The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-01-03
o, monsieur! but you are too kind to

me.n
1.-THE lady of the school need not know
how short our acquaintance has been,"I
went on, warily; "she can suppose that L
am a friend of the family"
"But certainly you are, since you have
been so good a friend to me.o
"Then, we'll arrange our programme
during our up journey. And now to get
our luggage through without delay"
"If we miss ln meet you on the plat
FORM"
"But we shan't!" I was going to give the
reason why, when the pushing crowd seemed
to separate her from me, and it was not
until the train was about to start that we
again Joined company.
"What a fright you gave me-" I ex-
claimed, when by reason of a heavy tip to
the guard, we were off in a carriage with
out other passengers. 81 thought 1 had
lost you"
80, 1 saw you all the time. I got my
box at once and then ] sat down behind
some ladies and watched you"
"Was yours a wooden box painted in
stripes with blue ribbons tied to the ham
dles?"
Eyes, did you notice itr"
1t was next to impossible not to, bnt /
kept this to myself, merely saying: "Then,
l shall be able to spare you all trouble at
Victoria Station, and when l go for my
luggage I can bring yours"
And l can keep the cab by sitting in it
till you come. And now about afterward.
" W "Ai Joo SoAA " hASg oAo hhu Va
you take me to sect"
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes spark
ling in anticipation; it was the face and
air of a happy child looking forward to a
holiday.
allow old are your" 1 said, i~rrelevantly.
"Just over eighteen. Last month was
my birthday"
"Is it possible? Then you are, quite a
woman"
"They tell me I ought to be. Doyou think
ca tooSv 1A "aa Fl
81 think you ought to be as you are''I
could have added adorable, charming,
lovely, but prudence withheld me; and
without giving me another opportunity she
launched into her history, telling me as it
seemed to occur to her about her father, his
means, his disappointment, and finally that
her name was Sara de Montmorenci. In
exchange she had to listen to some portions
OF my history; thai had when almost a
boy gone to India; how l had come back,
n now was about to return there. 1
grew quite pathetic over the picture l gave
of the loneliness of my situations; and it
was quite in keeping with the tender dispo-
sition of my nearer that she should take
my hand and on it drop a tear. l kissed
that tear away, and as l did so my eyes
fell on her; her face grew afiame, and feel
ing it was so, with charming artlessness
she covered it with her hands to hide it
from ME. :
All, we'll! journeys such as those seem
very short ones. 1 remember this came to
al end before I thought it possible we had
got more than half way. The glare from
the lights of the station reused me from a
delicious dream, and we had reached the
end of our journey. The fatigues of the
day were telling on the poor child-she had
fallen asleep and was still drowsy.
"You are sure that you think you will
know my box?" she murmured.
81 will try" I said, confidently, shutting
the door of the cab in which she was seat
ed and bidding the driver keep a sharp
lookout for me, and away l went, and as 1
turned to go I saw her blow a kiss to me.
"I'm so sorry to disturb you."
My head was in the cab. At my heels
stood an irate French woman, chattering
and gesticulating about the striped box,
whose heavy weight rested on the should
ers of a mu~ch-enduring porter. A great
DEAL of what the foreign lady said was lost
to me, out 1 was able to comprehend so
much that she claimed this luggage as her
own, and to settle the matter I had brought
her along to the, rightful owner. Full of
my difficulty, I was already launched into
explanations when 1 perceived that the
cab was empty. Upon the seat stood my
sticks and umbrellas, but the place which
my companion had occupied was filed by
s'The young lady has got out, I suppose?,
/ said teDthe cabman, i~nquiringly.
"Not this side, sir, or l should 'ha seed
her."
1t was not very likely that she had got
out on the other side, where carriages,
four-wheelers n hansoms stood crowded
together.
"You told me to keep a sharp lookout,
which I've lone So" he added; and then
noticing that I was looking about uneasily,
he suggested the waiting room, the refresh
ment b~ar-fnally, that she was looking
about for me. The delay caused by these
inquiries increased the ire of the French
lady considerably; the porter, too, tired of
his burden, began to take sides with her,
Joined by a near standing cabman DESTROYS
of obtaining a fare.
"What's she saying?o 'What's he
brought her here for" Why don't we get
the station master?"
Quite a crowd had surrounded US, into
the midst of which an official appeared,
ability I e~ndeavored to give one. "Yes,
but where's the young lady?" he said, after
having listened.
81 left her here some ten minutes ago,
seated in this cab. I suppose she got out,
and l fear something has happened to herr
"Wait q moment and Il get some one to
go with you and see;" and in a few
minutes, in company of an individual in
plain clothes for whom he sent, 1 was
searching the place over.
Not a trace could we discover-it was as
if the girl had vanished. Returning to the
cab, 1 found the guard of the train waiting
to corroborate the statement of the lady,
who not only turned a deaf ear to the very
humble apologies I endeavored to make tc
her, but even when driving off with the
acknowledgement boy beside, continued
to fling at me through the window: "Vil
lain, voleur, barbara"
%Would you like to leave your address
sir?" said the official, who was evidently
disposed to assist me-.
81 should" 1 answered, ready to catcl
at any excuse which would take me away
from the small crowd, among which the
widest surmises were being banded
"Eloped-carried -off-heiress- daughter
wife" went floating past me as I walked
away, confiding to my companion nov
had met the young lady and what 1 knew
of her history.
81 am goingt to stay in Sackville Street.
I said. "I'n give you my card n writ'
the name of the hotel upon it."
Already my hand was in my breast peck
ct. In less than an instant I had fun,
open my Goa and searched it through
and then with a stupid gaze at the man be
fore me, l gasped out: 81 have beer
robbed; my, note book is gone-with my
"Young baggage! if 1 didn't guess a.
much" exclaimed my companion, invol
unfairly. "We've been on the lookout fo
her unless Pm very much deceived. No
six months age a seemingly similar gam
was played on a gentleman at this very
station"
"Impossible! it couldn't be"
"You are jumping at conclusions to-
hastily" L was beginning to recover, bh
his words had struck me like a cannon ball
81 have no reason on earth to suspect thi
young lady," 1 added. severely; 81 hav
her address, and know to whom she wa
: going. The loss of the money is a trifl
compared to her safety"
Mr.. Jones-I had reason afterward t.
!, learnhis name-moved his head in apology
"Beg pardon, Pm sure, if I have Spoken
too hastily" he said: "but the two cir
cumstances seemed as you may say to Fl
exactly; she was a young lady going t
school, and the gentleman-taking care o
her as might be-lost sight of her in jus
the same way; found he'd been robbed
but wouldn't credit that twas she who,
take the money from him. She was small
fair, young, with a pink and white face
and as innocent as a baby's. Don'tanswe
the description in no ~way?'-the wretc1
saw that 1 was quailing under his scrutiny
"Well, Pm glad to hear it, sir; thank you
sir"-I was turning away-"and if yol
should happen to want any information a