The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-09
A WOMAN'S HAND.

| am sound sleeper. With a clear
conscience and robust constitution, 1t
is impossible tor man to toss sleepless-
ly on his bed. But that morning
awoke suddenly two hours before my sc-
customed time, and felt so wide awake
that | thought it must certainly be :
O'Clock at the latest. | pulled aside the
curtains of my berth, and held my watch
under the gimmering light. 1t was
only 5 I shook it, looked again at it,
and glanced up and down the car. No
one was stirring, not even the porter in
sight | pulled my head in again,
shivered a little, turned over and tried to
90 to sleep, but the pillows seemed out of
shape, and could not comfortably ar
range them. The covering would not
adjust itself to me, and, after trying to
keep my eyes shut a few minutes, | at
last gave it up and rolled up the certain.
The air outside looked keen and snap
ping. The ground, with its covering of
snow, sparkled as if some prodigal hand
had scattered diamonds in profusion
everywhere. The moon was low, but
seemed TO be lingering for one last look
on so beautiful landscape. Away
ahead | could occasionally catch giimpses
of the engine as she rounded the curves,
covered with clouds of steam that fell
back,,over her dusky form like mantle of
elder. She held her nose over the glitter
ing path, with its two parallel lines run
ming on into infinity, ike a hound on
the trail, while the light on her forehead
darted flashes ike q meteor. On We
flew. The low rumble and swaying mo-
ton of the car on its springs betokened
our speed.
lay back on my pillow. thanking for
tune that | WIS in comfortable quarters,
and not breathing the frosty air, as the
men on the engine. As dawn appeared
pulled up the curtain at the foot of the
berth, piled the pillows under my head,
making my position a semi-reclining one
and watched the effect of the bright
streaks of crimson which were now
shooting over the hills and making the
shadows in the valley disappear
On entering the car the evening before,
as tar as could notice, the apartments
were nearly all filed. Seeing this. l
gave my valise and coat to the porter, en-
tering the smoking apartment, and did
not leave il until late-so late in fact
that it was almost impossible to find my
berth, owing to the poor light and the
uniformity of the make up of berths.
| now noticed as | raised the lower
curtain, in the half light of morning that
filed my apartment, a white object at
the upper inside corner of the berth, to
which | at first gave no attention, think
ing. as remember now, that it was the
corner of the sheet that covered the berth
above me- At one time | saw it move,
but the movement was SO unnatural for
an inanimate object that it gave me
slight start. As the light increased
found my attention was all the more
keenly riveted on this white object in
the corner. saw il move a second time
and by degrees it began to take shape
l now discovered tina: it was hand, but
whether large or small one, mans
or Il woman's, could not discern. was
pleased at making the one discovery
little more daylight would tell what kind
of hand it was and give me some idea
Of its owner.
found out as my vision became plain
er that it was small, probably ehild's
and not large enough for mans. A
slight movement of the hand betrayed
beautiful solitaire ring encircling the
third finger. My interest very percep-
tibly increased. ] thought was too old
to be interested in such things. When
man looks back over stretch of thirty
years, and can honestly confess that
such trivial things as being interested
seriously in woman's heart never troub-
eld him, he should not confess that in
the secondary consideration he should be