Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-03-30

CHANCE FRIENDS.
CHATTER I.

y
mer day, the people at Crossley Station
stood waiting about for the down-train
from Mistford.
Among them were a young couple who
had driven to the station in a pretty little
brougham half an hour before. Their SER
want had hidden them good-by with smiles
of congratulation, and started off home
again in hurry to join the festivities he
knew were going on at the country rec
tory, where the wedding had that morning
been held.
/ Bride and bridegroom were left, en-
deavoring to look like an old married pair,
while their secret was of course patent to
all observers from the intense newness Of
their travelling equipage and their ill-con-
cealed shy happiness.
The porters knew the facts of the case
perfectly well and looked knowingly at
each other. insisting on officiously taking
possession Of their luggage with an eye to
unusual gratuites and one OF them osten-
tatiously held big board with Engaged"
emblazoned thereon, ready to hook it on
compartment as soon as the train Shrek
ing in the distance should reach the plat
foim.
Late shouted the station-master, COM
ing out of his room with his watch in
hand. "Ring up and look sharp, he add
ed, as the one omnibus of Crossley came
rattling into the station-yard, and brace
of porters rushed off to secure the passen-
gers and their goods.
The bridegroom resigned his wife's
dressing.case into her own hands, and
went in hurry to get their tickets; of
course he might as well have had them
some minutes before, but being in the
happy state of mind peculiar to mis- posi-
ton, he happened to forget that tickets
were even necessary till the last moment.
His newly made wife, too. was no more
on the alert than he was; she stood where
he left her, half dreaming. | believe, and
entirely oblivious of where she was. almost
wondering who she was.
She was a pretty, fair. young woman OF
two or three and twenty, dressed with
good taste and in manner becoming
clergyman's daughter and clergyman's
wife, for the change in her lite was as lit
tie as could be in some ways; she was
only going from--being dauhgter--oner rec
tory to be mistress OF another.
Still it was change, and as wonderful
to her as it has seemed and forever will
seem to every bride that's ever wed, and
there is small reason to wonder that she
|
as to start when the great bell set out ring
ing close beside her, and voice shouted,
"Other side for the down train " She was
startled and frightened, and without think
inc of what she was doing, sprang down
two or three awkward steps, burdened as
she was with sunshade and dressing-case,
and essayed to cross the rails.
Gross by the bridge, miss" shouted
| pprtnr ss( tO,na hack thprp'S no stems
that side - cried out some one else.
And make haste, mann; you can get
over bv the bridge" roared some one else
And Mrs. Maye, Hurried and scarce know
ing what she did, ran back across the rails,
dropped her sunshade, stopped to pick it
up, and as she rose up again saw, in a sort
of confused way, her husbands face Ut
horror as he appeared at the door OF the
booking office, and heard a cry of alarm
from the people on the platform. mingled
with a rushing sound close behind her.
A great dread came ON her. though she
did not know her actual danger. She
made one spring towards the platform
and tainted as a strong mans arm grasped
her round the waist, and dragged her in
sensible but safe from before the crushing
monster that came up at the moment
She knew nothing of the hubbub that fol-
lowed, recovering consciousness only as
the train was moving off.
Her first look was for her husband, who
came hurrying into the room where she
had been carried just as she opened her
eyes.
He had been shaking the hand of one
of the passengers who had Just left in the
departing train, telling the black-mous-
tached foreigner whose strength and pres.
ence of mind had saved bis wife, that new
er could he thank him, never could he re-
pay him enough for what he had done.
He broke down in the midst of what he
would have said, and finding only words
enough to ask the young Frenchman's ad-
dress. wrung his hand again as it was
stretched to him out of second-class car
riage. and sped back to his wife, newly
won and nearly lost
Good sakes aliver' said fat kind
hearted country-wOman in state of great
heat and excitement, who was attending
to the bride. MY heart, but you was
nearly gone. If the black faced gentle
man" (equivocalD y "hadn't "a KEEP hold
on yer fast, miss, you'd not have been
here now. But there, take some more
water, my dear holding some of the
tepid liquid usually found in railway
waitingroom to the pale lips, land hold
up bit; the young parson looks like a
sheet he do!" This she added as Mr..
Maye came into the room, looking indeed
almost as white as his wife.
He got her ont into the air after they
had shaken hands with the market woman
and thanked her for her kindness SO hear
tily that she, too. was somewhat over
come, and uttered blessings on their heads
sufficient TO keep them happy through
long life; and when the pofters and the
staton-master and his wife and children
and the few lookers-on had left them to
themselves again, they set themselves
to plan where they were to go, as their
original destination could not be reached
that evening.
So on their journey the next train bore
them safely away, and the mornings peril
thenceforth was thing only to be remem-
bered with exceeding thankfulnes for the
hscape therefrom.
Time passed on and in the village Of
Stairway our bride had long since settled
down into ulIiet matrOnhOOd