Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-04-19
4 WORD N SE.fSON.


The Day Accommodation on the Shore
Line was making its deliberate way eastward
curying with every curve of the Connecticut
shore, and clinging to the water side as though
actuated by a sentiment for coast scenery
On one side Of the track lay the blue, white
capped sea; on the other low rolling hills
with fairgrounds of brown meadow and gold
en- scdge; over all, superb arch of sun-lt
sky. II was a delicious late autumn day, and
Miss Alallows found That HuSbaltd If Mine
so little engrossing- perhaps because of her
maidenly unacquantance with the possessive
case of that article-thAt she flung it down
and betook herself to gazing from the win
dow. She was growing dreamy. as gazers at
II rapidly changing scene are apt to do. when
word reached her ear. and aroused curiosity
enough To make her turn her head II was a
woman's name and an uncommon one-"Ar-
ethusa."
The person who uttered it was a man His
seat was ON the opposite side of the car and
a little i'll advance of that which Miss Mallows
hersef occupied. and she now observed that
there was something odd about his appear
ance. His head and shoulders were massive
and tiuely-fomed; his face seen in profile
was good one, with kindly eyes and "a strik-
ing forehead. broad and benevolent But
there was something dwarfish in his attitude
and when presently he half rose to shut the
window. 1t became apparent that he was
dwarf. There was 10 deformity, but the
large head and broad shoulders were balanced
by miserable pair of little legs not longer
than those of II child of ten. lie was not
young, for there were grizzled hairs about his
temples and in his full beard, and altogether
his appearance was half repulsive and half at
tractiye, and awoke a feeling compounded of
goodwill and pity so strangely mingled that
it WAS hard to tell which predominated
His companion-e evidently the "Arethusa"
addressed. WAS IL girl not over twenty of that
delicate type of prettiness known as "Ameri-
can, which fades early, but is charming
in its brief flower-time. Her new gray suit
with crepe lisse rutlles at throat and wrist, the
crisp feather in her hat, even the shining red
leather of her travelling bag, and the perfectly
fresh, carefully put-on gloves, bespoke the
bride, but there was something very unbridal
in the face which these fneres surrounded.
The eyes, blue in tint and beautifully shaped
and set, were swollen with crying, the lips
quivered nervously every vestige of color
had fled from the round childish cheeks, and
the hands in the new gloves were pinched to-
gether with tightness like terror. Once or
twice Miss Mallows watched, she fought
with emotion and called up wan little smile
in answer to something said to her, but she
never spoke. Her companion, on the con-
steady strain. Miss Mallows could catch on
ly a word now and then, and her curiosity
about the couple grew so strong that she felt
that she would pay any price to know their
story. There could be no doubt as to their
relation, she thought: they were husband
and wife, and just married. The little man
evidently had no thought except for his bride.
Mile after mile he talked and talked, devour-
ing her with his eyes the while. and she sat
with half-averted head, never meeting his
gaze or replying by a word to anything he
said. Once she turned and looked full at
Miss Mallows with wild appeal in her face
which was startling, but she instantly looked
away, and presently laid her arm on the win
dow-sill and her head on her arm and began
to cry in still, dreadful manner not sobbing
aloud, but trembling all over with pent-up
feeling which was worse than outbreak The
man tried in vain to soothe her; she repelled
him gently but decidedly and at last he gave
up the attempt, and silently sat beside her
with grave troubled face.
Il shall die if l can't find out about those
people" thought the excited observer ON the
other side of the car. But she didn't die,
neither could she find out. One cannot walk
up to perfect strangers and demand, Your
story or your life ut is impossible. So
Miss Mallows sat still, her conjectures ahame
and her fingers fairly twitching with impa-
tience, till at last the train stopped ut a little
way station, and the little man, rising from
his seat-and, alas looking even shorter
than when he sat, said, in gentle, depreca-
| tory tone, Nov, Arethusa"
With that they vanished. Miss Alallows
had one more glimpse of them, getting into
bpnd-new cauy-all, which looked as though
| it might be part of the wedding outfit, and
then the train bore her away. Her thoughts
remained behind, with the people in whom
she had taken so sudden and violent an inter-
| est
Il wonder, wonder, who they are, and
why ON earth she married him - ran her re-
Elections. 80 young and pretty, and so ev-
identity unhappy And for all her prettiness,
| it wasn't an educated face or even a lady's-
he looked far nicer than she. | feel exactly
MS though had dipped into the middle chap
ter of an exciting novel, and then somebody
| had taken away the book. What wouldn't
| give to read the beginning and end of it!
| That Husband IF Mine, indeed Stupid
wretch" And she gave the volume vicious
| little knock. ''How is one to endure such
twaddle, when really interesting things like
this are happening in real life all the time
Let me see-where was it that those people
| got out?" consulting her ticket. ''Upham
Corners-that is only ten, eleven, thirteen
miles from Patunxet. Perhaps Margaret Len
nox may know something of them. I'll ask
l her"