Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-12-12

MALE PASSENGER SETTLED HIMSELF.
good looking enough for comfort. T,
look in the glass when l shaved gave
me no unpleasant feeling, rather the re
verse Towsher was short and squat OF
figure, red of face and going bald II
top. His features We're blunt and pie
beian, mine distinct, and, fiatter my
self, aristocratic. Towsher was married
and his wife was, like himself, middle
aged and personally not we'll favored.
l was - bachelor of the temporary and
voluntary. not of the confirmed or OF
the oft rejected, type, for was i'll love,
and As good rs engaged to n lovely,
sweet tempered Scotch lassie, who's,
pedigree was long, if her ''tocher" was
small.
We Were just at the charmingest time
of cOrIrtShip. There was no formal en-
gagcment between Us, but l had given
Annie TO understand that she was the
one girl in the world for me, and she
had somehow conveyed to ME that when
the time came when should he able 70
tell her so l should not be refused.
was going to spend Christmas with
Annic's parents. when l got myself i'll
the terrible fix AIN about TO narratc.
My destination was Argyleshirc As
l sped northward on the memorable
Christmas eve i felt no presentirc;It Of
the coming catastrophe l may briefly
say that l was Untroublcd even by jeal-
ous Gualms regarding TOwsher's irri-
tating prosperity.
/ left EuStOn by the mail train for
Glasgow. Although il was Christmas
eve, the carriage WIS not OvcrcrOwdcd,
and l managed to secure q corner seat
in first class compartment My lug
gage consisted of n Gladstone bag and 4
bundle Of wraps. The weather was lit!
terly cold, threatening SHOW, bat
made myself tolerably snug and by the
time we got to Derby snoozed off bliss
fully. l was dreaming of Annic's blue
eyes when, some hours later, l was
awakened by the opening of the carriage
door and freezing inrush of cold air.
y male passenger, well muffied i'll \
heavy great coat, wearing deer stalker
hat well tied down over his ears, bun
died i'll with his luggage and settled
himself in the opposite corner farther
from me. Until then l had had the
compartment 10 myself. l turned round
drowsily and in rather a bad temper,
for my dream had tsen Il pleasant one,
and rather objected to the thread of
1t being broken.
My fellow traveller S coat was flecked
with SNOW, and when the train glidcd
out of the station l looked out of the
window near me and saw that great
white fakes slanted past the pane,
driven by furious wind. The fields
and stone walls were deep in snow.
''Confound it all!' muttered to my
self. The anathcma included my fellow
traveller, who serenely ensconced HIM
self in his corner among his rugs and
apparently fell asleep. 1t seemed rs if
he had filched from me the comfortable
nap had been enjoying, for from tho
moment of his intrusion sleep forsook
me utterly So fell to watching him
with a mixture of curiosity and dislike.
He was young, about my own age, l
thought. with good features. and clean
shaven save for slight whisker. On
the floor of the carriage, close at his
feet, he had deposited Gladstone bag
of about the same dimensions rs my
own.
"Confound him! Why didn't he get
into another carriage?" 1 thought Ms I
noted these details. His placid slumber
was Intensely irritating to me. l felt in
jured because he was young and we'll
favored, because he slept while l was
sleepless, because he had Gladstone
bag that was twin brother to mine, be-
cause few flakes Of snow had insinu-
ated themselves under the carriage Win
dow fel! restless desire to chuck
my fellow traveller and his tiresome lug
gage ont Of my compartment.
My fellow traveller seemed serenely
oblivious Of all tho discomforts was
Ill temperedly enduring. He slept
soundly, as only very tired men sleep.
AS for the third time mentally con-
founded him tho carriage jolted up Oh
one side, and the whole train was sud-
denly arrested. The whistle sounded i'll
a shrek as if the engine yelled in an
ger at its defeat In the battle it had been
fighting with the wind and snow. /
heard a woman shrek an echo in the
next carriage aud voices shouting in
Quiries.
The line was blocked, and We were
stuck fast In q gigantic drift.
Here was cheerful outlook DASH
cd down the window and put my head
out. As far rs I could see was . vast
field Of snow. The air was alive with
swiftly descending flakes. Not house
was in sight. The light from the car
riage windows alone illuminated the
all surrounding whiteness. The blast
howled like a very bad tempered evil
spirit 1t was a scene Of unmitigated
desolation.
No chance Of reaching Glasgow at
the appointed time! And very little
chance of eating my Christmas dinner
In Argyleshire.
'Surely we are not in Glasgow yet?"
said voice at my elbow.
turned and confronted my fellow
traveller Yes, was right; the brute
had gray eyes. My fancy had not run
away with me. The fellow had the i'm
pertinence to resemble me to a certain
extent, but, 1 may add that he rather
than had reason to be fattered by the
resemblance.
lat Glasgow, retorted irritably.
'No such luck; we are showed up some
where in the wilds Of Dumfriesshire, !
don't exactly know where But nobody