The Opelousas courier., 1885-08-22
FROM TIE COUNTRY.

check, driveri"
Miss Dorothy Diver gave these or,
ders with an assumption of being well
up in the ways of the metropolis; in
fact, she tried to speak as if she were
in the daily habit of engaging hacks.
But her feigned n did not i'm,
pose upon Charlie Kingston at all.
"A little girl from tho country" he
said to himself. "Never been here in
her life before. She'll lose that com
plexion before she has been here many
months"
Charlie Kingston, be it understood,
was not a professional jehu. He him
self was not so very long from the
rural districts. 1t had become neces-
sary for him to come to New York to
take care of an old uncle who was an
invalid; it had also become necessary
that he should earn his living.
A neighboring liyery-stable vast 0 be
sold out at a bargain, and Charlie had
q healthy mans liking for horses. So
he bought 1t, paying part of the money
down and giving a mortgage for the
rest; and he was here this misty Feb
ruary evening because one of his
drivers had sprained a wrist in lifting
q heavy trunk, and business was brisk.
Dorothy looked at him as he held
open the hack-door for her, and secret
~ wondered if this was the typical
New York hack-driver of whom she
had read and heard SO many evil
things.
His eye was bright and clear, his
cheek wore a healthy glow, and no
prince of the blood could have been
more quietly courteous than was he.
While she was still considering
these things. the hack stopped.
''Seventy-eight Pickett Place, miss"
said che aEiyer. jumping down from
the box.
"Oh. have we reached it SO soon?"
cried Dorothy, starting out of a rev.
Ferie. "Oh. dear, ] forgot to ask how
much the fare would bel"
"One dollar, miss said Kingston,
smiling in spite of himself at her
evident panic.
Dorothy drew a sigh of relief. This
surely was not the oyercharge she
had dreaded.
eff You would please carry the trunk
up stairs" said she, timidly, half-fear-
ing lest the New York hack-driver
should cast the baggage. with impre-
cations, on the pavement, and decline
further to serve her.
But Charlie Kingston did nothing Of
the sort. He only said, Certainly,
miss" and went up stairs at once.
with The trunk Well-balanced on his
shoulder.
.sThe fourth fat-this is quite
right" said Dorothy. "I'm 50 much
obliged to you, drIverl"
And she timidly rendered the dollar
bill, with a little silver dime.
Kingston gave back the latter coin.
"One dollar is my fare" said he.
calmly.
"But for your trouble with the
trunk she faltered.
He smiled d little.
ut is my business to take trouble"
said he. .Good-evening, miss r
And before Dorothy could remon-
strate he was gone.
II never saw such a nice haek-driver
in my life,n thought she, as she tapped
at the door.
She listened. There was no voice,
but there were footsteps inside.
81 wonder. she unused, "if Norman
Will open the door himself"
For Dorothy, be It known, had
planned a surprise for her brother
Norman: who had come to New York.
about year since, to follow his trade
81 printer.
Dorothy had longed to come. too,
but. alas, she was not a man. but a
womanl
But Of late her stepmother had made
the family home SO obnoxious to her
that she had suddenly conceived the
determination Of coming to New York
To live with Norman, thus ~seyering
the Gordian knot of affairs.
.He viii be glad to have me keep
house for him" she thought; "and Il
Oh. 4 would 90 to the very top Of Pixies
Peak to get away from that womani'
50 here she was, upon chat winter
rosy, smiling and eager, when
the doOr was opened at Number
Se~venty-sight Pickett Place.
Oh. N~ormy-dear Normyl"
And she flung herself. sobbing, upon
The broad shoulders that ecIipsed che
ons cheery gaslight.
IL beg your PARDON faltered a
deep voice 'but y isn't Normyi MI.
Dh " hasn't come In yet lam Royal
Rrcoks-his chnms you knowl You