American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-18
A Female Traveller.


M: QtAD'' "took charge of lady" on
a railroad car, the other day, and thus de-
tails his woes: Perhaps the man
meant to do me a favor when
he came up to me at the depot, with
spinister hanging on his arm, and
wanted to know if wouldn't take charge
of her from Chicago to Detroit. Many
men think railroad journey rendered
really pleasant by The cotnpanionship of
an unprotected female. She insisted on
counting her band-bOX and travelling bag
as soon as we got seated. She counted.
The were lust two ! counted and made
no more nor less. Then she wanted her
parasol put in the rack, her shawl folded
up, and her handbook counted again. l
counted it. There was just exactly one
band box of it. As we got started she
wanted to know if was sure we were on
the right road to Detroit. 1 was sure.
Then she wanted her travelling bag count
ed. l counted it. By this time she want
wasn't hot day. | said 1t was. Then
she felt for her money, and found that it
was safe, though She was sure that she
had lost it. While counting it she re-
lated how Mrs. Graft, in going East, five
years ago, lost her purse and three dol
lars. She wound up the story by asking
me if it wasn't hot day. l said it was.
Then she wanted that bandit box counted,
and I counted him, He was still one
handbook. There was pattsc of five
minutes, and then she wanted IA drink.
got II for her, Jheh she wanted to know
if we were on the rigii; road to Detroit.
l assured her that l was positive Of The
fact The brakeman here called out the
name of IA station in such an indistinct
manner tha. the lady wanted me to go
and see what the naiiis fraliy was. l
went. 1t was Calumet. She wanted to
know if was sure that it was Calumet,
and put my hand on my sacred heart
and assured her that / would perish
sooner than deceive her: By this time
she wanted the trateling.- bag counted,
and l counted her. She figured up as
before. 1 had just finished counting
when she wanted to know if didn't
think it was hot day. l told her l did.
We got along very we'll for the next half
hour, as | got her to narrating story
about how she got lost in the woods
eighteen years before, but as soon as she
finished it she wanted to know if was
sure that we were on the right road to
Detroit. told her that hoped to per-
ish with the liars if we were not, and she
was satisfied. Then the parasOl fell
down; she uanted tie to ctarse a ten
cent piece, and the window had to go
down. When we got down to Marshall
she wanted to know if the place wasn't
named after courtmartIal, and whether
it wasn't barely possible the station was
Miles instead of Marshall. The band
box was counted again, and he was just
one. Then the window went up, and she
asked IRE II, In my opinion, 1t wasn't n
hot day. l replied that it was. Then
she related story about her uncle,
another about young lady who had
been deaf several years. During the day
/ counted that ban,l-bo, 300 times ;
raised the window thirty times, said 1t
was hot day until my tongue was
blistered; arranged that parasol twenty
one times; got her sixteen drinks of Wa
ter and inquired the names Of thirteen
stations. She said it was SO nice to have
a man in whom a stranger could place
confidence. and | dared not reply for
fear of bringing out another story.
When we reached Detroit counted the
things three times over, helped her off
the cars, got her hack. directed her to
a hotel, told her the street, price, maine OF
the landlord, head waiter, and cook !;
assured her she would not be robbed nor
murdered; that Detroit had a population
of 100000; that the fall term of school
had commenced; that all Detroit hack
drivers were honest and obliging Poor
woman, l hope the landlord didn't get
out of patience with her artless ways
Detroit Free Press.