The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-13
cow | CHANGED BAGGAGE
WITH THE ANGEL OF
MERCY.
And what Game of It.


the depot at BsllefountAin when a Rentle>
man entered the smoking car aud laid his
hand upon the shoulder of his travelling
companlon-a tall handsome man of thirty,
who sat musingly blowing rings Of smoke
into the air.
Marcy" said the new conner, 'if you
want to see At once the sweetess aud saddest
sight you ever beheld, 60 into the last car
bat one on the train. There's an emigrant
German woman, with four little children.
aud during the afternoon the Youngest, a
baby he's died. The mother and other
children are iuoonsolAble."
81 can understand interrupted the
smoker. "ths sadness OF such q scene, but
where is the sweetness you spoke off"
I'm coming TO that. The whole party
have been taken in charge by young lady.
Such beauty She dried the mothers
tears, and wiped the chidren's noses. She's
divinity She only needs a few feathers
on her shoulder. blades to make full fled ged
angel of her. If was not married man,
I'd never leave her till I'd make Mrs. ANGEL.
ca Townsend out Of her."
"Thst's q speech which | shall faithfully
report to Mrs. Agnes Townsend" said the
gentleman addressed as Marcy, rising. 81
shall go back and feast my eyes on this Sis
ter Of Charity, and" he added, taking his
travelling sAtchel and SHAWL from the rack,
"as we stop at the next station, which is dSe
III ten minutes, | may as we'll take my traps
through with me and join you on the plat.
FORM
Thus saying, Richard Marcy threw his
shawl over his shoulder, and sAuntered les
urely through the long trRin-rushing blind
ly and calmly to his fate. For, as he enter
ed the last car but one he became 9 witness
aud an actor in q scene that influenced his
whole future life.
The poor, griefstricken Gsrmsn, OF
whom his companion, Doctor Townsend had
spoken, with the dead infant in her arms,
sat silently weeping over the little dead
face.
The three sturdy children, grouped in
childish sorrow about their their little dead
brother, was indeed q touching spectacle.
But, standing beside them, was the divinity
of Doctor Townsend's admiration, and she
who was most certainly to "share the ends
of the unhappy Richard"
She was q slender girl of eighteen, with
magnificent eyes and hair. As he entered
the car she was speaking, her lovely face
flushed, and the small, rosy mouth, disclos
ing beautiful set Of teeth, turned bewitch.
ingly towards the tall stranger at the door
Ladies' and gentlemen spoke up the
sweet voice, "this poor woman, friendless,
speaking no English, with four children
was expecting to find work in St. Louis tc
support them. II everything had gone vel
with her it would have been hard for her
bu. with her little dead baby and her sor
rowful heart she is certainly a deserving
object of charity, aud propose that such as
feel willing contribute their mite toward a
little purse for her immediate wants and the
burial Of her poor baby. And, she added
with a bewitching smile, "if any gentleman
will lend me q hat l will go round and take
up . collection"
In an instant the gallant Richard pulled
his travelling cap from his blonde curls and
offered it to the Angel of Mercy. who &C
Cepted it with q smile, this time all mis- own,
and commenced gathering the readily
forthcoming dollars her generous, graceful
appeal brought from the purses of all in the
car.
Richard watched the slender figure in
gray gathering the money and looking at
the plaid cap III the white iewelled fingers.
he bsthought him of nis own donation, and
stepping to the seat the beauty had lust oc.
cupied he laid his satchel and shawl upon
articles of the kind, belonging to the angel
IN gray, and took from his pocket q ten dol
lar bill, which he placed in tbs little hand
that returned him his cap. Further dam
age the poor fellow received, when q second
smile and warmly received thanks for hi.
liberal contribution were dealt him from the
beautiful mouth.
Dick was in the midst of an elaborate re-
ply, when the cars stopped. He fingered vet
another moment, seized his satchel and shA wi
with his eyes still on the face of his charmer,
and then, even as the oars were again in
motion, he bethought himself Of the doctor
and hurriedly left the car and Joined his
friends on the platform.
"Well," calculated that worthy, "I beRsr
to believe you'd concluded to 20 and bury
the dead body, and make the protecting
beauty Mrs. Angelica Marcy. Isn't she 6
sumner p
Townsend" returned his friend, "don
use slang in speaking of that noble crea
ture." He looked after the train Just dis
appearing in the distance. 81 wish TO hesv
ems" he continued, "I'd remained aboard
How stupid / was to leave it, / might
have learned her name and residence. And
no."
"In all probability broke in the doctor
You'll never meet her in this vale of tears
But you may know her in Heaven, if yor
behave yourself well enough to get there, b,
her wings, for she must have the biggest o
any Of them, seeing they have commenced
to sprout on EARTH
The Two made their way to the house O
an acquaintance, with whom they we're tc
remain that night and 90 on the next day
TO their destinAtion-St Louis.
After the first salvation, our hero etired
to his room to remove some of the evidences
Of his ride from New York. Ee had removed
his coat, vest, and collar he had soaped
and washed, when he made an astounding
discovery.
Flushed and breAthless he burst into tbs
next room, upon his friend
Townsend cried he, what on earth do
you suppose2 I've got the wrong bag. ",
changed baggage with the Angel of Mercy
Look at that slipper. See that thimbls
CoRtem plate that glove"
ITS evident you've got the lsdy's satchel
And what was there in your own?"
"Don't bring up that dreadful idea, sait
Dick. "Cigars and hairbrush and pacl
Of cards and q comb, pocket flask and
tooth brush-everyt thing disreputAble. If
am Judged by that bag / am a lost man"
And this took for clean shirt" ant
Dick held up q frilled and Auted sack, such
as do duty for more extensive nigbt-dressei
with ladies when travelling. "Id like Il
see Angelica when she opens my satchel.
And Dick fell to musing, with the slipper
perehed on two fngers, and the frilled white
sack spread out tenderly on his knees.
In the upper apartment of handsome
mansion ia st. Louis, on the evening of the
day our heroine first made the readers &C
quaintanoe, beautiful Grace Edgerly, the
petted and only daughter of the house, sal
contemplating the various articles her con.
hdential maid was disposing upon the table
articles taken from no less g receptacle
than Dick Marcy's travelling bag.
The cards and Cigar case lay side by side