The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1886-01-15
tween the two, and thought Of the
beautiful hymn that says:


''This world Is all floating Shoe
! And-now. don't taught just laid my
head down on the back of tie seat be.
fore me and cried / wouldn' have lei
Tom known it for the world, but did
There was q man in that seat, but he
did not take any no ice of me. His
| face was covered with whiskers and he
looked kind of stern, but real good
looking sort of chap. too. / thought il
was him that touched me, and jumped
as if was shot. but it was the prett est
little blonde girl of sixteen ever saw.
Twill you please let me sit with
you?" she said. and her vote was Just
like bird singing. and she had a little
white hand all cushicny and dimpled.
on my black bombazine arm.
I'm grumpy old thing myself. and
I felt like saying as heard the rest do:
this seats engaged" but when she
looked at me with her sweet violet eyes,
just gave in and said:
Certainly, my dear, sit right down. -
suppose the sweet child saw | was
crying. for she kind of snuggled up to
me and wanted to see the b rd, and
praised him. and he chirped to her. and
she told me her sad story, how she had
come all the way from California and
was an orphan going to seek living in
the great untried world.
l came near crying again then. but l
remembered where was and straight
ened up.
Ibid you know Mr.. Grimwood in
California;" / asked. Not that / cared
to know what had become of Hiram,
but just did it to make talk.
IL didn't know many people, she
said, in her pretty bird-like voice, Il
went to school till my dear mother
died and left me alone and pc en-
niless!'
She was crying then. and the man in
the seat before us turned straight round
and stared at her. / gave him look,
l tell you. and he turned away again
quicker.
And she had to GO at the next sta
ton. never fe.t So sorry 10 part with
any one. and she actually put her pretty
arms about my neck and kissed me, Just
as if she had known me all her life,
sweet thing!
But what does that man do but insist
on carrying her satchel out to the plat
form, and all the time the cars waited
he stopped out there talking to her. l
couldn't hear what they said, b e | saw
her give him something and her face
was red and she was Just as angry as
she could be, and as the car moved of
l called to her; but she never took any
notice, she was that vexed about some
thing! ] just made up my mino that
;he made her pay him for carrying that
satchel out. and yet it didn't seem as
if any man could be SO mean.
After awhile tho man came back and
sat down in the same seat he had occu-
pied all along. and-wou,d you believe
it?-he had the audacity to try aad
start up q con ersation with me.
.sdave you the timer" he asked, as
as you please.
ssOf course have the time,' l an
swered. in . huff. ..lnever travel with
out 1t. -
II was the first time had been any
where for ten years. but | didn't pro-
pose that he should know it.
ssWould you mind telling me what
time it ispn he asked. politely.
s.Soft soap doesn't go down with
me. looked square at him as / an
swered:
why don't you carry = watch YOUR
self and not trout ladies?''
He actually smiled. Then thought
maybe he would suspicion that didn't
have any watch. nothing but gold
chain for show, 80 l TOOK hold of Il
Goodness. gracious! My watch was
gone!
l stood right up in the car and
1T the top of my voice:
..rire! murder! THE. es! I've teen
robbed! Stop the cars:''
s'dush!' said the man in front Of me.
in stern voice. Matilda Jane. sit
down and keep quiet; it won't do any
good to scream that way
nearly tainted. He called me Ma
tilda Jane. and there never was but one
person in the world that ALWAYS ga g
me my full name, and that was Hiram
OR mwood. Ip:nched myself to see if
| was alive.
THAT pretty girl took your watch. -
he 50 d, and il was his voice this time.
.'NeverIs 1 said. Indignantly. .sYou
may be Hiram Grimwood or his ghost.
and Il You are you've NO right to come
back here and Tell lies. That poor child |
steal. indeed!''
Matilda Jane, you haven't changed |
} bit = said that dreadful man. sYo1 Re |
Just the same trusting. unsuspicious |
'ouI you used 70 be. That poor child |
2 an advonturess Of thirty. She came