The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1879-01-03

n poem OF New year ana lts aSS0-
Citations when the ruthless conduc.
tor came along for her ticket.
How far are we from Montcourt
station ?" she inquired, as she gave
up the bit Of pasteboard.
"Next but one, MISS" said the
man, as he hurried on, with his Ian.
tern under his arm. " HALF an
hour yet"
She had never been so far from
| New York in all her lite before.
The driving the rain in which she
had left her home had changed, as
they progressed nOrthward, into a
steady fall Of snow, which tluttered
around them like 81 white waving
shrond. But Bertha Hooper cared
little for this. Had not Aunt Al
mira promised to send Zebedee,
her youngest son, TO the station
with the pony to meet ber on the
arrival Of the sixty four train from
New York And was not Nebedee
to have a lantern with red glass
door to it, so that ste could iden-
tify him at once?
She was very pretty as she sat
there in her little black velvet
toquc, with its curling plume OF
cardinal red, and the wine-red rib
bon bow a her throat-pretty with
the bloom and freshness of Is
years. She was dark, with large
hazel eyes, almond, shaped and
long pOinjed, clear. rosy bloom
on either cheek, aud wavy hair
hanging in Sikcu fringe over her
broad, low forehead,
"Mcnt - court - sta - ti0a !?
baWlcd the brakeman, putting i'll IA
snow-powdcred fur cap, and with
drawing it again as quickly as If
ne bad been magnificent edition
OF the Jack ina box, wherein chill
dren much rejoice at holiday time.
Aud Bertha Hooper knew that she
had reached her destination.
Stiff and crampcd for the length
| of time in which she had been sit
ting in one position, she rose up,
with little steel-clasped travelling
bag in one hand, and IA dainty silk
umbrella III the other, and made
her way to the door.
All she could see when she step
ped out upon the wet and slippery
platform was a blurr Of driving
SNOW, through which the lights Of
the solitary littlc country depot
cleaned tittullY; but the next in
slant something flashed athwart
her vision like IL friendly red eye
and beneath the reflection over the
station door, she SAW Il tall, fine
looking young man, in far
trimmed overcOat, Sealskin cap
set jauntiIy on Que side Of a crop
of chesnut curls, and Il red-lightpd
lantern swinging from his left haud,
as be stood straining his eyes into
the stormy darkness, as if to catch
sight Of some familiar face in the
little crowd.
"C0usin Zcbedcew " cried Bertha,
aloud, aud she made one Spring in
to the arms of this blonde " hiSker-
ed young giant. For had not she
and Zpbedee played dominOeS and
fox and geese together in the days |
when she wore blue ribbon sashes
and his hair was closely -shorn mat
of carroty red "Oh Cousin
Zehedee, Pm SO glad to see You
aud | hadn't any idea you had
grown half SO handsomew
Aud she gave him Il great hug,
at the same time holding up her
rosebud lips for kiss.
But, to her infinite amaZement,
the hero OF the seal.Skin cap seem
ed a little backward III responding
to her couSinly advances.
"l-l beg your PARDON" said he,
slightly receding, " but / am afraid
there is some mistake. My name
is not Zpbedre, and the lady for
whom | am looking is some yea
older than you"
Bertha Hooper started back, col
oring aud confused; aud, as she
did so, tat, comfortable. looking
old lady came trundliug along the
platform, in an India shawl aud a
boa of Russia sable worth its
weight in greenbacks.
"Charley y she cried, II thought
| should never find you. Is the
carriage hereW
"AlI here, and waiting Aunt
Eflie," responded the Young man;
bur he still hesitated second, as
Bertha Hooper stood with averted
face and motionlesS figure in the
of the building.
"Can Ue of any service to youG ;
he asked. "If you are expecting
friends who have failed to meet
YOU" ,
Anybody here by the name of 5
Berthy Hoo-oo-per 2" shouted a ;
stentoriah voice; and tall, raw (
ooking lad with a lantern-also 4
lighted with red glass - rushed {
around the corner. G
Zebedee himself! Zenedee, red |
haired aud shambling and awkward A
Is he bad been in the old fox-and- Il
geese days. II
"Oh !" said he catching up his y
antern, so that the scarlet birds $
wings dashed out, like a spit OF !
lame-scarcely more scarlet, alas ! II
han Bertha's own tace. Here 5
'ou be !" Fm little late, for the C
Dads is so all-tired bad and |
ouldn't start the pony out of a