Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-18
ASCR00L MA'AM'S PERIL.
By Ethel German Clark.


late. The premature darkness of q
stormy winters night had set IN com
paratively early IN the afternoon, and
though 1t was barely O'Clock, it seemed
to the few weary passengers as though
they had been travelling half the night.
There were two representatives of tbs
gentler sex present, bet one, am almost
tempted to say, and I think the condQc-
tor and brakeman would bear me out IL
my distinction; for while one, shy,
tjmid girl OF 10 or 20. had quietly gone to
sleep, the other, lady of great sperity of
voice and demeanor, would neither go to
sleep herself or render this comforting
performance possible 10 any one in her
immediate vicinity, but persisted in ed-
ministering large pieces of her mind to
the aforesaid conductor and brakeman
concerning the delay of the train and
their shameful com plicity with the storm
that caused the delay.
When at last the brakeman threw open
the door, in a slow des pairing way that
showed great depression of spirit, ana
called out something that began with
Hunters and end. d in a mournfUi in
articalate howl, he frightened visably at
seeing the severe lady start up with a
jerk and gather up a collection of heter
ogeneous parcels with an air of relief
which oddly enough Immediately con-
municated itself TO the rest of the pas
sangere.
He helped her off the train with q
3hserful aIacrity that was not apparently
abashed by the icy contempt she unmis-
takably entertained for the railroad and
everyone connected with it from the
president TO the waterbos.
lantern to signal the engineer, called out
briskly "all aboard" and sprang on to the
moving train without stopping to notice
thet his ex passenger was in a state of
violent dissatisfaction over the trunk.
May Smith. the girl who had been
sleeping, started up with DeWiidered air
as The tram left the station, thrust her
hand into her pocket to see if her purse
was still there, and pressing her face
close to the window pane, against which
the whirling snow dashed and clupg tried
10 make out something of the land
scape.
L. was of no use, the Win9ow refused to
DO anything but give back the image of q
homesick girl with tired, white, scared
face, and also that of her near neig hbor,
q gentleman of such an exaggerated bu-
collie appearance that he seemed the car
feature OF himself.
She was afraid she had been carrie d
past her station, and made little timid
irresoiute movement toward addressing
the formerly detected brakeman, who now
passed through the car, actually whistling
the rollioking air of "Begone Dull
Care
He passed by without noticing her
slight movement and sudden recollec
ton kept her from repeating it.
Tue aunt with whom she had lived
ever since she could remember, had al
ways emptied her largest walls of concen-
tra5ed wrath on the heads of those girls
who tried 10 attract atten tion."
Fearing lest by an unnecessary ques-
tion she herself might be classed with
these reprehonsible deiiq uents, she made
no second attempt, but leaning back in
her seat an unresisting prey to loneliness
and foreboding.
She had never before been out of the
quiet little town of Massachusetts, where
she had lived with her aunt until the
death OF the latter forced her to find
some means of earning her own liv-
ing.
Having had some correspondence With
the 'hiring" committee OF district
school OF a small village in Maine, she
was now on her way to have her fate dc
cided by the examining committee.
As her mind was fully made up bsfore
leaving home that she could never return
if d1sgracod by not passing her exami-
nation, and as her stock of money WAS
not sufficient to hold out against any .x-
tended seige OF expenses while she was
awaiting reenforcements in the shape of
employment, her depression was not
wholly unfounded.
& The train soon came to another halt,
the brakeman again roared out sonnet hing
that began with Hunters and ended ID
some unin eligible syllable. Mays face
lighted rp when she heard the name, and,
starting up, she grasped her shabby old
fashioned carpet bag with one hand, felt
nervously in her pocket with the other,
to make sure that her purse had not been
distracted within the last two minutes by
any of the iistless passengers, and hurried
to the door.
The train hsd stopped ct little flag
station, whose only accommodation for
passengers was g small platform, al
present covered wife snow.
As May hesitsted moment on the cal
steps, tall figure selzed her, and carry
ing her across the platform deposited
her in the sleigh, and the train moved of
before she could recover from her sur
prise enough to ask timidiy, "Whsre';
my trupk!"
"You don't mean to say that I'm such
an idiot that I've let that train GO of an
carry of your trunk !" demanded the tai
man IN tones of poignant disgust.
II don't see the trunk snywhere" she
apsserei ignoring the question of the
strangers imoecility.
oval, 1 snum," said her disconnected
companion "you must think I'm the
gol-iern-the biggest gupap you ever
came acrost. They warn't uawthin' In j
you wanted was they?n he asked, q;
though people we're in the habit of trave
ing with baggage for which they had n.
earthly use.
Eyes" she admitted, everything I hay,
was in Is except what I have in thi
bsg..
"Jswhittakerr' exclaimed the othsr
"ef you'd only chuck something at M
for bein' such loon, I'd feel better. =
spose though you amt got nothin' 20,
want to waste on such a fool"
"You see it showed, so L didn't N uc
expect We, though OF course I'd hev com
er it had showed bilin' water, an ez l.
been waitin' for ye nigh on to thre
hours, I was SO consumedly tlckled {
think you come, didn's stop to thin
about nuthin' else. Can you git alon
without it tonight"
"Ob, yes" she answered, Il don't car
if it isn't lost"
"Then that's all right" he said, In
greatly relieved tone, getting In tn
sleigh beside her. "Ill get it for you tc
morrow eff hsv to overhaul every trai
In the state with my own hand