Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-09-12
A LADY'S ADVENTURE.
l am a sin gle lady.


/ have outgrown that callow and silly
age. l am quite Independent now, and
beholden to nobody. | make my living
by lecturing. aud a very little snug liv-
ing it is. l came to he success, after
a little practice, and good deal of
hard work, and made money. l took
a suit of pleasant rooms in quiet
family hotel, and kept my own little
coupe.
But one day there came request
that | wonld deliver my lecture upon
THE Woman of the Period" ut Baggs-
vile.
sent the waiter for an atlas and
gazetteer, and hunted up Baggsville.
1t was an unpretcntious village. among
the hills well up towards the northern
lakes.
"Baggsville, indeed" said 1 to my
self. "A place with church, post
office, and seven or eight young men
who call themselvesa Lyceum. They're
mistaken in the lectures they want.
They never can afford to pay my price"
So wrote back to Squire JoneS-at
least fancied from the big fat shapes
of his capital letters, and the general
pompousness of his phrascology. that
tho ''Orvilke Jones" who wrote to me,
as Chairman of the Literary Com
mittee," was IN esquire, with bald
head, blunt nose and light blue eyes.
/ politely mentioned my terms, and
straightway forgot all about the matter,
until letter came back, asking me to
fix Il date for the delivery of my lect-
ure at Baggsville Lyceum.
I nv U ra
Il had become so popular character
that it was quite necessary for me to
keep such volume-and settled Oh
the night of the twenty-third of De-
cember.
The twenty-third of December was
a day of driving storm and tempest,
and it was nearly six o'clock when we
reached the station at Baggsville.
Thank goodness" | said to myself.
II shall have time for good rest and
n cup of strong tea"
But, to my disnlay, when l got out
at Baggsville station, blinded by tho
lights that Jared through IL driving
rain, confused 10y the everlasting groan-
ing machinery, / learned that the viii
lage of Baggsvile itself was ten miles
further up the billy road.
We've just been telegraphcd FROM
there" said the station-master. The
Lyceum is filling up fast. You'll have
good audience, miss, in spite Of the
weather"
but how can | possibly get there in
tlme" l demanded, ia hopeless per-
iiexity.
Squire Jones, the chairman of the
committee. is here with his close car
riage," said he compacently.
And you'll find it mighty snug and
comfortable" added the little man,
rubbing his mittened palms together.
Here it is now"
Through the flying snowfiakes. |
could just discern the dark Opaque
body drawn up close to the platform.
l stepped into what seemed To me
bottomless pit of blackness, guided by
the station-master's hand; and was re-
lieved by finding myself in warm
carpeted carriage. with well-stutfed
cushions, and figure seated opposite.
Here she is squre!"cried the station
master, banging the door to. Now.
go ahead, Perkins. to the driver and
don't let the snow drift under your
horses feetr'
There had been SO much noise and
confusion that / felt awkwardly con-
scious that / might have been adj
dressed by the squire without answer
ing, and AS a silence rcigned in the car
riage, / said hesitatingly:
Il beg your pardon?"
AS L received no reply to the remark,
repeated it. in somewhat louder
KEY. Then L waited little, and haz-
nrded:
"A very stormy nightP'
Still L received no acknowledg ment
of these conversational efforts. | be-
gan to feel somewhat offended. but
then remembered just in time To
assuage my rising choler, that Squire
Jones might very possibly be deaf
could always get along well with dcaf
people. My voice was clear. and my
enunciation was distinct; SO | tried
again.
Bad weather for the lecturer" l
bawled out in stentorian accents. The
driver stopped, and leaned down 10
the carriage door:
"Eh, miss? said he, did you want
nnythingP"
NO" said, somewhat confusedly.
HOuSHb HCdtu Ou HOllci, Silu
the driver, Must ha' been the wind
bowling down the gorge"
AS we started again began to think
I must have been mistaken Us to the
fact of there being anyone in tho
carriage with me- Determined to
solve the problem, put my hand softly
out towards the opposite side of the
carriage. TO my embarrassment, it
encountered another warm human
hand, which was drawn away with
electric quickness.
Pardon me-" l said. awkwardlv
enough. IL dropped my bag. and
was feeling for il"
Still no answer l began to feel SER
iously angry.
IF you do not feel disposed for con-
versation." said /. with some spirit.
''pray, hold your tongue!'
Apparently my vis-d-ris took me at
my word. Total silence reigned, ex-
cept for the occasional voice of my
charioteer shouting at his horses.
Had come to the land of total bar
bsrismp Had left civilization behinde