Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-11
MYRA'S ADVENTURE S.

the depot with her in the cab, and on the
way began course of advice to unpro
tected females that lasted until the depot
was reached. The main point of the advice
was to speak to nobody. OF all things cal
culated to bring an unprotected young,
single female traveller to grief, speaking to
an unknown per son was the most danger
Gus.
Remember" cried Miss lipsett from
the station platform, and she put her fin
ger to her lips Away went the cars, and
Myra sat wrapped in her veil and saw the
familiar landscape vanish, and thought
how the girls would miss her and how she
would miss them, until by slow degrees
future hopes replaced past memories.
"And | am on my way to be married."
she said to herself; what IA queer girl
am to have forgotten all about it,"
1t was odd, but then Myra's engagement
was an odd one
She had been brought up by her grand
mother, a sentimental lady of the old
school, who was very fond of her How
ever. her grandfather-who was afflicted
with the govt and il bad temper-made his
house no home for II child, and the girl
was soon sent to school She spent the
summer vacations at home, however, and
at times she met Ben Cooper, who lived on
the next place and whose mother had been
her grandmuther's schoolmate, though
Mrs. Ferris had married at sixteen and
Mrs Cooper at forty. Ben was the only
child of the more mature couple, the idol
of their hearts
At first he was, of course, big boy, al
ways ready t amuse the pretty little girl
next door, but by the time Myra was six
teen, he was young man, very pretty
fellow, with blue eyes, curly hair and a
dimple in his chin. And he fell in love
with Myra and told his mother so, and his
mother told Myra's grandmother, and
Myra's grandmother asked Myra to confide
in her, and the girl said, with bushes,
that she did like Ben"
Then the elderly ladies resolved to make
the young people happy, and they were en-
gagged to each other, and Ben set to work
to make his fortune and Myra went back
to school
In the course of making his fortune Ben
was obliged to go to California, and there
he had now remained five years, and Myra
had been kept ut school perfectiny herself
in many accomplishments until she was
one-andtwenty. And now the poor old
grandfather no longer driven mad by his
aches and pains, lay at rest in his grave,
and when Myra reached home the wedding
day would be set, and Ben would go into
business for himself near his old home.
They had written constantly; she had
always thought of him fondly He wrote
that he would he the happiest man alive
when once he held her hand in his again
II shall be very happy, | know" Myra
said to herself, land SUPPOSE all the talk
in plays and novels must be exaggerated,
that in real life people never go wild about
l.,,t
Ben"
She had come to this conclusion, when
the word junction" reached her ears. She
was to change at Croydon junction, and
springing to her feet she ran to the door
and was helped to the platform by an ener
getic brakeman, A moment after she rec
ognized the fact that she had made mis-
take. This was not the place at which she
should have alighted. She must return to
her car. But sometimes at the functions
cars do very erratic things.
While Myra had been gazing about her
and realizing the fact that at Croydon
junction there was a grocery and not a
hotel at the corner of the one long street,
that the station was on the other side, and
that the church there visible had steeple,
whereas the one in sight had tower, her
car had glided away and another taken i
|
which people had alighted to take lunch
con, and as it flew upon its way without
making pause, Myra soon began to feel
uneasy. She wanted to ask questions, but
the awful warning to be silent prevented
her from speaking to her neghbors. In
vain she called to the conductor as he went
by; he would not stop
! Can he of any serVicef asked a mas
culine voice at her elbow. But Myra only
shook her head. and at last, with the word
"tickets,' the conductor really paused be
side her seat.
81 gave You my ticket" she said. II
have to buy another at the junction. I'm
! going to Chicago
The conductor stared at her in silence,
then shook his head.
This is the New York express" he said
"How did you come herel'
Myra explained.
well" he said, "all that you can dc
now is to 20 on and take the Chicago ex
press from New York. This trip won't cost
you much. Well be in the city within two
hours" He wrote something on a ticket
and handed it to her.
Myra put her hand in her pocket. Her
purse was gone.
oh" surely ! must have dropped il
did her neighbors; so did the conductor.
Finally the conductor walked away.
Big tears began to pour down Myra's
cheeks. She was terrified beyond expires
sion.
Il beg your pardon" said the gentleman
beside her, but ! see how terribly alarmed
you are There is no reason. | will see that
everything is right. You hall get safely to
Chicago, give you my word for that; I'll
take care of you"
For moment Myra reflected; then she
turned and locked at the gentleman. He
was handsome, brown bearded young
man, with nee eyes, broad shoulders and
that projecting air that women love. De
spite all the warnings that had been given
her, she could rot feel afraid Of him BE
sides, what cOald she do, penniless and
alone, on her way to a great city where she
had never been beforei
you are 80 kind. SIR" she said. II feel