Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-10-27

L watched the crowd, when Charlie Was
out of sight, and wondered over the faces,
and built up all sorts of dreamy specula-
lions upon them, as enc does in crowd
when they have nothing better to thirk of.
Presently the door banged open, and the
voice of some unseen functionary shout
ed, "Change cars for Bos-ton!''
Everybody began to scramble their bags
and bundles and canes together, and there
was rush among the few who remained
my fellow passengers. I watched them 60
!. without emotion, and merely settled N.Y.
self more comfortably for the solitary
journey through, which Charlie had dicta-
acknowledging little where its terminus
might be, but in no wise disturbed or anx
ious thereat. [ stared out at the people
for five minutes longer-or at least so said
the fat-faced clock in the "ladies' room"
opposite my window, though I made it
fifty at least by mental calculation-and
then the door swung open again. This
time head projected itself into the car,
roared 'All out!''-evdently at me and
vanished. II won't get OUT" I replied,
defying the empty air. "Charlie told me
to sit still, and Pm going to. Oh. Char
lie! why don't you come back!"
But no Charlie came to answer me, and
began to stare out in the crowd with
rather more than anxious eyes. and to
grow little hot and uneasy, and to think
with certain unpleasant thrills running
down my back, what would become of me
if the train should start. and Charlie
shouldn't come back at alp At this aw-
full point in my meditations, the locomo-
tive gave vent to an unearthly screech.
which I took for a premonitory symptom
Of departure. and [ was so terrified that
started up from my seat. just as the little
door swung back for the third time, to ad-
NIT OF last warning, like that of ''Friar
Bacon's" brazen head. This time the face
reappeared on big shaggy suit of clothes
some six feet high. and was grim, not
to say irate, vlsage.
''Change cars miss!" said the person,
gruffly II told you so twice before!''
s'I'm to sit s1ll,'' 1 replied meekly.-
I'm going through 1 thought this
was the right thing to say, because Char
lie had said it; but it didn t have the right
effect.
| "Change cars then-there's the Boston
train over there. This runs back to New
York"
1 simply stared at the person, in dog
ged way that he seemed to take very i'll.
''Comr!" he exclaimed, waxing impa-
tient. ''Y ousc can't sit here all day, you
know. Where do you want to go?''
"-I-don't knnw," / stammered. 81
was told to sit still. and IL must wait
till the person comes back"
The man stared at me now with interest.
"Where is your ticket?' SAID he, extend
ing dirty hand
81 haven't got it, answered in meek
and conciliating tone. "My-Char-at
least, the gentleman who is with me has
got them both.''
"The gentleman! Pretty fellow he must
be! Told you to sit still. did he?"
Yes; he told me!''
"Well you can't go back to New York, -
observed my tormentor, summariiy. 1.-The
best thing for you to do is to gee out and
look for your gentleman, miss" Saying
which, he jerk d my bag down from the
rack, turned the opposite seat, which
Charlie had inverted, back into its place,
and by species of moral suasion, caused
me to pick up my shawls, parasols, etc.,
and follow him in abject submission to
the door.
NOW, where did the gentleman go?.
he demanded, as he handed me out on the
platform,
! ''He went to get some lunch" replied,
almost ready at this crisis. to disgrace my
bridehood and cry.
"And told you to sit still did he? Well,
you stand right here and keep a lookout
for him. There's the Boston train over
there, goes in fifteen minutes, and he can It
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 by
stander.
whats che row." inquired the person
thus invited to participate in the enjoy
ment of my woes. Then they whispered
about me, | suppose-and everybody
turned and stared at me.
Poor little b. ide! There I stood, hold
ing fast my parasol, with shawl on one
arm, my own satchel on the other, and
Charles bigger one at my feet, feeling
like very lone, lorne critter," indeed.
There stood three men in knot. contem-
plating me, and any quantity of the same
species coming and going, who all looked
at me as they passed, and then turned
round and stared again-and there was no
Charlie in all the range of surrounding
country. Dire thoughts began to be born
within me, and to turn me cold and damp
with extreme terror; the nightmare of my
infancy being lost" came back upon me
and crushed my seventeen years and the
now dignity OF Mrs. Charles Vail. Jr.,
with fell swoop. What was to become
OF me? Supposing there had been an &C
cldent, and Charlie knocked down and
awfully mangled, or that he had just van
ished away, as one occasionally hears of
respectable gentlemen having done, and
never would appear again, or be heard of at
all; supposing 1 were just to stand there
waiting, the trains shrieking away in the
distance. the night coming on, and all
these strange men staring and whispering?
Pretty soon should begin to cry, for l
couldn't stand it much longer; and here
began TO feel for my pocket handkerchief,
and that reminded me of my pocket-book
as slight resource. dived to the ut
most corner of my pocket before remem
bered that I had confided it to Charlie,
with wifely duty, at the very outset of our
| Wpddinn trim