Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-09-25

pretence, but it was too late for retreat
The seat by her side was the only un-
occupied one in the car, and she could
say nothing but stiff "No.'
Then may sit here?' went on the
monster, quietly putting Hannah's
travelling bag into the rack above the
seat. She trembled at the thought Of
a grand crash, and streams of tooth.
wash, Jamaica-ginger, cough-medicine,
sponge-blacking. Vegetable SiciliAn
hair-renewer, and Cologne-water, de-
scending upon her devoted head, but
her bugbear was careful and def. iii n.
gered, and placed the bag right side
up. mo man but thief could have
done that SO nicely !" she thought to
herself, and looked steady out of the
window.
The morning wore on. Ham all tried
to look like Gorgon, and succeeded
so well that her travelling companion
did not try TO talk TO her after the first
half-hour. but read his morning paper,
advertisements and all, until he had
finished it, then, when u newspaper boy
went through the car. he bought q
Harper's Weekly and Bazaar, offering
the latter, with polite bow, to Han
nah, who declined it, saying, with her
most icy manner, Thank you never
read in the cars At last the train
drew near the old and respectable town
of Salem. Now, at Salem, As every
body knows who has been there, is a
long, dark tunnel. Hannah thought
of the tunnel with shuddcr. Who
knew but that dreadful man might try
to pick her pocket there, under cover
OF darkness, and rush out OF the cars
at the Salem station just beyond it !!
As TO the thought of the man aforesaid
stealing kiss in the tunnel. she was
too old and too free from feminine van
ity to let it enter her head. She de-
tcrmined to clutch her pocket-oook
with the grasp Of despair, and put her
hand into her pocket for the purpose,
when-oh, horror, she found the
wretcn's hand there!
She behaved like heroine. She
neither tainted nor screamed, but held
the big, strong hand with all the force
of her little soft one, until daylight
came 10 her rescue. Then she turned
upon the robber, prepared, if necessa-
~, 10 dcnounce him TO everybody in
the cars before he could make his es-
cape, when she saw very queer look
IN hIs eyes.
She was just beginning to say "How
dare you:' when the words died upon
her lips, and she looked down at the
offending hand and found that it was
lying in one of the pockets of its own
ers gray coat, where her own was
tiOhilv ~'--r'-o a..
Here was a situation! She felt like
rushing from the car aud hiding herself
in the waiting room of the station
anywhere out of the sight of that man,
who could not keep twinkle of amuse.
ment out of his blue eyes. She snatch
ed away her hand as if it had touched
red-hot iron, and tried 10 stammer an
apology.
IL thought that you were little
afraid of me-" was her companions $
answer lhave no proof but my word
TO give you that am not dangerous
character, but l hope that you will
trust me enough to believe that had
no designs on your pocket-book."
Hannah murmured a feeble some
thing that might have passed for Yes
or NO The gentleman went on :
IL think that | saw Mr.. Stephen
Wakefield say goodbye 10 you at Port
land. | was too late 10 speak to him,
but he and | were friends in the army.
Perhaps you have heard him speak of
his chun, Winchester" and he took
out card, whereon was engraved
ROBERT h. WINCHESTER.
Fifth Avenue Hotel"
Hannah's thoughts went back to the
time, ten years before. when she had
been staying with Stephens young
wife and her week-old baby, and tel
egram had come across the river that
stephen was wounded and in an Alex
andria hospital. Clara could not 90 to
him but was kept informed OF his state
every day by long letters from Win
chester, who had been wounded in the
leg, but was able to write. Hannah
had never forgotten the kind letters,
with their womanly tenderness running
through the strong manly handwriting
and she said -
why didn't you tell me that be-
fore!'
You wouldn't give me chance"
answered Winchester. IF Wakefield
had seen me he would have introduced
Inc. Ispent a day or two at his house
last week. but | left the boat at four
o'clock this morning, long before you
were up, to 60 out for a stroll and a
sea-bath ON the Cape Elizabeth road.''
The ice was fairly broken now, and
the two chattered all the way to Bos-
ton. The rest of the story may be
gathered from letter which Stephen
wrote to Hannah not manv weeks
ago.
"Winchester was here last week, and
told me the whole story. Clara saws:
l am glad hc Is going TO leave that
dreadful hotel at last, and settle some.
where: l say. that I'm glad he is going
to marry the best woman (but one, OF
course) whom know, and that she is
going TO make home for the best fel.
low in the world. How he made us
laugh over your scare about him and
the money that he was investing for
Brown. l shall ask Nora to paint me
pictures Of some OF the scenes on vour
journey. for wedding present, unless
she is too busy settling up her own af:
fairs before she m aries the coast.
survey fellow whose name 1 have for.
gotten" ."-[ Commonwealth.
Not long since, lady, who belongs
on the editorial staff of one Of the lead.
ing dailies of New York, had been de.
toinaA hxy o<Eoo Autsoc n4sl =