The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-08-03
A Woman's Adventure.

IT was Christmas Eve, and bitterly
i cold. The down train from London,
due at Bristol at $50, had just come in
crowded with passengers, and the arri-
val platform was q scene of indescribable
confusion. Excited passengers rushed
hither and thither seeking their own
special property amid the piles of lug
gage that lay scattered around; and
wearied and worried ladies sought vain
ly among the crowd for q disengaged
porter to convey their bags and boxes
safely to a cab. Active youths and
stalwart men who could carry their own
impediments were best off; and among
those who did so was tall, bronzed,
collar buttoned up closely round his
throat, and his deer.stalker pressed
down over his eyes. His travel-worn
portmanteau was large and heavy, but
he seemed to think nothing of its
weight, and, swinging it in his hand,
strode out of the station.
"Gab, sir ?" cried an urchin, eager for
a penny.
"No; an omnibus will do for me-"
returned the gentleman, passing on to
where the Redland omnibus was drawn
up, and cold though it was, he at once
mounted to the box, and took his seat
beside the driver.
All this time lady was waiting
patiently at the farther end of the plat
form. Seeing the hustle and confusion
that reigned around she had managed,
by dint of a little exertion, to drag her
modest tin trunk out of the meleee; but
having done so she could do no more,
and now stood beside it waiting until
one of the porters should be able to
attend to her. She was plainly-dres
gentlewoman, with fine gray eyes and a
pale, tired face. apparently about thirty
years of age. She had been pretty
once, but time and trouble had stolen
away the bloom of youth; and though
her features were good, she could
scarcely be described as pretty now.--
Tonight she was cold and weary, and
stood pensively waiting until some one
should come to her assistance.
Presently porter approached.
"Want cab, Miss ?' he asked CIV
lily.
"Yes. viii you please to carry this
box ?"
The man picked it up and walked off,
followed by the lady.
So great had been the demand for cabs
that evening that by this time there
was but one to be seen outside the
station, and that one had just arrived
with fare. The horse was steaming
and the driver looked surly.
"Where do you want to go?" he
asked the lady gruffly.
"To Stoke Bishop, she replied.
"Where there ?''
:" will tell you when we get there
returned Miss Lyon, not very well
pleased with the mans manner.
The driver muttered something to
himself, banged the tin trunk down on
the roof of the cab and drove off in a
huff. 4
''I wish there had been another cab, -
thought Laurette Lyon, uneasily, as she
leaned back in her seat. 81 don't like
this driver at all. wonder If he is
drunk. hope Mr.. Mansfield will be at
home when / reach Tivoi. 1 will ask
him to pay him for me.''
In the meantime the cab was pro-
crossing as rapidly through the crowded
slippery streets as could reasonably be
expected, and I.aurette began to look
about her. Eight years had passed since
she had visited Bristol, under circum-
stances very different from the present.
Then her father had been her compan-