Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-01


sional atfectionate pressure of the feet
an operation that is little difficult, by
the-bye; dangerous through its oPenness
to the mistake of pressing somebody
else's foot, and exposed to the ridiculous
error of making advances to the foot
warmer and other things under the seat.
To do her justice, Arabella had never
been backward in reciprocities of this
kind, but on this occasion she was es-
pecially demonstrative; indeed, as
| happened to possess a corn only less ten
| der than my sentiments toward her, her
attentions, which;I could not, ofcourse,
but welcome, were a little embarrassing.
Az last l perceived by the direction of
her glance that they had particular OBJ
ject. Her eyes were fixed on the vol
ume that our railway companion had
purchased at the station, and she was
| telegraphing to me with intense excite
ment, 1t is the Bandit of the Apen-
| mines. J"
declare that for the first moment or
two | quite forgot my Arabella in the
confederation ofthis tremendous circum-
stance. That stranger should have
actually bought my book, paid coin of
the realm for it, of his own head, with
out fear or favor or personal relation
ship, and then got into the same COM
partment as the author of that admirable
production, was something much more
than an undersigned coincidence; it was
an incident (remember it was my first
| book calculated to confound the infidel
and establish the providential govern
ment of the world. "Bu suppose-for
everything is possible, however improb-
able"-thought |, with a sudden revul-
sion, :" that he shouldn't like it, that he
should yawn and even go to sleep over
it, and that Arabella, who wants to
know the opinion of outsiders about the
Bandit of the Apennines, should see
himP" My heart felt cold as stone.
1t was obvious that my beloved object
was enjoying the situation; her eyes
sparkled even more brightly than usual
with joy, no doubt, at seeing how |
was appreciated by the public; but there
was twinkle of fun about them which
didn't like. "NoW we shall see what
we shall see," they seemed to say.
The man was not romantic-looking
man, such as would be likely to enjoy
high class dramatic fiction; | should
have said he was lawyer, or perhaps
connected with commerce-and not in
the fancy goods line either. Upon the
whole, [ was relieved to see that, after
fumbling in all his pockets for paper
knife, he was about to put the Brigand"
(Which was uncut) into his travelling bag
for q more convenient season, when, to
my horror, Arabella's aunt-a good
natured but of1icious personage-pro-
duced from her reticule the article of
which he stood in need. He thanked
her, and proceeded to cut the book, with
irreverent rapidity, as though it were a
penny paper; nevertheless, was pleased
that he cut it all at once, for if Ire had
cut as he read, and stopped half wa, OF
even earlier, it might have produced the
impression that he was tired Of it.
- 1t is pity" he SAID, as he handed
the knife back with bow to Arabella's
aunt, "that these railway books should
not have their leaves cut but they tell
me that the reason is that good many
of 'em don't go off, and then the sheets
are used for packing purposes"
saw Arabella's beautiful form trem-
bic with suppressed mirth at this fright
full speech. 1t seemed to me that there
was something unnatural and a little
coarse in girl of her age possessing
such a sense of humor; her pretty lips
distinctly formed the words {" for pack
ing purposes before they subsidized into
II rOguish smile.
linen the man began to read, but not
in satisfactory manner; instead of his
attention being at once riveted Gas 1t
ought to have been, for there was most
thrilling episode in the first chapter), it
was distracted by contemplate objects
the management of his railway rug,
the pushing of his portmanteau further
under the seat, and by the localities on
the wayside. He must have been mad
himself, thought, to have stared at the
Hanwell asylum so attentively at the
very moment-for l knew where he was
by the pages he had turned over-when
all his intelligence should have been
concentrated on the description of the
brigand's prison cell. / am not a pes
simist--I endeayor to think as well of
our common human nature as circum-
stances will permit-and yet | could
almost swear that | saw him turn over
two pages at time without discovering
his mistake, and that in the middle of
an equal contest between the 'brigand
and five officers of justice, that should
have stirred the blood of sea anemone.
Then, presuming upon the paper knife
as an introduction, he would address
word or two to Aunt Arabella, as to
whether she liked the window shut to
the very top or preferred sitting with
her face to the engine Gas if that signi-
fied), while the heroine, in whose ad-
ventures he ought to have been wrapped
up, was escaping out of window
much to small for her, and by rope
that swayed with every gust from the
mountain side.
1t was | alone, of course, who was
aware of the extent ofhis enormity, fol
Arabella only knew he had my book il
his hand, and Arabella's aunt did no
even know that; but it was easy ever
} for them to see that his attention wa
not devoted to it. Indeed, everv nov
and then he stole glance of admiration
at Arabella herself. which should hav
, objected to at any time, but which un
J der the circumstances was doubly i'm
pertinent and offensive; as an old man
7 old enough to be her father, forty at th
| very least-he ought to have been asham
9 ed of himself, and as man of business
5 he ought to have been attending to hi
business and getting his moneys wort
6 out of his investment. Then-horror G
I. horrors-as we drew near Swindon (per
: haps it was the motion of the train al
= fecting his aged frame, or the need {
4 lunch asserting itself in his enfeeble
carcass), he actually began to drop off i
s little snatches OIL hesitate, in charity
G to say sleep-but of somnolency. Tia
t idea to which clung was that he close
: his eyes the better to picture the scene
which the author of the " Brigand {
!" the Apennines" had so vividly painted
but this explanation it was difficult fc
+ me to communicate to Arabella (wh
# sat next to him), by the mere pressur,
: however significant, Of my foot; in he
eyes I felt that this cold-blooded an