Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-05-17
A FAMILY AFFAIR.
BY HUGH CONWAY.
CHA TER l.
A LITTLE DERELICT.

were needed to conquer the damp fog
which f led the arched expanse from
end to end. The broad platform teemed
with the motion and hustle attendant
upon the departure of train The
guard shut the last door which some
body's carelessness had left open,
jumped into his van as it swept by him,
and, punctual to the minute, the five
O'Clock train left London and began its
race to Zen ance.
In one of the first ella compartm ents
were three passengers, although the
railway company would only benefit to
the extent of two fares; one of these
passengers being a child still young
enough to DO passed OF as a child in
arms. Tn two travellers who augment
ed the company's revenue were a man
and woman.
hat theyw strangers was evident,
and it was also evident that the man
was an old traveller. AS soon as the
train was in motion and he felt insured
for some time TO come against disturb
ance. he arranged his wra in the most
approved fashion, donned soft cap,
lit lamp and buried himself in book
He was a young man; but as he appears
in this tale only to disappear, detailed
description would be superiluous. 1t
enough To know he was n gentleman,
well dressed, well-to-do in appearance,
and looked quite in his proper place in
a first class carriage.
There was nothing remarkable in
the womSn's appearance, g ccpt the
utter absence of individuality it dis
,,l.a be
gave, she might have been rich or poor,
young or old, beautiful or ugly, noble
or simple. Had her travelling com
panion been as curious as he was at
present indifferent about the matter, he
might have sat opposite to her from
London to the Lands End, yet not have
known how to classify her. She was
dressed in plain black and black, like
harity and night, covereth and hideth
much. No scrap of bright ribbon, no
vestige of color, broke the somber
monotony of her attire, and n thick
black vel hid the upper part of her
face. She sat like one in a thoughtful
frame of mind. Her head was bent
forward and so threw her mouth and
chin into the shade. Her hands being
gloved, it was impossible to know
whether she wore a wedding ring or
not
the child, little boy, there was
nothing that could be seen except q
mass of bright golden hair. The wom-
an had wound a thick shawl around
him and held him close to her bosom.
He was no annoyance to anyone, for,
shortly after the train started, he fell
asleep. Indeed. so inoffensive were his
tray cling companions, that the gentle .
man, who had felt somewhat disguised
when woman and child entered the
compartment, began to hope that, after
all, he need not shift his quarters at the
first stoppage.
Near eadinS the train slackened.
The gentleman with the book breathed
an inward prayer that he might not be
disturbed. He did not notice that, as
the train drew up at the platform. the
woman half rose from her seat, as if
her journey was at an end; then, after
moments hesitation, re-seated herself
in her former attitude. The travellers
were not disturbed. The train shot Oh
once more Still the gentleman read
his book still the silent woman held
the sleeping child.
In less than hour Didcot was reached.
The woman, after a quick glance, to
assure herself that the reader was in
tent upon his book, pressed her lips
upon the child's golden head, and kept
them there until the train stopped. For
a minute or two she remained mo-
tionIess, then laying the child on
the seat, rose quickly and open
ed the carriage door. The reader
looked up as the cold, damp air rushed
into the heated compartment
you have no me to get out" he
said, "we are off in minute.
Ii she heard the well-meant caution
she paid no heed to it, She made no
reply but, stepping on the platform,
closed the carriage door behind her.
The young man shrugged his shoulders
and resumed his interrupted para
graph. 1t was no business of his if
stupid women chose to risk missing the
train.
Although. two minutes afterward,
when he found the train in rapid
motion, and himself and the sleeping
child the only tenants of the compart-
ment, he saw that, after all, he was
primarily concerned in the matter. In
spite of his warning, the mother had
been left behind and he was in the un-
enviable position of having child
thrown upon his hands until the next
stoppage.
Although he was bachelor, and one
who knew nothing of the ways of child
rem, he scarcely felt justified in pulling
the emergency cord. Swindon would
be reached in less than an hour - there
he would be relieved. So he could do
no moro than anathematize the careless
mother. and pray that the child's
slumbers might be unbroken. What
ever effect the OBJ urgation may have
had, no soon saw that his prayer was
not to be granted. The child, no