Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03
Miss Ruth repeated her question with

Miss Ruth repeated her question with
the energy of despair.
" Where do you want to go?" INQUIRED
the baggageman, warily
AND then it became painfully-evident
TACT that where Miss Mayhem wanted to
go and where she was going were two
Wldely-sundered matters, for she beheld
her train in motion. To rush toward it,
10 signal blindly-as if the insensate
monster would stop-to be held back
from jumping on board in a gentlemanly
1ashlon, and then to be left gazing blank
~ into space-that was her experience
A voice came back on the wind:
. will keep your things for you"
To inveigh bitterly against the deceit
fuIness Of brakemen was an impulse
which our unfortunate lady checked with
true dignity of character.
" will find the old lady, at all events
she decided, "even though she should
prove the proyerbial needle in that hay
stack of depot"
There never were so many trains look
ing exactly alike, and apparently headed
in the same direction, with their engines
prancing aimlessly up and down. Oh,
the satisfaction Of at length beholding a
familiar old face, spectacles on nose,
beamlng behind a window. Miss May
heW dashed frantically forward waving
the necklace aloft. The old lady started,
felt lnstinctively at her throat, and be-
gan to tumble no less frantically at the
closed sash. Varnish and springs defied
her. Horrors The train, after david
ling any length of time, at this inauspi-
clous moment concluded to move. 1t
was pleasant sight to behold Miss
Mayhem racing along the platform, cast
ing dignity to the winds, and the old lady
on the verge of apoplexy within the car
| IN her efforts to raise the window. How
the people stared, to be sure! But Miss
Mayhem did not care. She was long
past personal sensitiveness; and when
the sash finally yielded, just as she
reached the extreme edge of the plat
form, she threw in the beads, and, retir-
ing, seated herself on a carpet-bag to
! burst into tears. Her courage complete
~ failed her; the weak, silly, feminine
sobs aoouZd come.
A gentleman had approached to claim
the carpet-bag. He was tall, bronzed
and bearded, and he wore scarf about
his throat of some curious Eastern fab
ric. Miss Mayhem, the tension of ex-
cltement having snapped, was left as
weak as an infant. Her pocket had
been cut, and her porte-monnaie was
gone. Had she, in securing her compan-
ions safety, fallen victim to the snaky
young man herself? She now rose.
making some confused apology for the
condition of her late throne, the carpet
| bag.
Ruth Mayhewm exclaimed the
stranger. :" l cannot be mistaken. Sure
ly you wear my gift, the little brooch, sill
yer and pearls"
With a startled expression of wonder
| she looked up into his face, and read
| joy in the eyes of her once young mis-
sionary. The locomotives shrieked, and
the human tide sHrged to and fro, yet
these two saw nothing Of the confusion
about them. He was journeying toward
the white house on the hill, which was to
be his first pilgrimage in his native land,
| and would have missed her had she not
pursued the old lady with the gold
| beads.
How did you recognize me?" said
Ruth Mayhem, flushed and tremulous,
all the independence of later years utter
ly gone.
" [ should have known you anywhere
in the world" said the Rev. John Ather-
ton, from Algiers.
Entire nous, believe he recalled the
familiar brooch before he did the wearer.
However, that is none of our affair, since
she was perfectly satisfied with the re-
ply. The result of this meeting was that
Aunt Harriet lost her nurse and the For
eign Missions gained cheerful, earnest
worker, after all.