The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-06-03
TOLEDO, COUNTY, IOWA, THURSDAY JUNE g.

fortune had she lost them Such was her
childlike faith in her fellow-creatures
that she never dreamed of parting with
her treasures.
"I can get it out quick as a wink,
child" she continued, eagerly, settling
her spectacles and spreading out her soft
silk handkerchief, with the intention of
applying it to Ruth's eye.
"No, thank you. 1t is nothing" said
Ruth, hastily popping the glass back into
hiding gplace.
Thus foiled, the old lady relapsed into
silence, although she could not remain
quiet long She jerked her head about
quickly to observe different objects, with
a sparrow-like motion, and, becoming alb
sorbingly interested in Ruth, she peered
at trimmings, even testing the quality of
ribbon furtively with a critical fore
finger and thumb. Age had chiseled
wrinkles, innumerable fine lines, in the
intelligent face, had whitened the scanty
hair and robbed the sunken mouth of
teeth, yet the vital forces seemed unim-
paired. She was like queer little gray
bird hopping along to peck a crumb of
information everywhere.
II wonder who she is and where she's
goin'?" pondered the old lady, her busy
brain having unsuccessfully twisted
Ruth around the whirling- wheel of mi
mute investigation. Then she bobbed
up abruptly and skipped into the seat
beside the object of her interest with an
apologize, Guess Tll change my place
if you don't mind, and get out of the
draught from that winder. Old folks
have to be kinder keerful about
draughts."
Miss Mayhem graciously assented, and
her neighbor was delighted with the
success Of her stratagem.
Live in these partsg" small, beady
eyes twinkling all over her companion
interrogatively.
Eyes. Have you come far?"
Far? l guess so! l left my darter's
home in Indianny day afore yesterday.
I've seen sights of things. My son-in-
law, Marthy's husband, is a lumber mer-
chant, you know, out West. Yes, the
winters been cold, some. We had Bible
| classes and lectures, and once there
came panoramy of New York. Jabez
took me. Hev you been there? Most as
| good as seeing it for yourself the pano-
ramy was Come home alone? Law,
yes! Made my way right along as easy as
could be. l stopped over night at Mon
treal, in Canady, at a great hotel, and
| the clerk gave me snug little room SOS
l felt real to hum. There's big bridge
the Victory Bridge they call it there.
see it. I've been good piece on the
Grand Turk Railroad too"
The old lady had traversed all this dis
tance safely, enjoying every hour of the
journey, and she was now turning her
the hills.
"My son lives in the other side of the
house and does all the chores about the
farm. take care of myself" she ex-
planned, with the curious simplicity of
nature that confided all its private affairs
to strangers, never dreaming of doubling
that their interest equaled her own in
discussing their personal history.
Ruth's sympathy was aroused. This
sympathy cost her dear. Three hours
later she was standing alone on the
crowded platform of a large railway
terminus, where locomotives dashed
frantically about, and anxious passep-
gers vociferated loudly, with her own
train disappearing in the distance, and a
string of gold beads in her hand.
1t happened thus Ruth and her new
friend hobnobbed delightfully."-. The old
lady was particularly pleased to discover
that among the many good things pre-
pared for the others journey by friendly
hands were crisp turn-overs, generous
slices of dried-apple pie and doughnuts.
"Seems like hum," she declared, with
a sigh of satisfaction. Couldn't git any
cake nor pie in Canady. They said they
had plenty CT beef and beer, but l don't
need nothin' quite so hearty"
Born of the same race, subjected to
the same influences of harsh, cold eli
mate, the English resident of Canada
supplies generous fuel for the machinery
of life, while the Yankee native of New
England most grudgingly lubricates the
busy mechanism of his economy, at the
same time extorting the greatest possible
amount of labor from his slave-the
body.
The train paused at station, and a
young man strolled into the car. Miss
Ruth's attention became instantly cen
tered in him. 1t was not because of the
beauty of his black mustache that she
observed him, nor his oily ringlets, fashy
waistcoat and resplendent watch-chain
1t was simply because his evil, snaky
eye, wandering carelessly over the pas
sengers, pounced on the unconscious old
lady. "You will bear watching"
thought the younger woman. Then she
talked warningly of thieves and pick
pockets, at which the old lady looked
simply bewildered.
The train rushed into tunnel, dark,
chilly hole that seemed to open yawn-
ing mouth in itself stationary and soul
less, to ingulf life and molten. A tiny
blue flame cracked; the old lady had
lighted bit of tallow- candle, using her
hand for a candlestick.
"I git scared in these tunnels" she
said, and held the candle so that Ruth
and herself were framed in vivid
radiance.
The former, keeping her eyes stead
fastly fixed on the snaky young man
seated behind, detected stealthy move
ment of his hand toward the old lady's
neck, where hung the family gold beads.
A sudden draught (emanating from the
snaky young many hared out the candle
a scuffle and rush ensued amidst con-
fused exclamations, and Miss Mayhem
launched into active combat with the
foe.
"Thievesp she shrieked.
"Oh, murderr gasped the old lady,
first receiving blow over the head that
crushed her bonnet away, and then feel
ing as if great many shawls had
tumbled over her
"What is the matter?" echoed on all
sides in the terrible darkness.
"Oh, OH" screamed Ruth again.
"The wretch! The scamp! Help me
to hold him. He is twisting my hand
horribly"
Ia1 1a alyu