Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-04-28

touched by her appeal and that 1t was
fortunate that her original letter had
come to him, for he would be able to
do more for her than any one in Phil
adelphia. And then more questions
were asked and the correspondence
was continued, on her part with the
single idea that the good Mr.. Smith
was doing his best to secure her pas
sage to Wilmington, while on his part
it was All attempt to obtain money
under false pretences, for the sconn-
drel was only an impecunious clerk in
tine Office and of bad reputation as was
afterwards found.
"At last 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 8, Richmond,
just outside of Philadelphia, on the
following Wednesday and that the lit
tie woman should come to Pffiladel-
phia on the train arriving at 8 O'Clock
Tuesday evening and should go to
Kruger's Hotel on Blank street, where
'Mr. j. G. Smith would meet her and
see that she was made comfortable
and put on the vessel in the best shape
imaginable.
"Then she was happy! She told
her aunt that she and the baby were
going to join Jim and in spite of the
strongest protestations proceeded to
pack her trunk.
"She had never travelled, except
from the native farm down on the
eastern shore to Baltimore, and the
old lady insisted that in her inexperi-
ence and with 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
could not have gone too.
"In spite of everything, howe yer,
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 rattled over to Phila-
delphia 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 il
her mind misgave her more. The
most innocent, unsuspecting 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 60
straight to the schooner, for might il
not sail without her if she went to the
hotel?
Sand SO, when the train drew into
Philadelphia and the passengers were
discharged into the mob of bowling
hackmen her woman's intuition picked
out the only honest one in the lot, a
young Irishman, and she asked him
how much he would charge to take
her to pier 8, Richmond.
"Well;" he said, 'Oi cuddent do it
fur clint under swim dollars. 1t nd
take four hours
"Then she told him that she was
going TO join her husband in the south,
and that she hadn't but ten dollars
with her, and she would need most of
it for other things, and so he dropped
to three, for he was .jist back from the
ar-r-my' himself, and 'wuddent rob
soldiers wife, and the trunk and crib
and rocking chair were piled on the
old trap, and the mother and baby
climbed into the musty interior, and
jolly, gloomy, interminable ride began.
"Richmond and pier 8 were reached
at last, and the Irishman and the little
woman, both loaded with baggage,
went, as directed, out to the end of the
pier and across four vessels in all
stages of lading, until the Sarah Jane
was reached. The captain was on
shore and the mate was so taken by
surprise that trunk and furniture were
deposited on the deck and the hack
man was paid and had gone before he
recovered enough TO ask what under
| the sun she wanted.
"'Are you the captain of this YES
sel?' asked the little woman. And
when he said that he was not and that
the captain had gone ashore, but was
expected back soon, she calmly said