St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-04-26
A Word in Season.

The Day Accommodation on the Shore
Line, was making its deliberate way
eastward, curving with every curve of
the Connecticut shore, and clingiDg to
the water-side as though actuated by Il
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 golden sedge; over all, superb
arch of sun-lit sky. 1t was a delicious
late autumn day, and Miss Mallows
found, That Husband Of Nine so little
engrOssing - perhaps because of her
maidenly unacquaintance with the pos
sessive case of that article-that she
flung it down and betOok herself to gaz-
ing from the window. She was growing
dreamy, as gazers at a rapidly changing
scene are apt to do, when word reached
her ear, and aroused curiosity enough to
make her turn her head. 1t was wo-
mans name, and an uncommon one
"Arethusa.n
The person who uttered it was man.
His seat was on the opposite side of the
car, and little in advance of that which
Miss MallOws herself occupied, and she
now observed that there was something
odd about his appearance. His head and
shoulders were massive and finely
formed his face seen in profile was a
good one, with kindly eyes and strik-
ing forehead, broad and benevolent. But
there was something dwarfish in his at
itude, and when presently he half rose
to shut the window, it became apparent
that he was u dwarf. There was no de-
formity, but the large head and broad
shoulders were balanced by miserable
pair of little legs not longer than those
of a child of ten. He was not young,
temples and in his full beard, and alto
gether his appearance was half repul-
sive and half attractive, and awoke a
feeling compounded of goodwill and
pity, so strangely mingled, that it was
hard to tell which predominated.
His cOmpaniOn-evidently the care
thusa" addressed, was a girl not over
twenty, of that delicate type of pretti-
ness known as "American," which fades
so early, but is charming in its brief
tiower-time. Her new gray suit with
crepe lisse ruffles at throat and wrist.
the crisp feather in her hat, even the
shining red leather of her traveling-bag
and the perfectly fresh, carefully put-on
gloves, bespoke the bride, but there was
something very unbridal in the face
which the tineries surrounded. The ewes.
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 together with tightness
like terror. Once or twice as Miss NAL
lows watched, she fought with emotion,
and called up a wan little smile in an
swer to something said to her, but she
never spoke. Her companion, on the
contrary, talked incessantly in low
voiced, steady strain. Miss Mallows
could catch only a word now and then,
and her curiosity about the couple grew
so strong, that she felt that she wonld
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 bis