Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-07-02

LII a coCouN SClI WIFI ohV
hand by the rail of the rack, she began
to walk slowly across the compartment.
Then the truth seemed to dawn upon Mr..
McParson. She had never awakened at
all, but was now walking in her sleep.
This conviction did not bring much
comfort to the old gentleman's mind.
For though it was shade better to be
shut In railway carriage with sleep
walker than with lunatic, still even the
former condition of affairs was sufficient
ly awkward, and he fervently wished
that he had got into another compart-
ment.
However, there he was, with no posi-
BILE chance of escape. So there was little
use in wishing. He had better devote
his energies to making the best of the
situation. Only, what was he to do?
The young lady was moving slowly to-
wards the door of the carriage.
Suppose she should try to open it and
get out! He should be obliged to stop
her by force, with the almost certain re-
suit of waking her up. And that Gas he
had heard) was liable to cause fatal con-
sequences. He was on the horns of a
most embarrassing dilemma; and as he
realized its full horrors, a sickly pallor
succeeded to the previously rubicund hue
of Mr.. McParson's countenance.
But when the young lady reached the
door of the carriage, and Joshua McPar-
son, with his heart in his mouth, was
about to lay OBTAINING hand upon her
arm, she suddenly turned round and be-
gan to walk the other way The old fell
low noticed now that she was lifting her
feet unnecessarily high, like a person as
cending steps; and he concluded that she
imagined herself to be going upstairs.
This view was soon to receive cOnfirma-
ton of a strange and startling kind.
While he was still watching her, with
anxious alarm, in case she might try to
get out of the door at the other end of
the carriage, he saw her, to his immense
relief, stop her Reorganization and sink
down upon the seat. "Thank Heaven
he murmured.. " hope she will now
wake up, before she attempts any more
walking" But he soon found that he
had been somewhat premature in his ex-
preston of gratitude.
The young lady's first act after sitting
down was extraordinary, perhaps,
though not at all frightening, being
merely to take off her bonnet and lay it
upon the seat beside her. But it soon
became clear to her Mortified companion
that this had only been prelude to a
far more alarming and embarrassing pur-
pose. For after calmly divesting herself
of her outer jacket, she next proceeded to
unbutton and take off the bodice of her
dress! What. in the name of horrors,
did this mean? What on earth did the
sleeping young lady dream that she was
doing?
Her next move threw some light upon
the matter. She commenced, with great
deliberation, to take the hair-pins out of
her hair, and let it down about her neck
and shoulders. Then, possessing her.
self of a hair brush from the travelling
bag at her side, she proceeded to brush
her long, thick tresses very energetical-
ly.
Mr.. McParson was not genius in
point of penetration; but by putting two
and two together-that is, by comparing
the young lady's former action of ap-
pearing to walk up stairs with her pres
ent occupation-he had sufficient intelli-
gence to divine the motive influence at
work within her.
She imagined herself in her bedroom.
just retiring for the night: and the no.
ton of disrobing, with which her Sleep
ing thoughts were busy, had set her I'M
conscious hands performing that task in
very earnest.
The old gentleman did not arrive at
this conclusion all in minute; but when
he did arrive at it, he felt no doubt what
ever that he had hit the right nail on the
head. And as he begun to realize the
consequences likely-nay, certain-to re-
suit from such situation, he felt some
thing more than embarrassed and horri.
fed.
The worst part of it was, he felt help
less to do anything. He dared not wake
the young woman up, not only because
of the danger to her life involved in SO
doing, but also because, even if she got
over that safely, she would be so startled
taken aback, and overwhelmed at finding
herself in such situation, that, before
he had time to give any explanations
she would probably shrek out for help
And should the train be stopped and they
two be found, under such conditions
alone together in the carriage, why, mat
tiers would look rather bad for him, tt
say the least of it.
On the other hand, to let her proceed
further with the work of disrobing wa!
to make his present position even more dis
tressingly embarrassing than it was. AnC
of course, the more advanced the state o.
deShabllle in which she found hersel
when she ultimately woke up. the mor'
intense would be her agitation and nor
ror. Yet what could he do to stop her
He was, in this respect, as helpless as al
unborn babe.
There is no denying, indeed, that thu
situation was sufficiently awkward, ant
calculated to make the most bold ant
reckless of men wish himself safe out O.
it. But an ordinary person can scarcel,
realize the Overpowering horror, trepida
ton, and dismay which it produced il
this prim and pompous old Puritan. FL
sat mOtionless in his seat, wiping tn
clammy moisture from his forehead ant
looking the very picture of helpless des
peratien, his eyes riveted In horro
struck gaze upon the unconscious youn,
lady.
By and by she stopped brushing he
hair and put the brush back in the bag
Now would come still more embarrass
} ing condition of things. OF course sh
would proceed with her disrobing Blu
no! Apparently she was under the i'm
!, preston that she had completed tina
! task. For her next move was to stretcl