The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-28
The Inside Passenger.

j. {
ing, said Rachel Hall.
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
and 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 this?''
said she to the landlady, mo therly-
looking woman, with CHEEKY cheeks and
q stlffiy -starched, lace cap border, who
was stoning raisins for mince pies with a
sort Of dull diligence
Well, no, miss, not often. But the
weather's ag'in it now. Slippery roads,
and sleet like 50 many pins and needles.
is hard, miss, both on men and horses.
And she stirred the fire and lighted a
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
idleness her mind seemed to grow pre-.
ternaturally active.
She was slight, dark-eyed girl of six
Or seven-and- twenty, with a clear pale
skin, hair growing low on her forehead,
and deep dimple growing in the very
centre OF her chln-not pretty, but singu-
larly attractive. And she was going to a
little village up among the mountains to
take the place of assistant teacher in an
establishment that went by the euphoni-
Gus title OF St. Adelgitha's Academy.
st. Adelgitha's Academy was a dreary
and desolate place, and the salary was by
no means large; but Rachel Hall had
learned what it was to be homeless and
penniless in the streets of a city
She had Given music lessons, she had
made wax flowers, she had stood behind
counter from daylight to dark, she had
even applied, in vain, for a situation as
waitress in a restaurant "
And just as she was making up her
mind to starve quietly to death came this
offer, extended through the influence of
an old professor who had known her once,
and Rachel Hall had grasped at it as a
dying man grasps at straw.
II must succeed" she told herself over
and over. II will succeed, if I have to
sit up all night long to keep myself we'll
In 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 rumbled into view,
its lamps shining luridly through the
storm anddarknesS like the eyes Of some
antediluvian monster. The Ian 1lady open
ed the door.
''Now, Miss: if you're ready" said she.
And, half-b blinded with the contrast be-
tween the lighted room and the sleetv
gloom Of the road, Rachel hurried out.
care there any other inside passen-
gers?" she asked, trying to peer into the
pitchy darkness Of the stage-coach, as the
driver stood by the open door.
"Only one, 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 herlen
said Rachel, seating herself rather reluct-
antly among the damp cushions of the
back seat,
"We've lighted it twice, MISS" said
the driver, ''and 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 his 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-smelling 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 ..
10 be sure she was stranger, but was
there not always sort of Freemasonry
OF courtesy between travellers2
mo doubt he IS sour old misan-
thrope!' said she to herself.
And she sat very quiet, for fear she
would disturb him.
Presently, however, the silence began
to grow almost appalling.
II will speak," thought Rachel: and,
with little preliminary cleaning of her
throat, she began, "This is a terribly
rough road, sir" -.
There was no answer. a..
= Gle didn't hear me-" she thought, and
repeated her remark in a little louder
tone.
Still there was no response.
Deaf, perhaps thought she. "Well,
l shall not try again"
But she began to grow terribly nervous
and uncomfortable in the horrible gloom
and silence that seemed to wrap her
around like a shroud land all sorts of grisly
possibilities began to occur to her abnorm-
ally excited fancy.
"Could it be- she thought, "that this
was some poor lunatic, whom they were
transporting to the private asylum at
Geneva Heights?"
And at the very idea her blood began
to run chill through her veins. Should
she stop the stage?-should she call aloud
for help?
just then they rumbled past the lights
OF toll-gate, and from the one swift
glance which Rachel was enabled to take.
she could preceive that the figure
opposite her was wrapped in