Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-09-28
SENT BY EXPRESS; OR WHAT FRANK
EVANS MISSED.

EVANS MISSED.
Marian Harland was alone in the world
her mother just buried.
She was a beautiful, brown-haired girl,
with soft, SHY eyes of violet-gray, and rosy
lips compressed to u firmness far beyond
her years. For after all she was scarcely
seventeen. and so Deacon Gray was telling
her, as he sat by the fire spreading his huge
hands over the tardy blaze, and asked:
'But what are you going to do to earn
your bread and butter, child?"
81 don't know; l haven't thought.
Mamma had an uncle in New York
who
Eyes, yes-I've heerd tell about him
he was mad because your mother didn't
marry Just exactly to suit him ; wasn't
it?'
Marian was silent. Deacon Gray wait
ed d few minutes, hoping she would admit
him into her secret meditations; but she
did not, and the Deacon went away home,
to tell his wife that that Harlan gal was
the very queerest creetur he had ever come
across.'
Meantime Marian was busy packing her
few sclnty things into a little carpet-bag,
by the weird. Pickering light of the dying
wood fire.
Il will go to New York; said she to
herself, setting her small pearly teeth
firmly together. my mother uncleshaU
hear my cause pleaded through my own
lips. Oh, [ wish my heart would not throb
SO wildly! I am no longer meek Minnie
Harlan; am an orphan, all alone iii the
world, who must fight life's battle with
my own hands,
Lower Broadway, at seven CLOCK IN the
evening What d Babel "f crashing wheels,
hurrying humanity, and conglonlerate
noises it was Minnie Harlan sat in the
corner of an express office, under the gas
light, surrounded by boxes, and wondered
whether people ever went crazy in this per
petual din and tumult. Her dress was very
plain-gray poplin-with shabby, old
fashioned little straw bonnet, tied with
black ribbons, and blue veil, while her
only article of baggage, the carpet-bag,
lay in her lap. She had sat there two
hours, and was very tired.
Poor little thing!" thought the dark
haired young clerk nearest her, who in
habited Il sort of wire cage, under circle
of gas lights. And then he took up his
pen and plunged into perfect Atlantic
ocean of accounts.
"Mr. Evans"
"Sir."
The dark haired clerk emerged from his
cage, with his pen behind his ear, in ODE
dience to the reckoning finger of his SUI
perior.
II have noticed that young woman sit
ting here for some time-how came she
here?"
Expressed on, sir, from Millington,
Iowa-arriYed this afternoon.
AS though poor Minnie Harlan were a
box OF a parcel.
''Who for?" inquired the superior.
"Consigned to Walter Harrington,
ESQ.,
"And hasn't she been called fOr?''
81 sent TO Mr.. Harrington's address, to
notify him, sometime ago, and l expect an
answer every moment"
every odd," said the gray-h haired gentle.
man, taking up his newspaper.
Yes, sir; rather"
Sore three-quarters of an hour after
ward, Frank Evans came to the pale girls
side with undesirable pity in his hazle
eyes.
"Mss Harlan, we have sent to Mr.. Har
rington S RESIDENCE
Minnie looked up with a feverish red
upon her cheek, and her hands claspeC
tightly on the handle of the faded carpet
bag.
''And we regret to inform you that hi
sailed for Europe at II O'Clock today"
A sudden blur came over Minnie's eyes
she trembled like a leaf. In all her cal
culations she had made no allowance fol-
an exigency like this.
"Can we do anything further for you?'
questioned the young clerk, politely.
''Nothing-no one can do anything
now!"
Frank Evans was about turning away
when something in the piteous tones of he1
voice appealed to every manly instinct
within him, and he said:
2 ''Shall 1 send to any other of YOU
friends?"
. II have no friends,' replied she.
''Perhaps 1 can have your things sent tt
some quiet, family hotel9'
Minnie opened her little leather purse
and showed him two ten-cent pieces, will
a smile that was almost a tear, saying
'sThis is all the money have in the world
? STRIP
So young, so beautiful, and so desolatei
Frank Evans had been in New York al