The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-03-09

But no Charlie came 10 anSwe
me, and | began to stare out in tn
crowd with more anxious eyes, ant
to grow little hot and uneasy, ant
TO think, with certain unpleasan
chills running down my back, wha
should become of me if the trail
should start and Charlie shouldn'
come back at all at this awfu
point OF my meditation the locomo
tive gave vent to an unearthly
screetch, which took for Il premon
itory symptom of departure, and
was so terrified that | started ul
from my seat lust as the little door
swung back for the third time, te
Iadmit last warning, like that o
F'rier Bacon's brazen head. This
time the face reappeared on big
shaggy suit of clothes some ST,
feet in height, and was grim, not
to say iratc, yisage.
"Change cars, miss p said The
person grullly. Il told you so twice
before !"
"I'm tosit still,' Ireplied mcekly
sim going through" | thought
this was the right thing to say, be
cause Charlie had said it !; but il
didn't have the right effect.
"Change cars then-there's the
Boston train over there. This cal
runs back to New York"
simply stared at the person, lie
a dogged way that seemed to takn
very i'll.
"Come!" he exclaimed, waxing
impatient. "You can't sit here all
day, you know. Where do you want
to go?"
"I-I-don't know" / stammer-
cd, Il was told to sit still, and II
must wait till the person comes
back"
The man stared back at me now
with interest. "Where's your ticket?'
said ne, extending n dirty hand.
Il havn't got it." | answered in 4
meek and conciliating tone MY
-Char-at least, the gentleman
who is with me has got them both. "
The gentleman Pretty fellow
he isl Told YOU to sit still did
he?"
Imade TO reply to this unwar-
rantable laak of respect in referring
to my absent lord, but drew myself
up and looked severely out of the
window.
"Well, you can't 60 back to New
York." observed my tormentor,
summary. "The best thing for
you to do is to get out and look for
your gentleman, miss" Saying
which, he jerkcd my bag down from
the rack, turned the opposite seat,
which Charlie had inverted, back
into its place and, by a species of
moral suasion, caused me to pick
up my shawls, parisol, etc, and
follow him in abiect submission to
the door.
"Now where did the gentleman
go?" he demanded, as he handed me
out on the platform.
in to getme some lunch.
] replied, almost ready. at this cri-
sis TO disgrace my bridehood and
cry.
And told you to sit still, did he I?
Well, you stand right here and keep
a lookout for him. There's the
Boston train over there, gees in 10
minutes, and he can't get into it
without you seeing him, if he amt
inside already; and my advice is,
stick fast to him if you find him,
for he must need looking after "
With which remarkable words
the man set down my bag, and
winked at a bystander.
What's the row?" inquired the
person thus invited to participate
in the enjoyment of my woes. Then
they whispered-about me, ! sup
pose-and everybody stood and star
ed at me.
Poor little bride ! There | stood,
holding fast my parasol, with a
shawl on one arm, my own small
shall on the other, and Charlic's
bigger one at my feet, feeling like a
very 'lone lorn critter" indeed.
There stood three men in q knot,
contemplating me, and any quanti-
ty of the same species coming and
going, who all looked at me as they
passed, and then turned around
and stared again-and there was no
Charlie visible in all the range of
surrounding country. Dire thoughts
began to be born within me, and to
turn me cold and damp with ex-
treme terror; the nightmare of my
infancy-''being lost"-came back
upon me, and crushed my seven
teen years and the new dignity of
Mrs. Charles Vale, Jr., with a fell
swoop. What was to become ofme ?
Supposing there had been an accident
and Charlie knocked down and aw-
fully mangled, or that he had just
vanished away, as one occasionally
hears of respectful men having done,
and never would appear again, or
be heard of at all supposing / were
Just to stand there waiting, the train
shrieking away in the distance, and
night coming on, and all these
strange men staring and whisper
ing? Pretty soon | should begin to
cry, for I couldn't stand it much
longer; and here | began to feel for
my pocket-handkerchief. and that
reminded me of my pocket-book as
a slight resource. ! dived to the
utmost corner Of my pocket before
/ remembered that | had confided
il to Charlie, with wifely duty, at the
very outset Of our wedding tour.
At this alarming discovery cold
moisture broke out on my entire
frame, A night passed under the
lee OF the depot, crouched among
my little possessions, now loomed
before me-unless / could deposit
the same possessions or pawn my
diamond ring and my gold bracelets
for a nights lodging and ticket
back to New York. | suppose tho
horror depicted on my countenanee
was a sufficient challenge for inqui-
nv. / don't know whit an extreme
it must have reached, butsomebody