The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-01-13
MARY NORRIS.
BY EVA DEAN.

Il Was at the Hartford railway station.
My was there. or where / WIS going. /
don't exactly remember. so much having
Unopened since. and |. Il The time. hay-
-tHss No reason Ia 50 tome place Hsete
than 10 another.
The express tram from New York had
Jus, tome III.
She was standing little aside. JUS, out
ot the crowd and bastlc. looking on
scanning every face ., Il passed and r.
passed. mine among others. and. 10
tancicd. with mn.c interest than Others.
Tier face WAS very ptle. and her eyes
were ANXIOUS. bui She looked calm and
scit-possesscd.
By-and-hy sst,s -hei spe..k tn ~, e;;-
DERBY WON IN WAC stood ncar. sac tc-
eelved. f,ncied. hurried. no, over
courteous answer. fer SAW Hush rise 10
her 'acc as she turned Away.
by this time the platform WAS almost
clear. Such passengers as we're gong
on had departed TO refresh themselves !:
Others had gone To their resting places.
thc railway otfic'sis bcgan,o regard the
solitary figure ourlously.
Raising my hat. ven,urcd To ask if
could be in any way OF any service to
her.
a shade of perplexi,y or disappoint-
ment crossed her face when thus ad-
dressed her.
She answered. ii was to have been
me, here. bu, see nobody. am disap-
pointed. must wait here"
Again lifting my ha'. left her. but
only TO pace the platform and think abou,
her.
As the minutes passed by though.
she looked paler and paler. A, lost. as
approached her nearer than in my other
turns, she came few steps toward me.
will you be so kind as to advise me ?"
smiled, and promptly assured her
would
''Oh, | am SO glad - she said. quite
chiidishly. Then she added. will you
tell me what to do? | am gong TO my
brother, who is i'll in Bangor Some one
was 10 have met me at Hartford, and
know nothing about the route beyond
this"
"Were you to 60 by land p
Yes; my brother forbade me to travel
by water
''Weli. il you wanted to 60 by land.
and quickly, you ought to have gone by
the New York and New Haven railroad
to Boston, thence by the Eastern rail-
road"
She turned so pale that paused. She
looked about tor some resting place.
gave her my arm. led her TO the waiting
room. got her glass of water and a cup
of coffee, begging her to drink the latter
She obeyed me, and as soon as she
what to do now. My brother is very i'll.
perhaps dying. Will it be best to go
back to-to the place you spoke OF, or, as
am here, to push on by this route !?
Which way is the quickest"
''Where is your baggage? The train
starts for Portland in five minutes. Per-
haps it were better to push on by this
route now that you are here"
She rose directly.
Il have no baggage but what is in that
bag'-pointing to one had taken from
her when gave her my arm. Il left
home at an hours notice, in consequence
OF a telegram. Are you going any further
by this route p
"Yes."
''Would you kindly, while you are trav-
cling the next stage, write me down di-
rections ?"
Certainly"
The ladies' car into which looked was
full, so handed her into another, and
got in myself; and as that small hand
rested in mine, n curiously strong con-
viction entered in my mind, and rested
there,
seated myself opposite to her, and
having said, eve shall have plenty ol
time to talk it over before we get to Port
land" feigned to be fully occupied with