Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-04-07

y wa, On attempt 10 obtain money
under false pretences, for the scoun-
drel was only an impecunious clerk in
the office and of bad reputation as was
afterwards found.
"Atlast letter came, written as
usual on official paper, stating that
the chance had come, that the coal
schooner Sarah Jane would sail for
the station from pier s, Richmond,
q 4 outside of Philadelphia, on the
flowing Wednesday aud that the lit
We woman should come TO Philadel.
phia on the train arriving at s O'Clock
Tuesday evening aud should go TO
hrugers Hotel OH Blank street, where
Mr.. j. e. Smith would meet her and
see that she was made comfortable
and put Oh tho vessel In the best shape
imaginable.
"Ihen she was happyl She told
her aunt that she and the baby were
going to join Jim and in spite of the
strongest protestations proceeded 10
pack her trunk.
'She had never travelled, except
from the native farm down on the
eastern shore 10 Baltimore, and the
old lady insisted that in her inexperi-
cnce and wi young baby she would
meet with all sorts of trouble and
would probably not get their alive.
Smith had stated in his letter that
there was only room in the Sarah Jane
for one passenger and so the aunt
'1nld not have gone too.
"In spite of everything. however,
the trunk was packed and with the
baby's crib and the pet rocking chair
was put on board the train late Tues
day afternoon and the little woman
and the baby had whole seat to
themselves and ratified over to Phila-
dephia in the bumpety-bump fashion
of the sixties. Holding the baby on
one arm the little mother pulled out
Smiths letter and read it over two or
three times and every time she read it
her mind misgave her more. The
most innocent, unsuspectiDg person in
the world herself, some good angel
must have put suspicion into her
mind or, if not suspicion, at least the
idea that it would be safest TO go
straight to the schooner, for might it
iipt sail without her if she went to the
Il Mud SO, when the train drew into
eI.yllfrlssai iJaq rusat'e
4 harged into the mob of bowling /
sesFsnen her woman's intuition picked !
at the only honest one i'll the lot, i,
onng lrishman, and she asked him {
ow much he would charge to take
er to pier s, Richmond. f
s"Wcll;n lie said, 'Oi cuddent do it i
N a clint under swim dollars. 1t nd y
Ike four hours II
''Then she told him that she was
ping 10 join her husband in the south,
nd that she hadn't but ten dollars n
iih her, and she would need most of h
for other things, and so he dropped h
three, for he was .jist back from the
'-r-my' himself, aud 'wuddent rob a II
ldier's wife, aud the trunk and crib r
al rocking chair were piled on the
Il trap, and the mother aud baby
imbed into the musty interior, and
lily, gloomy, inicrminablc ride began. T.
'Iiichmond and pier 8 were reached :,
last, and the Irishman and the little :,
oman, both loaded with baggage, :,
ent, as directed, out TO the end of the
er and across four vessels in all :
ages of lading, until the Sarah Jane
as reached. The captain was on /
lore and the male was so taken by
lrprise that trunk and furniture were :,
,positcd on the deck and the hack :
an was paid and had gone before lie :
covered enough TO ask what under :,
&c sun she wanted. :,
"'Are You the captain of this YES !,
l?' asked the little woman. And
hen he said that lie was not and that
e captain had gone ashore, but was :,
lpected back soon, she calmly said
led wait and seated herself in the
tie rocking chair, between trunk /
i'd cradle, and rocked to and fro, :
nging softly to the baby, until after :
while big, rouud-shouldered down. I
lst Captain Grimes made his appear :,
ace. :,
"'How de do, mom!' he said. Pm
appen Grimes aud the boys SEE you =
ant TO see me-
"'Captain Grimes, weren't you ex-
scliug me?' And her heart began to
nix.
"Wal, no, moml can't say as l !,
Sactly was Then looking at the
unk, You don't mean to tell me as
ou calculate to ship with us?'
"'Why. l was sent for to Balti- /
ore by Mr.. Smith of the paymaster- p
,neral's Office, and no wrote me that Ii
} had arranged everything aud that Il
was to sail for Wilmington on the c
arab Jane first thing in the morning. r
nd nearly ready to cry, the poor lit II
e thing stood there in the lantern n
ght with her baby Rugged tight to y
81 breast, the picture of distress. ]
sd never sot eyes on your Mr.. \
mith,' and never hearn tell of him, i
nd there amt no possibility for you 4
60 on any such craft as this here" n
id the old fellow. $50 you'd les.