New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-27
THE SMALL BOYS STORY.

last term. | don't know how he came by It, or
what good it TO him as he never sa" .i I'M
evcent when he went home for the holidays; put
he was always talking OF the convenience u 10
ench thing when yen were traveilng' ana ni. !7
ot the mysterious penalties me COMPANY -"
inNict il they caught yOu using IT, -. - ..r,s
lie eve n me IN exchange for iblt OF LetISS
hair she's my sister ana ra psf IN" bonnet trim
ming She wore in church. stole thaI OuI lIau ~
ask her for the hair and she DiousnG ouu WnV f
bundle and said might trade away the lou Il
rbose Hair wasn't worn much now o.
Music was another thing Altogether Herr QUO
Fiuke was an Old friend OF my Ialhef 3 auu A4'o'
atIuck boro'. our market-town. r
"' lie took fancy 10 me-bother him; and actually
persuaded my father and mother to let me come
ovrr TO I.uckborO' every maTRet-dav, WIN my
father tor a lesson in German and music uldh
mind dining with him first ,unconmonIy queer
mesSes had and lots Of Jam with thenLGu{f tne
music was simply disgustiug-lln inc hoiIu"Ss
too'-aod the lessons generally ended bY fluke
getting to the piano himself, and war9ling songs OF
ms Vaterland by the hour. lie dld 50 ONE too
often though-and now have got To my story.
We ed TO come ard 60 between Mo5slandS ana
1nckboru' nv Omnibus. There was Mossands
ttion an the line between Luckboro' and Loudon,
INT INV father never went b. 1t II he could help H.
When he did thodgh had the key with me never
dare use IL, and began 10 thlhA hau H'uo /" jaw
one Tuesday however last winter Finke. got 50
earned away Nv his sweet SINGING that ne
kent on long after / ought to have htarted 10 meet
nv father and they got 30 remorSefu that lhouRhO
he was going TO cry; OF perhaps want to Keep me
/ oos here said 1T doesn't matter There's
train that gets soon as the bus; can eaten
itIf I run-Liood by And of | scGdded, one arm
in apd one ont of my top-coat, for was sure he'd
object want to see me on. haa money hd
there train which came mp long OelOIe hau
seen all | wanted about the station. 60
I made Il dash at carriage. 10 wasn't locked; as
I half hoped II might be- and IN scrambled, out
was nearly blown cut again by NOlley oil tle
strongest language | ever did hear. HE Iralu
started and ierked me down into sat before Ia
time 10 get my breath. l was not used to bad e4-
pressions, and my fcllow-tTayellers remarks made
NY blood run cold. ,.,,.
There were ladies in the carriage but he didn't
seem 10 mind that. lie had red SOWING lace,
with hravy red eyebrows and blOodsbOt eyes. All
the rest of him was a mass Of railway rugs ana
,yr3us had tumbed over his toes into the middle
seat opposite where sat scared and speeches., TIL
Icaught the eyes of the lady next to HIM fixed on
ny; Oh, such a bad old face tight cruel mouth,
with all sorts Of c0il-lnes about IT, and wicked,
sbarp gray eyes that screwed into one like gimlets
7 didn't care much for Reiface 10y this time.
didn't believe be would twist my neck and chuck
ne ont of window, as he suggested; but mated
her M over 1T once from her sagsage,curIs-
grilzly-gray. two on each sde-tO her hoohed
claws OF fingers that were tvtching away at her
knitting needles in md out of big gray stocking.
'Hush SAMMY she SAID quite sweetlY; the
poor child means 10 harm and lac can easily get
out At the next station-Where are you going TO-
love}
Thought was a soity, for she twisted my ticket
clean cut Of my hand before knew what She was
'Nosslands. Very good. That's the next sta
tion I'll see HIM safe ont. Sammy dear.
sammy growled inartlculate response from
under his rugs.
The third passenger had neither spoken
stirred She sat the same side a. the other two,
covered with a big plaid rug and blue wOollen
veil tied over her head. | cOuid make nothing out
except that sac seemed asleep IN very uncomloft-
"1o az IN the middle opposite the old woman. 1t
wa so disagreeable. finding her sharp eyes on me
while her needles clicked on Just the same, that
thought might as well pretend TO 20 10 steep 700
So curcd myself mp ana gave one or Two noes
and then dropped my face on my arm 50 that she
cOnidnt sec IT,
Presently heard the needles going slower and
slower. | ueeped. and saw the big bonnet ana
SATISFACTORILY giving lurCh forward and then back
ward. once twice; then big snoIc; and then she
didn't str for a minute. for saw that Sammy
was up 10 something. He leant forward, and
peered 1t her rs If 10 make sure she was quite
asleep: then cautiously CROPPED IN the seat beside
her and hauled up 4 little black bag. lie opened II
softly drew ont s!iver-topped mask ana GdoIcd II
Just rs Jerk OF the tram reused the 9ld Iauy.
Sammy Owed back into his corner; and she sat
bolt upright rubbed her eyes hard Itt susplcousIy
about till she found tue bag slowed u away Dehhu
her and resumed her knitting Only for lew
moments, though: with weary grQan she let
stocking. needles and all 20 down with a run, and
drol ped back sOundeT asleep than before.
Then from Sammys corner came "A Gurge-soft
and low-many times repeated then all was quiet.
Now was ny time. | began 10 look about, and
think what should do first. Whether dared get
up on the seat aud sec how the communication with
the guard worked, and what would hapDen II /
pulled II. II the train DID stop. could make Oh;
or say it Sammy. He was half-tipsy now, and
people wouldn't believe him. First OF all ! went
10 the window 10 look ont little lt wa pltch
dark outside and all could see was the reflection
Of the carriage, and OF the lady III the blue woollen
veil. She was sitting up now, and looking ntentlY
az me. What uncomfortable set they were TO
be sure.
| looked round at her directly. She was very
youug-younger than Lefty. and she's Just seven
teen and not pietty-but 80 thin and frightened
looking that felt quite unhappy about heI.
She liked her big bright eyes on me, and put mp
her hnger Don't speak, she SAID IN clear
whisper. Keep looking out of the window. Can
you hear what ! am saying -
| nodded, and she went on, looking now at me.
and now at the old woman
ii they get me to London, am a dead woman.
You are my last chance Will You help me
nodded very hard indeed, and looked at the
communication with the guard. She shook her
head.
station. He Is safe Can you stop her from follow
1dn't believe I could. l might have thrown a
rug Sammy, and sat Oh him for q minute or
Two; but that OLD Woman was too much for me.
felt inat directly she woke she q what was
thinking Of and straugle me before could stir.
The precious minutes were fiying-the miles we're
Lurryiug past us in the outside gloom the girls
big woeful eyes were fixed on me in desperate
i have friends who will save me if l can but get
70 them she painted. Just one minutes chance
only one
All at once l had an idep. A splendid one
Look at this whispered and held up my railway
KEY. II l open tins door. dare you get OutY You
straight across the down line. There's ONLY bank
ana hedge on the top Lots Of gaps IN It nearer
Road Do you hearP
was quite hot and ont OF breath with whisper
ing all this as plain as / could. She caught every
word as fat as | could think 1t almost
What with the feeling OF my own cleverness
hatred of that nasty old woman and delight in
spiting her; aud pity for the poor girl felt a,
brave as any fellow. however big. could do, and
full Of ideas as we'll.
Give me that | said. pointing 10 her blue veil
They won't you're gone If l sit here, with il
tied over my head
Oh no no. They'll kill you.'
Not they They can't interfere with me-
lnl cnnLn tlrLi SalmInY and dOZe I