Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-01-15


who had pulled the cord. Instinctively
| knew, and-it was the carriage farth-
est from my van! | left my place al
most breathlessly as the engine slacken
ed speed, and, fastening along the foot
board, hesitated at no window until [
reached the one from which [ felt quite
sure that a frightened young face would
be looking out. My heart literally beat
in dread as | stopped, and looked into
the carriage, What did | see? Only
the. TWO passengers buried in their separ-
ate corners. The young lady raised her
from the beck she held, and hooked
up at me astonished -childishly and
wonderingly astonished.
"Has anything happened to the train ?"
she asked, timidly.
The gentleman reused himself leisure
ly from seemingly snug nap. "What
on earth has stopped US in this hole %
he said, rising; and pushing his hand
some face and his long beard past me at
the window.
Itwas only too evident that the alarm
had not been given from this carriage;
yet the feeling had been such a certainty
to me that it was long before I felt con-
vinced to the contrary; and / went on
along the footboard to other carriages
very much more slowly than | had gone.
first to that one. Utter darkness sur
rounded us outside, but from the lamplit
compartments eager heads were thrust,
searching for the reason of this unexpect-
ed stoppage. No one owned to having
summoned me until Preached that second
class carriage near my own van, (Which
| had hastened past before, where the
fdgety, deaf, old lady who had amused
me at Rugby sat alone. I had no need
to look in and question her Her head
was quite out of the window and, though
! she had her back to the light and l
couldn't sec her face, her voice was cool
enough to show that she was not over
powered by fear
What time you've been coming" :"
she said. 'Where is it?"
Where's what ~
But though L yelled the question with
all my mightand main, l believe might
just as hopefully have questioned the
telegraph post which l could dimly see
beside us, and have expected an answer
along the wires.
where's the small luncheon basket?"
she inquired, pulling out her long purse
with great fussiness. "a small luncheon
basket, my good man, and make haste. y
Shall ever forget the sharp expect.
ancy of the old lady's eyes as they look
ed into mine, first over, then under, then
through her glittering gold-rimmed spec,
: tacles? What surprised me most partic
: ularly was the fact of her decidedly 'so
being, as any one might suppose, a ravins
: lunatic
) BE quick with the small luncheon
; basket, please" she said, resignedly
5 sitting down, and pouring the contents
of her purse out into her lap. 81 an
: as hungry as | can be"
| suppose that when she looked up a
| me from the silver she was counting sh
| saw my utter bewilderment-I didn'
i try now to make her hear, for | knew i
to be hopeless-for she raised her yoic'
4 suddenly to a shrill pitch of peevishness
e and pointed with one shaking hand t
g the wall of the carriage.
t ''Look there! Doesn't it say 'Smal
luncheon baskets. Pull down the cord
/ | want small luncheon basket, SO
d pulled down the cord. Make haste an
e get it for me, or I'll report you to tn
n managers.
e Seeing that she was almost as bin
it as she was deaf, began to understan
), what she meant. On the spot to whic
y she pointed above the seat opposite he
5, two papers were posted in line, one tt
y advertisement of "Small luncheon ba
30 kets' supplied at Rugby, the other, tt
Is company's directions for summoning Il
l. guard and stopping the train in case
| danger AS they happened to be place'
le the large letters did read as she ha
, said:
rs '.Small luncheon baskets. Pull dow
Of the cord
=, While | was gazing from her to Il
~ bills, getting over little of my asto
:, ishment, and she was giving me eve
~ now and then a sharp touch on Il
= shoulder to recall me to my duty, al
" hasten me with her refreshment, we we
L, joined by one of the directors, who ha
- pened to be going up to town by the e
y press. But his just and natural wra
~ loud as it was-never moved the hu
= CRY old lady; no, not in the slighte
y degree. She never heard one word of
;, and only mildly insisted, in the midst
- it, that she was almost tired of waitil
u for her small luncheon basket
= With a fierce parting shot, the dire
y tor tried to make her understand th
: she had incurred a penalty of e5, but
=, couldn't, though he bawled it at h
Gu until the poor old thing-perhaps NOR