The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-17
SHE WOULD TRAVEL ALONE.
A Woman's Terrible Adventure in a Rail-
way Train.

4 feel very uncomfortable about
letting you travel alone" said Mr..
A, as he put his spouse on the
northward- bound train at c.
"Why, 1 have done it I'VE and over
again" said his wife, languidly. She
wasa tall, fair woman, whose pretty
face bore traces of recent illness; and,
as she spoke, she passed her delicate
hand, laden with costly rings, over her
forehead.
1T is too vexatious, too" continued
her husband. noting anxiously the GEES
tuIe, that every seat in the drawing
room a is taken. Don't you think l
had better ask the conductor to look
after you?"
"NO, please don't, Jack" answered
his wife; "he would only worry me.
[ shall be comfortable enough, and,
after all, it is only six hours before l
arrive at R, where 1 will meet the
BIS. Good bye, dear, and don't
fret; l will wire you this evening"
After her husband left, Mrs. A
gave a careless look at her fellow pas
sengers. In the seat across the aisle
sat a respectable-looking, ruddy-faced,
middle-aged woman, whom the invalid
regarded with satisfaction. A man
and a woman with a family of several
children, occupied the place ear the
door; the rest of the car seemed empty,
but as her eyes followed the line of the
seats, she felt a ~disagreeable start on
finding her gaze met by the bold, direct
stare of a w~ell-dressed, sinister-lOOking
man, who occupied the third seat in
her rear. By his side Sat a burly-lOok-
ing giant, who, although clearly and
neatly dressed, was evidently of an in
ferior class. Disagreeably impressed,
she knew not why, she turned around,
and, opening her book, endeavored to
beguile the tedium of the journey.
After a couple of hours the express
stopped at -, and here, to her regret,
she saw her kind looking neighbor
leave her seat. The family party that
she had noticed also hurried past with
children and bundles, pushing past the
new people who were coming in, and
it was with a feeling of positive annoy
ance that she saw the two men behind
her leave their place, and quietly take
possession of the seats the pleasant
faced woman had left vacant,
Again the train sped On. Mrs. A
felt quite vexed with herself on account
of the uneasy, feeling that
gradually stole over her, and the half
dread she felt of the dark, Mephisto-
phelian looking man who had placed
himself so near her. Several times
shelooked toward him, feeling instinct
lively thethis eyes were fixed upon her,
and each time she failed to find the
bold and glittering orbs staring into
her face.
"How absurd I am" she said to her
self, impatiently; what harm could
any n do me in a car full of people"
and she resolutely turned her back and
began to read,
But, suddenly, she gave a violent
start and a half-scream as she felt,
rather than saw, the dreaded face
bending over her shoulder, while he
said: 1--WE get out at the next station,
madam"
Just at that moment the welcome
sound of ''Tickets!" was heard from
the conductor, who was making his
rounds before the train stopped. The
man, to her great relief, left her i'm
mediately, but, to her surprise, walked
up to the official and, drawing him
aside, engaged him in earnest CONVEX
sation. In spite of herself, she could
not help turning around to see what
her prosecutor was about, although
she devOutly hoped to see him leave
the train, thus making it unnecessary
to take any notice of his behavior.
That they were talking about her was
evident, for the conductor kept glanc-
ing toward her as the man spoke, and,
to her annoyance, she saw him resume
his seat and begin to confer rapidly
with his companion.
Resolved to save herself from further
trouble, she laid her hand on the con-
ductor's arm as he passed,
please bend down your head" she
said to him, in a low voice, THAT man
must be out of his senses; he has been
annoying me ever since we left c..
Will you please take me to the next
carr"
To her utter amazement and terror,
tho oOD51otor oOlv oavo bn1 a commas