Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-03-06
THE TICKET AGENT.

said Farmer Brown, coming out into
the waiting-room of the little depot.
s'The train 1 was to take?' l said,
gasping.
s'Yes, ma'am Too bad, but can't
be helped. Harness will give out
sometimes, YOU know" said he, SYM
pathizingly.
"When is the next western train
due?''
mot until six o'clock; you've five
hours to wait. Be dreadful tiresome,
ma'am There's nice family that
lives in t'other part of the house.
'Spose l tote you in there. l know
Mrs. Holly'll give you bite O. suth-
in to eat, and she'll be proud to let
you rest on her spare bed. Fine
woman, Mrs. Holly is; know her.
Won't you go in and see her,
ma am!"
mo, thank you, sir; / dare say
that I'll be quite comfortable here"
"Waal, je,' as you please. But
now must be going. Hope you'll
git to your journeys end safe, ,ma'am.
And Farmer Brown left the room,
mounted his wagon, and soon disap
peared down the dusty road.
L had been visiting a friend who
lived in country settlement, some
fye or six miles from the solitary
building dignified by the name of
depot and, when the time came for
me to return home, she placed me IN
care of a neighhoring farmer who was
gong to a distant village, and would
pass the station.
During our ride we met with an
accident Part of the harness gave
way, and we were detained such
length of time that, as the reader
knows, was too late for the train.
After Farmer Brown left me /
amused myself by reading newspa-
per which some one hand left lying
on the seat.
Finishing this, / studied the de-
sign OF the wallpaper, counted the
panes of glass in the little window,
and wondered at the tidiness Of the
whole apartment.
Country depots are generally such
vile, dirty places; wonder why this
is an exceptionr' l said TO myself.
Then a thought struck me. 'Oh,
probably the place is kept clean by
Mrs. Holly, over whose virtues Far
mer Brown was SO enthusiastic.
Wonder if this same worthy female
would give me glass of wster:"
And | tapped on the door com
municating with the other apartments.
Com in" said q cherry voice,
and, entering, l found myself in one
of the prettiest, coziest rooms l had
ever seen.
The most delicious tint of buff was
on the walls; cool mating covered
the floor; muslin curtains, fcstooned
with ivy, hung at the windows; pic
lures and flowers and all the dainty
, belongings that make room look 90
+ honey and pleasant.
And, most charming Of all, there
Eny lay y fast asleep, With rings rings OF golden @
4. hair falling over his white brow, and
a great, red, velvent rose clasped in
his dimpled hand.
Over him bent woman of twenty
two or three ycars-a little mite OF
a woman, with a bright, dark face,
wildly colored, big black eyes, and
wonderous dark hair wound in heavy
braids about her stately head.
She arose with n smile when | en-
tered.
Excuse me but may l trouble
you for glass of water?" / said.
mo trouble at all, ma am. Pray
be seated. Excuse me-. And she
left the room.
Presently she returned bringing a
salver covered with n snow white
napkin, and containing glass of
water, aglass of creamy milk,a saucer
| Of lucious Strawberries. and plate
of sponge-cake light as yellow foam.
Pardon me-" she said, smiling,
''if take too great liberty, but,
! YOU SEE, Farmer Brown told me o.
your being obliged to wait SO long,
and | Thought you might be hungry"
''Why, how very kind You are"
~ claimed in pleased surprise.
Not at ali it $ pleasure to me.
Ii you are hot and dusty, perhaps
,ou'd like to battle your face. If so,
Just step in here -
And she le | the way into little
white bed room-the very heart of
cleanliness and purity.
L., - Z i,
being from the cross, dusty, hungry
mortal who had sat in the hot wait
ing-rOom. | found Mrs. Holly a.
perfect little gem of a woman; and, |
after the manner of our sex, we soon
became as well acquainted as if we
had known each other for years. And |
while was lying languidly upon her
comfortable sofa, and she seated in
her low chair stitching away at her
haby' dress, she told me the one ro-
nance of her life.
81 have lived in this little depot
all my days" she began. "My
father was agent here; and he served
the company so long and so we'll that
when he died they kindly allowed me
to remain in his place, with the sane
wages, too! For, you see, was sew
enteen, and my father had long be-
fore taught me telegraphing and all
the other work. About year after
fathers death / became acqainted
with Jack-Jack Holly, my husband"
and Mrs Holly looked up and smiled.
''Jack was one Of the best engineers
on the road (and is now, too), and
everybody considers him an honest,
likely young fellow. He thought the
world of me. and we became engaged.
But you know how girls are! The
weakest of them can make strong
man tremble."
"A weak girl held all his heart
strings in her small, white hand" l
said.
"Yes, and dare say l often pull |
cd Jacks heart-strlngs rather hare.
but he was gentle and patient when l
firted with the country lads, and {
hnI