St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-10

absent lord, but drew myself up an
J looked severely out of the window.
"Well, you can't go back to Ne
York." observed my tOrmenter, sum
marily. '"The best thing for you t
do is to get out and look for YOU
gentleman, miss" Saying which h
jerked my bag down from the rack
turned the opposite seat over, whic
Charlie had inverted, back into it
place, and by species of moral sua
sion, caused me to pick up my shawls
parasols, etc, and follow him in alb
ject submission to the door.
''Now where did the gentleman 60 Z?
he demanded as he handed me out Ol
the platform.
"Ile went to get me some lunch,"
replied, almost ready at this crisis t,
disgrace my pride and cry.
"And told you to sit still, did he
Well, you stand right here and keep ;
lookout for him. There's the Boston
train over there, goes in fifteen min.
utes, and he can't get into it without
your seeing him, if he amt inside at
ready and my advice to yOu is, stick
fast to him if you find him, for he must
need looking after.
With which remarkable words he sci
down my bag and winked at by
stan der.
whats the row." inquired the per-
son thus invited to participate in the
enjoyment of my woes, Then they
whispered-abOut me, | suppOse-and
everybody turned and stared ut me.
Poor little bride! There | stood,
holding fast my parasol, with shawl
on the other, and Charities bigger one
at my feet, feeling like a very clone
lOrn critter" indeed.
There stood three men in a knot.
contemplating 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 visible
III 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 new dignity of Mrs
Charles Vail, Jr., with a swoop. What
was to become of me? Supposing
knocked down and awfully mangled,
or that he had just vanished away,
as one occasionally hears of respect
able gentlemen having done, and never
would appear again, or be heard of at
all suppOsiug | were Just to stand
there waiting, the trains shrieking
away in the distance, the night coming
on, and all these strange men staring
and whispering2 Pretty soon should
begin to cry, for | couldn't stand it
much longer; and here began to feel
for my pocket handkerchief and that
me of my pocket book as Il
slight resource. | dived to the utmost
corner OF my pocket before | remem-
bered that | had cOntided it to Charlie
with my wifely duty, at the outset of
our wedding trip.
At this alarming discovery a cold
lpGaiiiStnre. pGaiiiStn hrqIlla out unon my entire
of the depot, crouched among my little
now loomed up before me,
unless | could deposit the same pos
sessions, or pawn my diamond ring
and gold bracelets for nights lodging
and Il ticket back to New York. |
suppose the horror depicted on my
was a sufficient challenge
for inquiry. ! don't know what an
extreme it must have reached, but
appeared to find it moving.
for benevolent voice presently sa
luted my ears.
"Are you waiting here for anybody,
miss p turned around with gasp
of alarm, which subsided, however,
when met an elderly face, specialized
and benign i'll the extreme.
"EXcuSe me miss" said the old gen
tleman, in a sympathizing tone, care
You waiting for any one z"
'H-I-yes, sir, I'm waiting for"
came to dead stop. For Charlie,
should | say. "My husband" WAS Il
step which was beyond utterance just
now. only turned very red, choked
and twisted the handle of my bag in
silence.
sis there anything can do for yOu 2"
"I-dOn't kn0w-where to gow |
burst out. "They told me to change
cars, and didn't expect to, and don't
know what to do"
My new friend looked bewildered,
and then came step nearer, as he in
quired in solemn, lowered voice
"Are you alone I"
"No, no." said very quickly under
my breath.
"Nho is with you ?" said he with Il
kind of confidential compassion that Il
little confused me. | did not under
stand it.
"My-a-a-gentleman," faltered
out. ale went to get me something,
and he told me to sit still and not to
move; and Il man came and made me
change cars-and | don't know which
car we were to ke-and-I-don't see
him anywhere"
Here | choked, bit my lips, and
winked my two eyes hard to wink the
tears down.
"a gentleman !" repeated my friend,
sOlemnly. By this time two more men
were drawing near to listen. "YOur
father 9''
"No."
"Your brother, then ~ very myste-
riously.
"Y-nO.n
~ began to get very red and uncom
Portable, and to wish they wouldn't
stare so.n
"Where are you going, my dear p
inquired the first Samaritan, after a
solemn pause of some minutes.
~ don't know" | answered family
ale didn't tell me he just said, when
he went to get me lunch, that | wasn't
to move if the man said to change cars
for we were going through and 1 told
the man so, but he made me change
THAT train is a-going back to New
York" said one of the last arrivals
grinning. "Going through to Boston,
was you 2"
81 don't know where was going"
answered very shortly.
"Let me see your ticket" said til,
old gentleman, feelingly.
He had compassionate way of look
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