Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-07-25
A BRAVE COWARD.

more timid person than Nellie
Willis.
Her diffidence was painful as well
as EN- barrassing; but, at seventeen,
she was an inmate of large board
ing school-just the place where
bashfulness can be cured.
She did not board at the building,
however, but at Mrs. Wilton's cot
tage, which was picture of rustic
comfort.
One morning an ominous envel-
ope was handed her as she stood at
the gate chatting with classmate.
1t was telegram, and the words,
Mother is sick-come," were all it
contained.
1t was enough for poor Nellie,
who idolized her mother.
"Oh, May" she said, when the
messenger boy had gone; "she must
be very i'll, or they'd never ask me
to go alone"
Then she babe her a hasty good
by and went to make ready to obey
the summons.
Although she dreaded the ride
alone in the cars, the thought of
mothers illness overcome her dread.
She made such haste that she was
ready at six o'clock to take the
evening train. The car was near
ly vacant, and she took the nearest
seat, leaned her head against the
window, and gazed at the darken-
ing landscape. The conductor
paused at her side with the usual
'fare please" but she did not heed
him until he touched her arm.
Then she turned a startled, fright
ened face toward him, that flushed
and paled alternately, while she
could not answer word.
Deaf and dumb, poor child!
murmured the conductor, pityingly,
and Nellie caught at the suggestion,
with sigh of the deepest relief.
Yes, she would be deaf and dumb
it would save talking.
She drew her ticket from her
dainty purse, and, when he had
passed on, she resumed her seat by
the window. The passengers came
and went.
Presently two men took the seat
directly opposite, while the others
had all left the car. The road was
now through a lonely stretch of
country, and the landscape was dis
NAL enough to provoke fear, with
it's sombre woods and dim, weird
moonlight.
Nellie drew the blind, and lean
ing her head against it, closed her
eyes YEARLY, her nervousness in
creasing every time the door opened
or shut.
She glanced at the new passen-
gers from time to time without
moving. One was stout, with red
beard and hair, and crafty, cruel
eyes. The other was slight and
dark, with restless movements and
sinister ways. Both were very
well-dressed, and began whispering
in an eager, excited way.
Soon one of them glanced at
Nellie, with a dissatisfied nod in her
direction, and said:
PITY we cannot have the car to
ourselves, isn't it?"
Nellie's heart throbbed wildly,
and sh could feel their gaze, al
though she did not dare to open
her eyes. Then he pointed to a
paper in the seat before her and
asked:
"Are you using this paper, missp
Will you let me take itP"
Not muscle in the girls face
moved, but it seemed as if they
must hear the beating of her heart.
"She's deaf as a post" cried the
other-the stout man. Leave her
alone. We havn't any too much
time to PLAN"
Perhaps she did not hear-she
may be mapping, and she may be
shamming. We cannot be too
cautious" answered his companion,
in low tone; but Nellie's strained
nerves caught every word, and she
was prepared, when he shouted:
will you let me see this paper,
miss?"
She did not stir until he touched
her arm, and took the paper mp,
talking all the while. Then she
looked up with puzzled face, drew
the tablet from her pocket, and
wrote:
PLEASE use this-I-"
Deaf as post--I told you So"
interrupted the first. "Sit down
here and talk, JIM like sensible
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