The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-08-18
THE LOST VOICE.
An Ancient Maiden's Great Agony
in Finding It.

1t was eleven O'Clock a. m, and the vii
iage of Scarborough was about to receiy
Its daily shock from the worlds great cleo
tr1c battery, after which it would relaps
into its usual state Of torpor. In othe
words, the midday train was about to com
In, the one that brought the mails and tn
few passengers that came; the only one t.
all intents and purposes. for Slumboroup
was only mile Of struggling houses set O,
q branch road Of the great Massamitton 8
Midland railway, and its honest inhabitant
were not disturbed unless the whistle o.
the might freight reused them from thei
bucolic dreams
The two gentlemen that lived in the neigh
Dor hood had driven over to get the mai
and were waiting for it in their buggies
the farmers had tied their laxk horses Il
the fence and gone into the small hous,
pinned TO an extensive platform that served
aC once as store, post office and station; tht
usual crowd of idle negroes who neyeI
missed train. not even during harvest
had assembled. And now what should
came rattling along the cross-road but a
modest ''rockaway." 1t contained three
ladies ant unique coachman in the per.
son of a listle colored girl of about twelve.
VINO was dressed in pink Calico and as to
her extreilities was barefooted and wore
black straw hat from bsneath which a
wilderness OF short plaits bristled in the
india! where are you goingn called out one
OF the ladies i'll an alarmed tone as they
crossed the track.
Don't you hear the whistle. Go on !"
shouted another in resolute, authoritative
voice.
Goodness gracious alive She will kill
us all yet" exclaimed the third, but for
all answer Florinda, who had solved in her
own person the woman's rights problem
oy knowing what she was doing and going
sisa srfiaight ahead and doing it, and who, in
Spite OF her age and sex, was an accom-.
pllshed Jehu, drove safely and cleverly
around to the back of the station and
stopped where the ladies could step out on
1he platform with ease. Rolling her i'm
mense protrudiug eyes around at her mis-
trsss she said, reprovingly: miss 'Stasia,
Use a-drivingw and without further com.
ment the process of disembarkati ation began.
IL was a process. for all three ladies were
old ana more or less difficult to extract
equal to the occasion It was worth willis
TO see her guide Miss Anastasia's foot to the
step, seize her hand and land her safely,
tnen put up parasol for her and leave
her f, to go back and fairly pull out Miss |
There was still the timid Miss Roberta,
VINO peered anxiously in the direction of |
the horses head and cried out: He'll start, |
or Kick, OF do something! know he will |
90 to the beast, Florinda, hold him''
n iss Roberta that there was no danger, for |
she had mortal dread Of horsefiesh and |
there was bundle of nerves. Florinda |
didn't try. She simply put one long, Arm
arm around the lady's waist and brought
@ ner out within three feet OF her sisters with
twinkling the shawls and parcels they had
brought, bounced back like a ball into the
carriage turned it sharp around, escaping
sne wheels OF wood wagon by about an
men, bounced out again, knotted the reins,
hitched the horses and rejoined her com,
panions
she found them squabbling mildly as to
whether Miss Roberta who was going To
vlsit an aunt in Ohio, should buy = return
.acket or not and being accustomed to
The negative: She then bounced up to the
lgent with Miss Anastasia's g pocket-book in
Ter hand, bought the necessary bit of pa-
'er, and bounced back to Miss Roberts,
aging: Here's your showin', Miss Berta.
% put OFF de train mighty quick, 1 tell
,ou," caution which 80 Impressed Miss
toDerta that she immediately buttoned il
Up IN the bosom of her dress. FIorinda
vas then Oh to see about the trunk, and
In impressive roll Of her peculiar ewes
md waning: "Widout dis piece ey Der.
erwin kittle you neber see dat new black
ress ev you'rn agin long ez you live Miss
toberta, dat's shoren' sent the precious
;iece OF brass to keep company with the
The train now rolled in. and the three
ID ladies, who were devoted to each other
no mad never been separated for a month ,
an their lives, consumed SO much time
z iarewells and embraces and cautions Z
nat, after all, there would have been no
Immediate necessity for any thing of the !
ind, and Miss Roberta would have missed !
or train had not the sharp and practical .
,1r11da ,s,ns been at the helm. 1t was she who 6
aiied out. rather disrespectfully it must be q
"a you gwine be left whisperatin' en- Cir !
imferatin' right here!" And not content =
1th mere words pushed Miss Roberta =
risky in the direction Of the ladies' car
40 g9t her on board, On the platform o
sar be sure to feed my Rouen-" This Z
ntence ifit had been finished, would have I
ID ducks" in it, but it wasn't The train h
artea, and with q convulsive lurch or {
ss thar hsss bs; nGoetta disspPeared inside The
iadows were all up, and from one of
len Misc Roberta saw her two sistsrs n
aVinG their handkerchiefs She also saw 4
lorinda,. who had taken off the black q
raw and Vas 81 fourishing il in the air. her I,
silhoustte against the sky like the auiils a
the fretful porcupine, her voice sending 4
ter the traveller last caution: ssChanre =,
yers at Milford, Miss R0bertal,
'floiinda, you spoke very improperly n
lst now," said Miss Anastasia Is they n
owed away. Another time / shall
,rtainly not overlook it," =,
She always said this, and about twice n 4,
onth declared that she could NOT he :,
.oIried with that child any longer" but T.
! the same she never had the least idea II
sending her away. 1t would have been O.
most revoluttonarv proceeding, for Flo. @
nda's grandmother was an old family Z,
ryant.ths only one who, uudazzled by Is
. brilliant prospects opened to her race by 2,
war, had staid quietly in her Virginis r
'nse and grown old With the ladies with =,
hom she had been young, in an exchange o,
mutual good Offices and affection very q,
atlaing TO behold. It was she who had =,
y into Florinda the handspring Of all n
: sections. 'I wuz bawn In dis here IN
% 1y-Pse 'gwins die in dis here fam 4
y" the faithful soul would cav. ssEz .,
you, bar dis in mind, fust an last. "
y IL po', bat dey II quality Being po', \,
I can't 60 hirin' round all sorts ct traeb =