Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-27

/ hsu Nheh ~ nc oessu W scfopc anu pare IL
| Was he mad? / would try to please him, and
/ do as he wished, and tn en- perhaps he wouli
now, and at that thought felt the tears c ,m-
\ ing again, but opened ny eyes widely, and bit
| my lips hsrd-the tears must not fall.
/ crushed them back, and sat watching my com-
panion till, having peeled the turnip to his sat-
isfaction, he cut of q thick slice and handed it
to me- Raw turnip, And touched by those
fingers,
"Come, take IL, my beauty-a peach ripe and
! downy as your own cheek. Peaches Is dear,
| too, this season; but give no heed 10 that. IL
srudee the money Come, peek away; or do
| You want me to feed you? No, you sha'n't
have 1t without Thank you." After all my
| trouble, that amt manners, with significant
look at the knife.
"Thank you,' said, eagerly. took the
| slice Of turnip-and began to eat it-yes, 1 ate
| II all, every mouthful making me feel more i'll.
Another slice was offered, took it and began
| 10 eas, but my throat seemed to be closing-I
| could not swallow.
"Come, finish IL. Good, isn't IL? The ladies
are Always fond of bit of fruit. Don't be
| bashfal-I've something here for you TO wash
| it down. Nothing like a drop Of brandy to
make II agree with you" and he touched the
neck of black bottle which stuck out of his
pocket,
What would become OF me? had once seen
adIesdful woman for a few moments at home
new cook she was-who was, oh, 50 frightful.
Nurse told me she had taken brandy and
drunk. 1 had thought her mad. If he had
nlaue He Drink II, anu ~, when aunt Margery
found me. but no, this / would not do; he
might kill me first. went on eating the turnip,
and all the while prayed earnestly for rescue.
Was my prayer answered? The train began
to slscken its speed-it stopped; but there was
no station in sight. think 1t was q siding or
something of that kind.
AT the side of the carriage where was sit
ting there was steep bank which shut out all
hope; at the other side were several lines of
rail; beyond WAS the open country. In an in
slant my torturer was at my window. With an
n rrf1C nla ma To IN nd ar
where | was" l heard some one pass, and, in
reply 70 a question, | suppose, say that we had
been shunted to allow q special train to go by
1t would pass in three minutes. called, but
very family, am afraid, for no one answered,
and the "cad' turned on me so 6srcely that
dare not try again.
The special train swept by. but hardly saw
Tiny eyes, my whole soul, were fastened on
the figure of a man who just came down the
green bank which was at some distance. 1
pressed my face to the glass. Which way
would he take? He stood up for a moment
and then slowly, lazily sauntered toward me.
The glass was up-my only hope was that he
calling or moving now. l noted every trillng
detail of his figure and dress he was a tall,
broad-shouldered gentleman, dressed in light
gray; young. and with long, golden beard;
even the carnaton in his button-hole 1 OBJ
served, and the strength and careless cass OF
his figure as he lounged along. He stopped to
whistle to his dogs, and then again strolled on,
idly twirliDg his cane.
do not know what kind of face was pressed
to the glass on my side-it was q wild and
scared one, am sure; but in another minute a
pair of great merry blue eyes carelessly glanced
up IN passing, and were startled into earnest
ness by the eyes they encountered; the whistle
sounded, but, even as il did, q strong hand was
on the door handle, the door was wrenched
open, the train moved on-he was beside me
i was safe!
l don't know what happened then. My de-
hyeIer says that cried, and held one of his
hands tight in both of mine; but that don't
believe. In the first place, we had never been
introduced, and, in the second, two of his fin
gers are about as much as my two hands can
contain at once. i know when grew calmer,
that found him taking care of me, and that
didn't dislike II as much as one might have ex-
pected. don't remember how told him all,
i suppose the turnip and knife, which still lay
on the seat, helped me little; but | do know
that he told me mot to be frightened, for he
would not throw the scoundrel from the win
dow, as he deserved'-and that he looked SO
fierce and so strong that could quite imagine
It was habit of his to throw scoundres from
windows, and that he rather liked it. What he
did was TO take the creature by the collar, and
force him down on his knees, in spite of his pit
eous protestations that che never meant to hurt
the lady-it was only lark; he would not have
done IL Tor ten pun note, not II he had known"
Hold your tongue. Swallow this, and think
yourself lucky TO escape six months on the
treadmili. For the lady's sake, will not prose-
cute you and III not break every bone in your
body, as should like TO do, as it might annoy
her to see it done. But you'll eat this, to the
last morsel-m and all. 1 should say i. is
your lite! Down with it,"
And when the last atom had disappeared, my
deliverer, with parting shake, flung the crea-
ture into corner, where he lay till the train
stopped, and turned to stake care'' of me
again.
I almost shrank from the stern face to which
i now raised my eyes, hut IL softeDed in a mo-
ment, and lay back in a corner and rested si-
lently and thankfully, while he interposed his
broad shoulders between me and the other end
of the carriage, till the train again stopped and
/ aunt MarQerVfs dear 0li the
platform.
1 am sure she wondered at the esgerness of
my clasp, and my face, which / felt was still
white and scared. / made little motion to-
ward my deliverer, but could not speak a word.
He said few words and gave his card to my
aunt, who accepted it and the situation as gra-
ciously rs she does everything, and looked
rather anxious to get me safely to the carriage
and home, and in i've minutes we were driving
away.
"wbat did he do for you, darling?r
"Oh, he was so strong and so good to me-and
he made him eat the whole turnip, auntie!'
The whole turnip! You are ill, Polly.
Come, we won't talk or think of il now"
And che Quoted and petted me, evidently
thinking that had lost my wits, until was
lying on the sofa in her drawing room, able 10
Well, that was my first and only attempt at
"taking care Of myself" i never want to do so
again. Tom takes care of me now-of course,
deliverance. Aunt wrote to him that very
evening, and my father came down from Lon
don next morning ON purpose to thank him.
then Tom called, and so--and so the end OF nv
story, OF. perhaps, should say the real begin
ming OF it, is that am his wife now.
At first did think it pity that my husband
should be only "TOIn, - when had always In
tended to marry at least three syllables. as am
merely "Polly !" but now think Tom the most
charming name in the world and would not
change IT,
have only one thing more 10 tell The old
lady with the dsagreeabie bonnet Is Toms
aunt. i am writing this in her house, which Is
just what had fancied il, and she IL the dearest
and kindest old woman in England
"Cna has fonnd her Llon,' she says.
don't think 1 am much like Una; but Tom
Is darling old Lion, with his tawny beard and
splendid strength, on which his wife loves to
lean. I hear him calling "Polly!' from the
barn, where he lies, laziiy puff ng his cigar uu-
dar the cedar; and, as he can growl on occ aston,
II keep his majesty waiting too long, 1 had
better go.
Coming, Lion."-LondoH Hagdsias.