The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-07-08
MiXWELL'S DREAM,

Late on n summer afternoon the Mil
llngton express was rushing along at
lightning speed through the beautiful
valley OF Nannahanna, making a terrible
roar among the cliffs, and sending up a
warming cloud of steam through the
mighty pines and oaks that grew erect
upon the hillsides. In one of the broad
parlor cars sat group of three people,
consisting of apale, richly-dressed young
lady, stout, commanding looking man
of sixty, and q thin-faced, delicate -fea-
tured old gentleman, whose age was per-
haps eighty.
At little distance from these people
sat Maxwell Bryan, an important per-
sonage of fifteen, whose dress, orna-
mented with brass buttons and little
gold lace, showed him to be pupil in
some military school. He was on his
way home for his vacation, aud he fer
vently hoped nothing would interfere to
delay OF prevent his coming delight.
Having little else to do-he had been
travelling since eight o'clock that morn
ing-he gazed about him. 1t was not
long before his attention was attracted
by the odd behavior of the venerable
gentleman of whom L have already
spoken.
The eyes of the old gentleman were
brilliant as Goals. They pierced every
thing and searched everywhere. Now
they would fasten themselves upon the
decorated roof of the car, now they
would examine the nails of his fingers,
now they would rest upon the face of
his lady companion, and now they would
apparently study the type of a magazine
that he held III his hand.
Maxwell tried hard to keep the cob
webs mt distance, but he failed. He
began to doze, and a most delightful
medley arrayed itself before him, aud
the noise Of the train sank into low
music in his dulled ears.
Suddenly strange thing seemed to
happen. He thought he saw the flash
of the old gentleman's eyes between his
half-closed lids; also that he put up his
thin white hand and drew aside the
handkerchief from his face; also that
the face was very eager and very wide
awake.
He also thought that the other gentle
man was, like almost everybody else,
asleep. The old gent appeared to scru,
tinize him with the utmost care. Then
to advance one hand with the greatest
caution, and to unfasten one button of
his coat. This was done safely. Then
a second. Still the sleeper did not stir.
Then third and the last. The lappels
of the coat fell back. The old gentle
man instantly pretended, to Maxwell's
imagination, to go to sleep once more,
but only for an instant. In moment,
seeing that he had not disturbed the
sleeper, he was up again.
Maxwell thought he saw him lean for
ward, showing his white teeth, and,
with smile upon his face, reached out
toward the breast of the others coat.
From it he drew by slow degrees a large
clasped with two nickel hasps. This he
held for an instant, nodding over it, and
patting it as if it were a great treasure.
Then Maxwell's father appeared in
the car, and then his oranges mounted
into the air one by one, and as they fell
the venerable old gentleman caught the
largest, which had turned dark-red in
some curious way, and threw it out Of
the open window of tall castle where
he seemed to be. Just as he did so a
dark shadow fell around, and Maxwell
thought he saw forest, and away off in
the distance sloping hill where the sun
had gone down, making a face just like
the old mans, while group of three
pine trees stood in the very midst of the
red sky, leaning towards each other with
their limbs interlaced.
Then he remembered no more he fell
into deep sleep, and he lost all his pic
lures. How long he slept he did not
know /; but he was awakened by loud
voices and by a great deal of hustle and
stir. He aroused himself. All the peo-
pie in the car We're searching and pryng
under their seats, behind their parcels
yes, and in their very pockets. The
pale lady was walking up and down with
distracted air, wringing her hands and
uttering loud cries of despair, while the
strong gentleman standing close beside