National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-01-19

youth of not more than fifteen or sixteen
though Tor the matter of that, thought
| he might have had cunning enough for
twice his age, with closely -eut black hair,
and delicate leaturcs.n
! Veal knew this description well enough,
and tor two days had kept our eyes open,
hoping to identify them among the passcn
gers But our scrutiny had all been in vain +;
and as the train rushed on, | felt now dis
appointed the police at Euston would be
when we arrived again without even IT.
dings OF then.
| was soon tired Of tins subject, and went
back To worrying myself about the sad
LOOKING, ycllow-haired girl who had so cyi-
IDENTIFY wished 10 travel alone, and been so
successfully foilcd m the attcmrt by that
intrusive lop with the handsome beard.
Foolshly kept on thinking of her, until,
as we were dashng along like lightning
through the wind and darkness, only fifteen
or twenty minutes from Chalk Farm, the
bell in my van rang out with a sharp and
sudden summons. never wondered for a
moment who had pulled the cord. In
>tinctively | knew, and-it was the car
riage furthest from my van left my
place almost breathleNSly AS the engine
,lackened speed, and, Fastening along the
foothoard, hcsltated at no window until |
reached the one from which ! felt q lite
ure that frightened young face would be
looking out. My heart literally beat in
dread as stopped and looked into the car
riage. What did ! see ? Only the two
passengers buried IN their separate corners.
The Young lady raised her head from the
book she held. and looked mp at me aston
ishcd- -chldishly and wunderingly aston
ished.
Has anything happened to the train ~
she asked timidIy.
The gentleman reused himself lclsurcly
from a seemingly snug nap. 4" What on
earth has stopped us in thi, hole ~ he
sud, rising and pushing his handsome
face md his long beard past me at the
window
1t was only too evident that the alarm
bad not been given from thi. carriage vet
the feeling had been such a certainty. to
me that II was long before felt quite
convinced to the contrary; and went on
along the foot-board to other carriages
very much more slowly than | had gone
first to that one Utter darkne,. sur
US outside. but from the lamplit /
eager heads were thrust. T
searching for the reason Of this unexpected T
,toppagc No one owned TO having sum.
moned me until | reached that scCond-cla,s .
near my own van, (which ! had .
FASTENED past before where the tidgety, I
deaf old lady WHO had amused me at Rugby
sat alone had no need TO lock in, and
10, Hpr II,. hand 9 I
.he window: and, though She had her
bacl to the light and couldn't soc her
ace, her voice was cooi enough to show
hat she was not oyefpowered 10y fear.
Nv bat time you've been coming she
,ald. Where l. il p
Where's what y
But though | yelled the question with
III my might and man, believe | might
ust As hopefully have quest.one the tele-
.raph- post which | could dimlv see beside
Is, and have expected an answer along the
wires
where's the small luncheon basket ~
he inquired, pulling out her long purse
With great tussineSs. " A small luncheon
'asket, my good man, aad make aqste'
Shall ever forget tie sharp expectancy
f the old lady's eyes as they looked into ,
nine, first over then under then through
er gltterng gold-rimmed spcctaces ? A
hat surprised me most particularly was (
he fact of her decidedly net being, as any t
ne might suppose. Iaylng lunatc /
Z" BE quick with the small luncheon
asket. please she said rc,ipurdlY sittin. +
own, and pouring the contents Of her i
urse out INTO her lap, " I'm as hungry as g
can be-
| suppose that when she looked up at q
ie from the silver she was counting she p
Nv my utter bewiIdcrment, | didn't try f.
1w to make her hear, for knew it to be h
opeless-tor she raised her voice suddenly e
, a shrill pitch OF peeyishness, and pointed d
18th one shaking hand to the wall of the n
lrlage. n
" Look there Doesn't it say Small 4
ncheon baskets. Pull down the cord IL
want small luncheon basket, so Ipulled 4
)wn the cord. Make haste and get it +,
e, or III report you to the manager o,
Seeing now that sEe was almost as blind II
size was deaf, | began to understand al
hat She meant. On the spot to which .,
e pointed above the seat opposite her in
W papers were posted in line one the HI
Of" Small luncheon baskets" ol
ppled at Rugby, the other, the COM ri
,ny's directions for summonng the guard #
ID stopping the train in cases of danger nj
; they happened to be placed, the large "
tiers did read as she had SAID: h,
"SMALL LUNCHEON BASKETS. PuLL h.
,wN THE CoRD." tt
Willie | was gazing from her to the W
IlS, getting over bit ofmy astonishment.
ID she was giving me every now and OF
en- a sharp touch on the shoulder to b
call me to my duty and hasten me with bt
II retreshment, We were joined by one OF 10
e directors, who happened to be going NJ
} to town 10y the express. But his just m
d natural wrath-loud as it was-neycr IN
oved the hungry old lady 10, not in tri
e slightest degree. She never heard one W
'rd OF it, and only mildly insisted, in the SIC
dist OF it, that she was almost tined OF XII
'iting for her small luncheon basket ID
With a fierce parting shot, the director
ed TO make her undertand that she had ch
'urred a penalty of five pounds, but he tn
admit, thought he bawled it at her until of
e poor old thing perhaps mortified at Br
wing taken so muC 4 trpible for nothing III
rhaps overcome by her hunger perhaps
ghtcned at the commotion she saw
Dugh didn't hear-sank back in her seat asl
strong fit Of Mysteries, and let the lis
llings and sxpences roll out OF her lap Gle