Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-11-21
A MAKE-BELIEVE STORY.
A Clever Woman's Ruse with a
Supposed Detective.

railroad station at Springfield TO catch the
train for Montreal He was O little late,
and the knowledge of this fact so heightened
the susceptibility of his nerves that, when
tall woman with her arms full OF parcels
fell heavily against him, dropping her par
cells, some of which burst and scattered
their contents in every direction, only the
sense OF the politeness due TO her sex kept
him from using an ejaculation that would
OF least have expressed great impatience
She had clutched him nervovsly as she
slipped and he supported her a moment
while he inquired IL she was hurt
81 don't know" she said, painting. 81
turned my ankle-I feel terribly Jared"
When she recovered herself sufficiently to
stand without his help, he could do no less
than to offer to gather up her parcels, and
he had the satisfaction of feeling that he
was doing his duty, and seeing his train
steam out OF the station at one and the same
time.
"Well, as have lost my train he be.
gan, as he stood holding some of her bundles
In his arms
was that your train" she exclaimed,
still visibly agitated. 1T was mine, too, 1
think-I am not surc-I am q stranger,
want TO go to Hartford
"This was not your train then" he an.
swered; "yours starts from the other side"
II was late, had no time to get ticket.
What time does the next train go TO Hart
fordW she murmured, brokenly, lifting ap.
pealing eyes to his.
~ will find out for you,r he said, feeling
quite compassionate toward her. though
she was neither young nor pretty, and there
fore had no legitimate claim TO a strangers
protection.
He conducted her TO tho waiting room
and presently returned from the ticket office
with the information that she would have
to wait over three hours-until after dark
In fact, for the train.
"Three hours alone" she exclaimed, with
an unconscious naive stress on the taloner
that MIR. Dunlap found very interesting.
81, too, must wait until evening for nv
train," he said smiling, land as II rains so
that we shall have TO stay in the depot, IL
you will permit me TO sit here, / will do N.Y.
self the pleasure Of waiting with you for a
time at least"
"You are very kind" she answered sim.
ply, moving some of her bundles so that he
could sit closer TO her than he had perhaps
at first intended land that, too, after my
awkwardness made you miss your train.
You heap Goals OF fire-which ought not to
be the less hot because they are getting
rather trite-chestnut Goals in fact, il YOU
will pardon the expression-upon my head l."
Mr.. Dunlap had already made up his mind
that she was neither young nor pretty; he
now, as she looked at him with bright
audacious smile, revised his opinion to the
extent of adding that she looked interesting.
She was tall, slender and very thin; with
sharp, old features, but her eyes, he de-
cided, were her strong point, they were so
changeful in expression and exhibited the
different phases Of her emotions with such
On Intensity, such sing leness of purpose
from the appealing gaze Of n frightened,
helpless child, TO the humorous quizzica,
glance she had thus given him.
"Will the delay incommode yot very
muchf she added, seriously.
II did think IL was quite necessary for me
TO be one Of the passengers on that particu-
lar train, but now l am not sure. l think /
shall be happier here"
II hope you will forgive me-" she said,
gravely, ignoring tho implication of the last
remark.
~ most certainly shall IL you continue to
be as agreeable as you have already BEEN"
he said, with q boldness which even some
ordinarily polite men will use toward q
woman they meet under unconventional cir.
cumstances.
She colored deeply and he felt that he
had risked losing her society by his last re-
mark. For a moment she looked very grave
and nervously fumbled with the leaves of q
book she held in her hand. Then she seemed
TO him to swallow her annoyance and take @
sudden resolution. 1t was as IL she said tc
herself: life is too short and the periods
spent In waiting for trains too long TO waste
the one and prolong the other by servile
Difference to useless onventionalities.n
II hate waiting in railroad stations" she
said, presently.
Mr. Dunlap lived back among the Berk
shire hills where the only communication
with the outside world was by means of Z
rickety, rumbling, Gathering old stage which
connected his town with the nearest rail
road station.
He had never Travelled much, his tempo
rarily deferred journey TO Montreal was ,
great and unprecedented event In his life
He was country farmer of very moderat,
MEANS but for oil that, he had read he hat
observed, he never doubted but that he wa,
much more man of the world than Others
who had had much better advantages fol
becoming so. The very bulk of his CONVEX
sation was carried on in the common yer
nacular, but he felt that he could be COURT,
and ceremonious to the last degree. Whel
he read a sentence that seemed to him Il
be the thing in the way of polite repartee o.
gallant address, he reread IL until he hat
made IL his own. That sort of thing wa
doubly effective, he thought, from a maj
who commonly used the old-fashioned Yam
kee dialect. II gave him the effect of beinI
conversant with several languages.
II have sometimes found Il rather dull
waiting here, but to-day quite reckon OF
IT," he replied, with his most polished man
nerr
"Did you ever try TO make the time pas
away by imagining the pursuits and destina
lions Of the various persons you see aroun,
you'll" he added .sf.
mo-" she added, quickly. She still scenes
nervous from her shock. should think I
would be very interesting. Lots bogil
now n