The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
EUREKA.

but kept in his seat and chuckled to
himself, with his chin down deep in his
shirt-collar. But the changes those
portmanteaus underwent! He moved
them here, thcrc--hc put them behind
him. He was evidently getting ready
to leave, but, as VIC were twenty five
miles from the city the idea of such
early preparation was ridiculous. If We
had entered the city when the mystery
would liaye remained unsolvcd, but the
stranger became SO excited that he
could keep his seat no longer. Some
one must help him, and, as l was the
nearest to him, lie selected mo. Sud-
denly turning, he said, rocking himself
to and fro in lis chair in the meantime.
lnl clapping his legs together and
breathing hard:
Been gone three years!"
"Ahm
"Yes; been in Europe. Folks don't
expect me for three months yet, but l
got through and started. photographed
them at the last station they've got it
by this time"
AS lie said this he rubbed his hands
and changed the portmanteau on his
left to the right and the one on the right
to the left again.
Got y wife," said /.
"Ycs, and three Children" he re-
turned.
He then got up and folded his over
coat anew, and hung it over the back of
the scat.
you are pretty nervous over the mat
ter, amt YOU? said, watching his
idgety movements.
We'll, 1 should think So" he re-
piled. 1 amt slept soundly for week
And you don't know" he went on,
slancing around at the passengers and
speaking in low tone, II am almost
certain that this train will run off the
track and break my neck before get
to Boston. Well, the fact is, 1 have
had too much good luck for one man
lately. The thing can't last, faint nat
aral the thing should, you know. I've
watchedit. First it rains, then it shines,
then it rains again. 1t rains so hard
you think it's never going to stop; then
i shines so bright you think it's always
going to shine; and just as you are set
lied in either belief you are knocked
over by change, to show that you know
nothing abont it.
well. according to your philosophy. Z"
said, you vii! continue to have sun
shine, because you are expecting q
storm"
Its curious" he returned, "but the
anly thing Which makes me think l will
get through safe is because I think /
won't
well, this is curious, said I.
Yes" he replied. Il ana machin-
st-matle discovery--nobody be-
ievcd il it-spent all my money in try
ing to bring it out-mortgaged my home
all went. Everybody laughed at me-
everybody but my wife-spunky little
soman-she said she'd work her fingers
off before / should give j. up. Wentto
England 40 better tbere-came with
in an ace of jumping Off London bridge,
Went into workshop to earn money
enough to come home with-there I
met the man I wanted. To make q
bng story short, I've brought $500 900
dome with me, and here am"
Good for you'll" I exclaimed.
"Ycs," said he, "s500,000; and the
best OF IL is, she don't know anything
lbout it. I've fooled her SO often and
disappointed her so much that I just
concluded I would say nothing about
This. When I got my money, though,
you better believe l struck bee line
Tor home"
"And now, l suppose, you will make
he, happy"
"HapryH he replied. "why. you
lon't know anything about it. She's
worked like q dog since have been
gone, trying to support herself and
children decently. They paid her l3
cents apiece for making white shirts,
and that is the way she lived half tho
sime. She'll come down there to the
depot to ueet me in q bingham dress
ind shawl hundred years old, and
she'll think she's dressed up, Oh, she
won't lave no clothes after this oh,
no, guess not!'
And with these words, which implied
that lia wifo's wardrobe would soon
rival Qucel Yictoria's the stranger tore
down the passagewas again. and, getting
in his old corner. where he thought
himself out of sight, went through The
strange pantomime, laughing, putting
his mouth Into the drollest shape, and
then swinging himself back and forth
In the limited space as i he were
walking down Broadway" p full
rugged metropolitan belle.
So on We rolled to the depot, and
placed myself on the other car, oppos-
tie the stranger, who, with portman-
lean in either hanl, descended and was
standing on tho lowest step ready to
Jump to the platform.
l locked from his face to the faces OF
the people before us. but saw no sign
Of recognition. Suddenly he cried:
"Thcre they are"
Then he laughed outright, but in "
tlysterical way, us lie looked over the
crowd. | followed his eye, aud saw,
some distance back, as if crowded out
and shouldered away by the wcli-dreas-
ed and Glowing throng, little woman
in faded dress, and we'll worn hat,
with q fiee almost painful in its intense
but hopeful expression, glancing rapid
ly from window to widow as tho
coaches rapidly glided iii.
She had not scen tho stranger, but q
moment after she caught his eye. and
in anothds. instant he had jumped to the
platform with H.: two portmanteaus,
and making hole in the crowd, push
ing ono here and another there, and
running one of his bundles plump into
tho well-devoioped stomach OF veneer
nble-iooIiing old gentleman in spccta-
cles, he rushed toward the place where
a face assume SO many expressions in
so short time as did that Of the little
woman while her husband was on his
way to her
She didn't look pretty-on the con-
trary, she looked very plain; but some
how I felt big lump rise in my throat
as I watched lier. She was trying to
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