River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-29
The Inside Passenger.

dress
The Inside Passenger.
II wonder if the Goa n is never COM
ing, said Rachel Hail.
The thermometer was nearly at zero;
snow and sleet were eddying through the
air, and the last vestages Of daylight
were fast fading out of the wintry sky
aud Rachel Hall, walking up and down,
up and down, the dismal waiting room
of the little country inn, where the train
had left her. was beginning, like Mariana
in the Moated Grange, to "grow weary"
" Is the coach often as late as this2n
said she to the landlady, a motherly-
looking woman, with CHEEKY cheeks and
stitfiy -starohod lace cap border. who
was stoning raisins for mince pies with d
sort Of dull diligence.
Well, no, miss, not often. But the
weather's agin it now. Slippery roads,
and sleet like so many pins and needles,
is hard, miss, both on men and horses
And she stirred the fire and lighted q
lamp, while Rachel once more resumed
her monotonous promenade up and down
the long room. For she had deal TO
think Of, and in this stage of enforced
i1ieness her mind seemed to grow pre-
ternaturaiiy active.
She was IA slight, dark eyed girl Of six
or seven and-twentv. with clear pale
skin, hair growing low on her forehead,
AMI deep dimple growing in the very
centre of her chIn-nOt pretty, but singu-
larly attractive. And she was going TO a
little village up among the mountains to
take thu alace Of assistant teacher in an
establishment that went by the euphoni-
Gus title OF st. Adelgithas Academy.
ST. A6eigi,ha's Academy was dreary
ans desoiafo place, and the salary was by
no means LARGE; but Rachel Hall had
learned what it was to be homeless and
penDIless in the streets of city.
She had Given music lessons, she had
ma je wax flowers, she had stood behind
counter from daylight 10 dark, she had
even applied. in vain, for a situation as
waitress IN restaurant.
And just as she was making up heI
mind to starve quietly to death came this
offer, extended through the influence OF
an old professor who had known her once
and II chel Hall rad grasped at II as .
dying man erasps at straw.
II must succeed, she told herself over
and over. II Will succeed, if l have Il
| it up ali night long to keep myself well
III advance of the pupils"
For Rachel had as brave heart beating
within her bosom as if she had been the
| heroine of novel, instead of poor little
hard working school teacher.
As these thoughts crossed through her
mind there was the crushing OF wheels
without, and the coach rumblcd into view
its lamps shining luridly through the
storm anddarkness like the eyes Of some
antediluvian me nster. The Ian lady open
ed the door.
"Now, Miss, if you're ready" said she,
And, hah-blinded with the contrast be-
tween the lighted room and the sleety
gloom of the road, Rachel hurried out.
''Are there any other inside passen-
gers?" she asked, trying to peer into the
pitehy darkness Of the stage coach, as the
driver stood by the open door.
Only ooe, miss, said he, with a grin !;
''for Geneva Heights. And he won't
trouble you, guess. Look lively, if you
please, miss We're half an hour behind
now"
Cannot i have light inside here?''
| said Rachel, seating herself rather reluct-
antly among the damp cushions of the
back seat,
We've lighted it twice, miss" said
the driver, land twice the wind has blown
it out. And beside that, miss, it amt al
together safe, what with the straw, the
leather linin', and all"
With this the Jheu once more climbed
up on mis- airy height, where taciturn
companion sat slapping his hand across
his chest TO keep himself warm, and poor
Rachel sank shuddering back into the
musty-smelljng recesses of the coach,
rather wondering that her fellow travel
Ter, whose figure she could dimly discern
in the other corner, spoke no word OF
comment or greeting.
To be sure she was stranger, but was
there not always a sort of FreemasonIy
of courtesy between travellers
mo doubt he Is a sour old nissan
| thrope!H said she to herself.
Aud she sat very quiet, for fear she
would disturb him.
Presently, however, the silence began
/ to grow almost appalling.
Il will speak, thought Rachel: and
with a little preliminary cleaning of hel
throat, she began, This Is a terribly
rough road, sir"
There was no answer.
HE didn't hear me" she thought, anC
repeated her remark in a little loude
| tone.
still there was no response.
Deaf, perhaps thought she. "Well
l shall not try again-"
But she began to grow terribly nervou
and uncomfortable IN the horrible gloon
and silence that seemed TO wrap be
around like shroud, and eli sorts of grisl-
possibilities began TO occur to her abnorm
ally excited fancy.
Gould it be, she thought, "that hi
was some poor lunatic, whom they wer
transporting TO the private asylum a
Geneva Heightstn
And At the very idea her blood bepal
90 run chill through her veins. Shout
she stop the stage.-shouid she call alou
for help?
Just then they rumbled past the light
of tOll-gate, and from the one swift
glance which Rachel was enabled TO taxi
she could preceiye that the figur
diagonally opposite her was wrapped j
a travelling rug, that ii reelined stiiiiy, d
if it were perfectly rigid, and that -
ace was deadly pallid, and without
hat.
And then with lightning suddenness