Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-08-15

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kind than usual on this occasion. Bag,
transferred, and with q cordial smile OF
thanks she repoin;ed her pencil, and pre-
pared for day after her ewn heart, for
digestiug "The Insect World' at leisure
noting her fellow-travelers and their pecu-
liarities, and sweetening fact by an occa-
sional sugar-plum from the latest poet
THE entrance OF conductor No. 2 dis
turbed her reverie. She felt for her purse.
aud Jumped up aghast.
Conductor. | have dropped my purse in
the second car behind this-my purse, with
all my tickets In 1t Is there time to go
back and get itT'
mo. ms'am there IL not. That car
switched of for Boston five minutes ago. ="
The purse was lying on my lap. II
must have fallen when rose to change
cars. What can do? Could | telegraph
But haven't any money 10 pay for the
telegraph"
NO matter for that, ma'am.- said the
conductor, politely; "I1i telegraph, and
the answer will reach you at Exeter. I'm
picked the purse up before the conductor
on the up train gets the message"
What did he sayir inquired an old
woman across the aisle, As the conductor
moved on. "Was he hash with you, or
did he act clever
The conductors" said Aunt Sue in her
grandest tone. Most Kind and courteous
People always are" BY way Of stemminy
the tide of popular sympathy which seemed
likely 10 set in. she opened her book, and
hogan 10 read.
1T I. very provoking, said her inward
thoughts. How those girls will laugh at
me, | wish | could recollect how much
there was In the purse" and she entered
into a mental calculation, which left her
widely astray of the real sum Figures
were not Aunt Sues strong point.
Ten-twelve-ffteen dollars Il must
be-" she thought. I'm glad its no more :;
but, to be sure. good many nice things
can be got for that" She began 10 think
them over. until. what with subscriptions
To magazines, donations TO one thing and
another. and the purchase ofcs'bon pho
tographs. chromos. wood Carvings and
what not, the fifteen dollars bad been made
TO DO the work OF fifty. and had grown cor
respondingiy important I'm It's owners
eyes Exeter reached. the conductor re-
turned
NO message. maam. leave the road
here, but I've telegraphed TO have thepur-e
sent on II II is found; and II you'll give M
your address, I'll see that Il reaches you
safely"
SO the address was written, and pretty
soon the conductor appeared once more
Here Is paper una am, for you To show
the other conductors. | guess II will take
you along as far as Springfield. but after
that have no Influence. and you'll have
to manage for yourself You understand 2"
Yes. and thank you thousand times, v
murmured Aunt Sue. eXpressively; and
she said to herself. III that mans hair
had been dark. he would never have ex-
erted himself In this way. It's n perfect
confirmation of INV Theory. and shall
write TO Dora about It the moment get
home"
Now Aunt Sues theory was that light.
haired men are always attracted and drawn
out by dark-haired women. and rice rersG
She had clung to it under many discourage
menis. and on the present occasion found a
certain satisfaction In the opportunity af-
forded OF testing Its correctness Not
that II needs proof" she thought
"Hayen't tried Il a hundred times:-
The paper was a sort of circular ai-
dressed to whom 1t IL ght concern, or rath.
er TO the conductors of the T. NJ aud O.
Railroad. and settling forth that Miss Susan
P, OF Bunbrook, having been so unfortu-
nate as To lose her purse and tickets. those
officials would please help her along as
they could, and obllge G. W. Lansing, %
Division. II was little Ike a free pass. a
little like q begging letter; and with some
trepidadon Aunt Sue prepared to fire Il of
At conductor No. 3. who now entered
"Black hairr' she iny gasped. "Oh
dear"
This is all / have TO offer by way of a
ticket she said. In dulcet fones, feeling
a she afterwari confessed. like a hand
organ man or 9 blind meudicant passing
round hat.
Black hair proved propitious. His eye
brows elevated themselves a very little. 10
be sure; but that might have arisen from
sympathy ;and his questions were polite and
to the point. Aunt Sue grew more com
Portable. and began 10 be Intensely crate
ful TO G.. W. Lansing. "a Division. That
dear. good man." she thought. Iii he does
find my purse | declare must send him
something. Such kindness ought TO be
encouraged. owe IL 10 other women TO
do so. let me see. II shall be n book,
think; something practical. and At the
same time entertaining. She composed
the note which should go with IL. and
passed In review before her mind al the
books she had ever heard OF, from the
Koran TO Froude's History OF England
Il wish knew q little more about conduc-
tors and their tastes" she nused. $50 as
TO be able 10 tell what he would like best"
No. 4 was also n dark-haired man. and
gruff In manner. which, though disagreea-
bic In itself. afforded triumph TO the the
Ory. But No. 2. decided blonde light
haired as Amalaic the son of Anal. was
so much gruffer that the tbeOr. suffered 8
vfAln a H., =
brown-haired. brown-bearded. and devot-
edly polite. Aunt Sue became so confused
among the colorinys that she abandoned
theory. and gave herself up to the enjoy
menf Of civil treatment II was both in-
teresting and exciting. this temporary trial
of the charities of a cold world II shall
always know now" she nedit ated. how
TO sympathize with those poor creatures
who go about with papers; and il Is worth
the experience TO have found out just how
they feel''
Still the position was an embarrassing
one. Her well-to-dO life had never en-
countered such phase before. She was
conscious tina. her voice instinctively soft
eped and ''hOneyed" as she made again
aud yet again her little explanation. and
that a certain dread mingled with the Gu.
riOsity with which she anticipated the
muU Anu ne Cdtuc very Oftpn
indeed. the Y. NJ. and @ being a road of
many divisions and frequent changes No
one was less than civil on the whole; but
Aunt Sue was accustomed to more than
bare civility. and her eye, sharpened BY
wounded amour propre. noted every slight
token Of surprise. doubt, or scrutiny and
found them infinitely annoying. though t.
q more experienced tramp" they would
doubtless have seemed less than nothing.
The worst trial of all came in the Spring
field depot. The train. for the first and
only occasion on record, was exactly on
time. Shifts and savors OF annfterab fra.
GRANGE breathed from the kitchen Of the
neighboring Massaoit. Aunt Sue felt her
self dying Of hunger; there were twenty
five minutes to spare. and not crumb to
be had.
Twenty-Five minutes, Nothing was LEFT
but to sit in the car, and await the last Of
the condu tors and, thought she, IN /,
Lansing said his note would be OF no use
on the branch road. 80 no doubt shall
have dreadful time. Still, II the worst
comes to the worst, I could walk twenty
five miles"
But when this august personaPe made
bis appearance. Anht Sue gave . deep sigh