and
his attire was too like a picture from Il
fashion book. Somehow everything
about him was too new and glossy to
please me entirely. and his jewelry was
also too proturc. but it could not be de
nicd that his cigar was Il capital one.
sank into revcric rs deep as his
own; indeed, l rather suspect | had be
aun to doze. when | was reused by the
stopping of the train. My companion
reused himself, too. | was on the side
nearer to the platform, and lookeI out.
"A rough night still, isn't it - he
s;,id
1T i, indecd,'' replied ''Just put
your head out, and try how the wind Is
blowing"
NO, thank you," he returned with 4
smile, Il will take your word for it"
laughed in reply, and was about to
close the window, when the guard look
ell in The official passed ON, but re-
turned in few seconds, and stared some
what curiouzly, tancied, into the car
riagc. The scream and the tug came
again, and on we Went.
That fellow had good stare at you,
said my companion.
"WcN. | fancied he looked chiefly at
YOU" said ''but the fact was, | have
no doubt he slnelt Il somewhat powerful
odur of tobacco, and he wished us to sec
that hc did
Il shouldn't WONDER" said the >tr;n.
ger, throwing himself hack with the Ian
auid air OF one who takes no interest IL
conversation. ado we stop again be
fore we arrive at the Downlcy branch ,
NO." replied.
''Ncry good, then" lie continued 'lc
us make ourselves comfortable"
And, by way of doing this, he unlock
ed a black valisc he had with him, anC
drew out Il couple of bottles of cham
payne, which proved as good in quality
as his cigars. He next produced con
trIyances for glasses, which shut up i'll
to a mere ring. With these appliances
:, We very merrily .journcycd over th'
twelve miles which remained of the mail
by line, when 'Downley Junction" Wa
g. now shouted; and rs soon rs we cam
.. to stand, Gun carriage was detache,
from the train.
0. All tickets ready, if you please, sal;
the collector, appearing at the door 4
we handed our pieces OF pastcboard t,
the man, the same guard who had twic
before looked in, pccred over his shouldc
to the annoyance Of my companion, win
muttered something strongly condemna
tory of his impudence.
l In another moment the main line trai
was laundering over the viaduct, an
da>hing with its roaring and its spark
into the utter darkness OF the night, Will
our modest little engine came fussing OF
ed I,4 ,pl hpnl-aI