The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-08

to the light, and couldn't see her face,
her voice was cool enough to show that
she was not overpowered by fear.
What time you've been coming ~
she said. Where Is 1t ~
Where's what 7"
But though yelled the question with
all my might and main, believe
might just as hopefully have questioned
the telegraph post which could dimly
see beside us, and have expected an an
swer along the wire.
Whereis The small luncheon basketY
she asked pulling out her long purse
with great fusion. "A small luncheon
basket, my good man, make haste.'
Shall ever forget the sharp expect
ancy of the old lady's eyes as they look
ed into mine, first over, then under,
then through her gllttering gold trimmed
spectacles. What surprised me most
particularly was the fact of her decided
ly being, as any one might suppose, a
raving lunatic.
" Be quick with the small luncheon
basket, please" she said resignedly sit
ting down, and pouring the contents of
her purse into her lap, I'm as hungry
as can be-"
supposed that when she looked up
at me from the silver she was counting,
she saw my utter bewilderment--I did
not try to make her hear, for 1 knew it
to be useless-for she raised her voice
suddenly to shrill pitch of peevishness
and pointed one hand to the wall of the
carriage.
Look herel Don't it say Small
luncheon baskets. Pull down the cord y
1 want small luncheon basket, so L
pulled down the cord. Make haste get
it to me, or 1 will report you to the
managers.
Seeing now that she was almost as
blind as she was deaf, began to under
stand what she meant. On the spot to
which she pointed, over the seat oppo-
site her, two papers were posted in a
line, one the advertisement of Small
luncheon basket" supplied at Rugby,
the other the company's directions for
summoning the guard to stop the train
in cases of danger. AS they happened
to be placed, the large letters did read as
she said. "Small Luncheon baskets
Pull down the cord"
While was gazing from her to the
bills, getting over a bit of establishment
and she was giving me every now and
o oho -
recall me to my duty, and hastened me
with her refreshment, we were Joined by
one of the directors, who happened to be
going up town by the express. But his
just and natural wrath, loud as it was,
never moved the hungry old lady; no,
not in the slightest degree. She never
heard one word of it, and only mildly
insisted in the midst of it that she was
almost tired of waiting for her small
luncheon basket.
With fierce parting shot the direc-
tor tried to make her understand that
she had incurred q penalty of 95, but he
couldn't though he bawled it at her un-
til the poor old thing-perhaps mortified
nothing; perhaps frightened at the
commotion she saw though she didn't
hear it-sank back in her seat in
strong fit of Mysteries, and let shillings
and sixpences roll out of her lap and set
tie under the seats.
1t seemed to be long time before we
started on again, but suppose it was
only six or seven minutes delay after
all. 1 expect 1 should have waited to
explain the stoppage to the pretty young
girl of whom 1 considered myself sort
of protector, but, as said, she was at
the very opposite end of the train, and
was in haste now. There must have
been good laugh in several of the car
rlages when the cause of our stoppage
got whispered about. AS for me, when
1 got back into my van, solitary as it
was, chuckled over it until we stopped
at Calk Farm to take tickets.
1t seemed to me that the train was
taken into custody as soon as it was
stopped there.
"Of course you have the carriage
doors all locked, and I'll go down with
you while you open them one by one.
My men are in possession of the plat
FORM"
This was said to me by Davis, de-
tective officer whom knew pretty we'll
by now, having had good bit to do