The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-21
AS8 iANGE ADVENTURE.
'lARY KYLE DALLAS.

hs " stle blew and the bell rang,
auaeusHt uttered and the train
was nsAf0 % shrek its way along
III tne VS. nee and was seen far away
llk1 We sort of serpent winding
aboutfhe Ills.
ipelH4iel lonely at first, and cried
Httie en- she began to cheer up
and looked at the passengers and
WatcfRa their doings, and laughed al
thenl lnternally, schoolgirl fashion.
Sne sleptcomfOrtably that night in
ned scpmImrtment, and became by
mornltlg quite an old traveller; and
as We have not time to describe her
Joufney we may say that it passed
OF p-hisantly, and that as the even
! u. 4, . j$ached on which the train
was 10 arrive in New York she never
| felt in better spirits. She had made
herself as spruce as possible; and
now she took her travelling bag into
her hand to arrange it, for no maiden
lady was eyer SO particular about
her small possessions. Her purse
was in the bag, of course, her hand
kerchief, and a clean collar or two, a
box ofjewelry. the book she had with
her to read-you all know what it
held, And there was a little bottle
of polish, well coIked, and a little
sponge with which to touch up her
shoes before she left the cars. The
shoes were high ties and easily taken
off. In the privacy of her compart-
ment Belle could do as she liked.
She laid a newspaper on her lap,
frightened the toes of the pretty
shoes and set them on the window
sill to dry her bag also stood there.
and now she wrapped the paper
about the sponge and bottle and pro-
ceeded to throw them away, for she
could not recork the bottle sufficient.
Iy well not to risk spelling her bag
if she restored it to its place there.
Rolling it into a ball she threw it
through the window. AS any boy
would have prophesied, it hit the
handle of the bag, the bag tOttered,
struck against the shoes, and the
next second the window sill was
clear. Belle thrust her head through
the aperture far in the distance lay,
beside the rails. three black specks,
which vanished as she looked. Her
bag. with AL her money in it, and
her only shoes. She was going
into New York like beggar, penni-
less and shoeless.
If her bag had not followed the ties
she could have got into a cab and
driven to some shoemaker's for to
arrive at the hotel in her stocking
feet would be dreadful but as it was
that modification must be faced. She
would call cab and tell the driver
what?
"Oh. dear? Oh, dear! Oh, dear!
| don't remember tHe name of papa's
hotel !" mOaned Belle. wringing her
hands. "The card it is written on is
in that horrible bag"
The climax had arrived. Here
she was rushing into New York alone
not only penniless and shoeless, but
homeless. She did not know where
her father was to be found. She had
no other friend in the city.
She could not 60 back to Chicago,
because she had no ticket-nO money
to buy one. She could not telegraph
to her father, addressing him at II
don't know where hotel" She could
write to Miss Rook but where should
she stay Even if they would give
her pen, ink and paper, and let her
sit in the depot she might starve to
death.
"I shall 60 crazy" said poor Belle,
wringing her hands. 81 certainly
shall go crazy"
Who can wonder that she said so
However, there was nothing for it
but to alight when the depot was
reached-the great glass-roofed place
was so crowded with strangers. With
her shawl-strap in her hand she hur.
ried into the waiting room and sat
down on bench.
During this short progress she was
stared at as though she had been
Jumbo or the living skeleton. The
mystery attached to those little red
stockings seemed to be really alarm
ing. Her fellow-travelers might
have understood the cause of hat
less head. Imagination might have
pi ctured strong draught and an
open window, but it was not possible
to comprehend shoeless feet. Shoes
do not blow off,
Some. of the old ladies froWned on
her as very improper person. Some
young ones giggled. A little girl
mol nd hanIy u,a ,,r o =, Il otn rod ,,,to hos