The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-10-10
tween the two. and I thought Of the
beautiful hymn that says:

Il
This world Is all floating shoe"
! And-now. don't laugh-I just laid my
head down on the back of tie seat be
fore me and cried. j wouldn't have lei
Tom known it for the world, but did
There was q man in that seat, but he
did not take any no ice of me. His
face was covered with whiskers and he
looked kind of stern, but n real good
looking sort of chap, too. / thought il
was him that touched me, and jumped
as if was shot, but it was the prett EST
little blonde girl of sixteen ever saw.
Twill you please let me sit with
you?" she said. and her vote was just
like bird singing. and she had a little
white hand all cushiony and dimpled,
on my black bombazine arm.
I'm grumpy old thing myself. and
I felt like saying as heard the rest do:
this seats engaged" but when she
looked at me with her sweet violet eyes,
l just gave in and said:
Certainly, my dear, sit right down. -
/ suppose the sweet child saw | was
crying, for she kind of snuggled up to
me and wanted to see the rd, and
praised him. and he chirped TO her, and
she told me her sad story, how she had
come all the way from California and
was an orphan going to seek living in
the great untried world.
came near crying again then, but
remembered where was and straight
ened up.
..Did you know a Mr.. Grimwood in
California; asked. Not that cared
to know what had become of Hiram,
but just did it to make talk.
IL didn't know many people, she
said, in her pretty bird-like voice. Il
went to school till my dear mother
died and left me alone and pe-en-
niless!'
She was crying then. and the man in
the seat before us turned straight round
and stared at her. / gave him look,
tell you, and he turned away again
quicker.
And she had to go a. the next sta
ton. never felt SO sorry 10 part with
any one. and she actually put her pretty
arms about my neck and kissed me, Just
as if she had known me all her life,
sweet thing!
But what does that man do but insist
on carrying her satchel out to the plat
form, and all the time the cars waited
he stopped out there talking to her.
couldn't hear what they said, b saw
her give him something and her face
was red and she was lust as angry as
she could be, and as The car moved of
/ called to her; but she never took any
notice, she was that vexed about some
thing! ] just made up my mino that
he made her pay him for carrying that
satchel out. and yet it didn't seem as
if any man could be SO mean.
After awhile the man came back and
sat down in the same seat he had occu-
pied all along. and would you believe
it?-hc had the audacity to try and
start up cen ersation with me.
'..iaye you the timer" he asked, as
impudent rs you please.
s.Of course l have the time" / an
swered. in huff. 81 never travel with
out 1t.
1t was the first time had been any,
pose that he should know it.
'.Wonld you mind telling me what
time it is?" he asked. politely.
'.Soft soap doesn't 60 down with
me-" looked square at him as l an
swered:
..Why don't you carry watch your
self and not trou lie ladies?'
He actually smiled. Then thought
maybe he would suspicion that didn't
have any watch. nothing but gold
chain for show, so toox hold of it
Goodness. gracious! My watch was
gone!
I stood right up in the car and
screamed at the top of my voice:
lire! murder! thieves! I've heen
robbed! Stop the cars
'sdush!" said the man in front Of me.
in a stern voice. matilda Jane. sit
down and keep quiet; it won't do any
good to scream that way"
nearly tainted. He called me Ma
tilda Jane. and there never was but one
person in the world that ALWAYS pa
me my full name. and that was Hiram
Or mwood. Ipnched myself to see if
/ was alive.
THAT pretty girl took your watch"
he said, and it was his voice this time.
.'Never!' I said. Indignantly. "You
may be Hiram Grimwo3d or his ghost,
and II you are you've no right TO come
back here and tell lies. Thatpoor child
steal. indeed!''
Matilda Jane. you haven't changed
q bit, said that dreadful man. ..Yon re
just the same trusting, unsuspicious
s0ll vou used to be. That poor child
il an advcnturess Of thirty. she came
into the car on purpose to rob YOU