The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-08-21

How dark and smoky n crowded the
depot seemed just then Engines we're
putting and filling, bells were ringing,
hackmen shouting, every one rushing
hither and yon, elbowing, pushing.
Wa all creation en- route for somewhere =?
was anybody left at home to look after
the silver and the "help? ?" Aunt Kitty
wondered as she insinuated herself into
the heal neighborhood Of the baggage
car and adjusted her glasses. "Mercy,"
said she, "what a bedlam !"
"Isn't it thought" replied a woman
at her elbow. "I can't hear my own
ears-can you? Seems as though my
baggage wouldn't ever turn up. It's
dreadful standing here ct the mercy Of
this crowd, they push you about so.
Pardon; did I tread on your skirt?"
"Oh, never mind" said Aunt Hitty;
"'twasn't your fault. Isn't that my
trunk No-oh dear ~
"It's awfully confusing" she con-
fessed, having finally Joined Amy in the
New York train. "1t'sa pity that some
of the people can't stay at home. I
should think it was a Bedouin commu-
nifty"
"Tickets |" demanded the conductor,
on his rounds.
Aunt Hetty plunged her hand into her
dress pocket, into the pocket of her
over-skirt, into the pocket of her sacque,
into her bag, and wrestled with ell its
contents. Goodness cave us |" she
gasped, "my poeket-has been-pick-
ed !" Fortunately Miss Kitty had taken
the precaution of secreting the bulk of
her funds about her person, and the
pocketbook had contained only ten dol
lars in money, a recipe for mock hihce
pies, and a scrap of poetry, the tickets
being in Amy's charge, as it happened.
"Well, there was such a crowd in the
depot, that I wonder I came away with
my Senses" she explained. "Do get
me a drink of water, Amy. I'm dry as
a fish, from excitement Though why a
fish, which is always wet, should be call
ed dry, is a paradox Miss Kitty didn't
reflect upon). "The cup is in my bag.
No? Amy Vane, how helpless you are |
If it was a bear, it would bite you. Give
me the bagl But alas a.! Miss Hitty's
bag was unlike little Beniamin's sack:
the silver cup was not to be found in it
"You don't suppose I left it in the cars
in Boston 2" she questioned-"th that cup,
which hos been in the family for gener-
atoms ?"
"We can telegraph to Boston from
the next station" suggested Amy, who
had a family feeling for the cup, after
all, "and perhaps r~ecoverit. Don't you
want TO sneak to the conductor about a
sleeping-car2"
"a sleeping-carl What do you think
Pm made of"
"You will have an attack of your
asthma, Aunt Kitty; you aren't used to
sitting up all night"
"Ill make the experiment, anyway;
two dollars aren't to be sneezed at in my
circumstances. A penny saved is a
penny earned"
"You won'tget a wink Of sleep. For
my part, I would rather pay twenty dol
lars than lose a ninnt's rest"
"I dare say yo7, would. You've no
more idea of economy than the babes in
the woods. Any n who's sleepy can
sleep on stills" .
every we'll; pleasant dreams to you. " y
It seemed to Amy as if the night were
endless. Not q tree, nor a w~ater-course,
nor. a russell hillside to be discerned
through the darkness; not so much as a
star for company, nothing but the
smoky lamps winking at her. Amy
wished with all her heart that Mr. Tray
is had been at hand to help her kill
time; as for Aunt Kitty, she ~improvised
a pillow of her waterproof, and got q
crick in her neck instead of a nap; and
when everybody had aboutabandonedthe
hope of overtaking the morning, 60 Mt
what lightning speed they would, the
lights began to look like sickly ghosts at
cock-crow, the eastern sky blushing like a
rose, unfolding petal after petal of light
and color, birds began to hutter along
the wayside, shaking the dew from wing
and bush IN their flight. and presently
the train rolled into the Grand Central
Depot, and stopped painting and Wheel
ing.
"Give me your purse, Amy" COM
manded Miss Kitty, ''while you look up
the baggage; it isn't worth while to risk
anything. I'll 60 and buy the tickets,
and keep a seat for you in the Hudson
River train" Miss Hitty's voice was
husky, and her eyes were full of meta
phorical sticks.
Amy had never been in New York be-
fore-indeed, her travelling had chiefly
been confined to a trip to Boston once
year-and the crowd and the confusion,
the rush and hurry every n seemed tc
be in, the Stacking and ~shunting Of
cars, added to the stupid half-awake
sensation resulting from a broken night,
gave her a nervous lack of confidence ii
herself. It appeared an eternity before
her trunks came to light, and al eon OF
two before they were finally checked
then she picked her way through the
throng as speedily as possible, only tc
see the Hudson River train moving out
of the depot. She stood like n para
lyzed, and watched it 60, letting the
crowd surge around her. Some one out
of the human vortex paused and looked
at her, turned back, and held out a re-
assuring hand.
Miss Vane, / believe ?" said Dorset
Travis. care you waiting for any one
Can I be of service to your"
"Oh, MI. Travis, I have lost my
train % cried Amy.
"Is that all? May I ask which way
you are going"
"We were going to Niagara-Aunt
Hitty and I. She is in the train, with
the tickets-and my purse"
"Wel met, then," said he. "Itm
going to Niagara myself in the afternoon
train, and shall be happy to be your
escort, if you will allow me. In the
meantime, here is o coach waiting fol
Us. We will take breakfast at Delmon'
ico's, and have time to look into a pic,
ture-gallery and drive in the park before
dinner, if you don't object"
"Oh, thank you, MI. Travis Wha
a godsend you are !" cried Amy, efu
sively. "Wha would have become O
me if you hadn't happened by?"
"I'm glad my lines have fallen in sucl
pleasant places, he said. 81 hope 20,
haven't forgotten the fortnight we spen
of Miss Cabot's together O year ago?"
What a breakfast they had at Delmon
ico's, to be sure how debonair ant
communicable Dorset Travis was !-olt
Martin Travis's grandson, too! Befor
they had done up".the picture-galler,
Amy felt as if she had known him iron
the beginning-easy in confesslng he
ignorance, sure of his sympathetic in
dulgence-and by the time they ha'
taken a turn in the park she had decide!
- -.,-. ,,or, n bod fbino tn losa oOa'