Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-11-08
tleman, in sympathetic tone. "Are
you waiting for anyone?" -.

| y y
a"I-I-yes, sir-I'm waiting for"
came to q dead stop. "For Charlie
should I say my husband" was stel
beyond utterance just now. only turn
ed scarlet, ,choked and twisted the handle
of my bag in silence.
us there anything 1 can do for you p
| "I-don't know-where to gO?'
burst out tinvOluntarily. "They told me
to change cars and 1 didn't expect to-
and 1 don't know what to do.n
who is with you ?" asked he, with 8
kind of confidential compassion that q
little confused me. I did not n0erstand
it. #
| "My-a- a-gentleman," I faltered
out. He went out to get something
and he told me to cit still and not move
and q man came and made me change
cars-and don't know what cars we
were to take-and-and-I-I don't see
him anywhere"
Here 1 choked and fell to biting my
lips and winkiDs my eyes hard to keep
the tears down.
"That trains going back to New
York, said one of the last arrivals grim
ming "Going through to Boston was
you?" q
II don't know where was going"
answered, very shortly.
"Let me see your ticket?" said the
old gentleman, feelingly.
He had mpassiOnate way of look
ing at me over his spectacles and he
looked queerer still when I answered
family: He's got it-and my money
and-oh, why don't he Gomez"
Here cast loose all ceremony and
burst into tears
"Went to get some lunch, did he say
Well, now, can't you tell me what sort
of looking person he was, and perhaps
we can find him? Was he young or
old ?" aBn
Young" I murmured, still behind a
barrier of cambric "W-with yellow
moustache, and 3 gray clothes and q
straw hat" ~
"Pretty bad business ~ one of the men
muttered aside to an other. .Sharp fell
low ~ responded second -
"Well, now, just come here and sit
down. said the old gentleman paternal-
yourself my dear, and we'll see what can
be done. Don't cry, it'll only furry
you, and won't do you any good, you
know There, that's right.
For wiped my eyes, with the rem
nant of a sob, pulled my veil down, and
was turning to follow him when behold
as swept the landscape DER with one
look of desperation there appeared Char
lie-gray clothes and straw hat and vel
low moustache and all, coming from the
dim distance, with brown paper parcel
under each man.
"There he isl" shrieked, dropping
bag and parasol in my ecstacy and rush
ing down the platform with extended
arms. "There he is Oh, Call him some
body-tell him I'm here! Make him
look this way !"
"Where? which where is he ?n cried
half q dozen men quite excitedly.
Him in the straw hat, with the bum
dies! Halloa, sir! Halloa! Stop him !"
and the email boys and one man started
in pursuit.
Poor Charlie! There he came hurry.
ing along IN our direction rather swift.
Iy, it is true, when my four companions
gave chase. And just as their uplifted
their voices, and just as Charles eyes,
sweeping the surrounding scene, ap-
peared to light upon them-just then
did the locomotive behind which he
had been sitting fifteen minutes before,
and which in the manner of trains chose
its time to set up shrek and violent
x
on its way back to New York. And
Charlie first started wild and he then
turned and chased the locomotive, and
the three small boys and the man chas.
ed him, rending the air with shouts of
"Stop him ~
But Charlie couldn't keep up with
the train very long, and the impotency
of his efforts seemed to break upon him
suddenly after he had run himself very
hot and damp, and shed all the hot buns
from his brown paper parcel for twenty
yards along the track. He turned and
faced his pursuers like a man at bay,
and, fguratively speaking, they all fell
upon him.
"Stop there! where are you going?-
Come back after your lady, you scamp!
Amt you ashamed of yourself ?" shout
ed the small boy in ecstasy. "Wanted
to run away, did you 2. Didn't do it that
time, old fellow!"
I will draw decorous veil over the
embrace that followed and the compli-
ments exchanged'by the populace, who
evinced the widest joy at what was
supposed to be the discontinue of vii.
lainy, I will merely observe that the
whistle of the Boston train cut short
our little scene, and that was hauled
on the last car amid the cheers of the
bystanders. greatly multiplied since
Charles appearance on the scene, and
speeded on my way by parting word
from one benevolent parsonage to "keep
tight eye on my young man, for he
warn't to be trusted as far as you can
see him."