Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-02-10

q hanged shame the Queen didn't seno
. coach-and-six for you. Lets have
your hand. man. to wish you good luck.
Got missis? No? So much the bet.
ter; poor soul. II you had 1t would have
cut her up terrible"
NO. "said Harborde, as though speak
ing to himself, II was to have been
married; but that's years ago now, and
I'm an old man."
'Old-' interJected the porter, you're
no more than fiveand-thirty. IN 60
bail You do lock cider. - - suFs. But
wait till you've been out q bit, you'll
soon rub OF them lines and look . bit
more uppish."
The engine at the end Of q short train
OF carriages relegated to the Portland
line after becoming too thoroughly out
Of date for even the Somerset and Dor
set local service between Weymouth
and Dorchester, gave q thin, wintry
squeak. and HarbOrde. in q fever Of ap-
prehension lest II should start without
| him. tumbled into the frst carriage
that came handy. ticketless.
| The porter came to tine door. you've
got NO ticket. Here, give me q shilling,
and I'll get It for you. Book to Wey-
mouthY'
Yes" said Harborde. fumbling in
his pocket for the money.
"Now. you're all right" the porter ex-
claimed, returning a couple Of minutes
later: there's the ticket and the change.
| NJ honLs. rn,,s11 on -A,,s-~ ~o.<
Good-by. mate, and good-luck to you"
With a bump and a groan the train
moved out Of the station and ambled
along the line running at the back OF
Shesil Beach at the rate of eight or ten
miles an hour. Harborde was one Of
half dozen passengers. but there was
no one else in his compartment. He
sat thinking of all that had happened
He had heard nothing OF those at home
for many months; they might all be
dead. How would he have the courage
to go to the door with this possibility
What would he do II Jane told him his
mother was dead? He covered his face
in his hands at the thought, and sobbed
as only a strong man can sob In the
corner Of a carriage. With a great Jerk
the train pulled up at the station. and
! Harborde got out. His fellow travellers
regarded him with curiosity because
his friend the porter had told every one
of them who he was when he examined
their tickets, inveighing bitterly the
while against the caustic humor of par
doning an innocent man.
Harborde noticed nothing of this. He
| r,Pa no In
the Junction for Applebury, and then
discovered that he was both hungry
and faint for want of food. He went
out into the slippery, muddy street at
/ the back of the houses on the Parade
and at length found a quiet little eating
! house, where he was served with a
meal by a girl, who had q pitying eye.
after consulting with her superior in
command. At 3 o'clock he was again
on his way in his train, in the company
this time Of other fellow-creatures who
one and all regarded him with a feel
| ing akin to that with which they would
have submitted to the company of a
dangerous animal. Harborde noticed
II after a time, and putting his hand to
his head suddenly made the discovery
that his hair was noticeably short.
After this he realized that he was q
marked man, and no longer wondered
why the lady opposite drew her warm
plaid dress away from his feet, and the
other lady with two children sidled as
! far from him as possible and asked the
| guard to find her seats in another car
riage at the next station. He was in
nocent, but how could he explain it to
them? If they could but know what he
had suffered surely they would weep.
He hadn't the paper with him; even if
he had perhaps they would not believe
that he and Thomas Harborde men-
toned in the paragraph were one and
the same Two men got in where the
lady with the children got out. They
each of them threw a glance, shrugged
their shoulders, and then became i'm
mersed in their papers.
It was quite dark when Applebury
was reached, and Harborde, luggage
less. speedily passed out of the station
without being recognized. There SEEM
ed little alteration in the place. Sew
eral Of the shops-nOw gay with Christ
mas good and finery-in the main street
!
place Of more countryfed fronts, but
were otherwise much as fifteen years
ago. For q moment he stood confused,
staring up and down the street, re-
garded by the passers-by with curiosity.
Then he remembered that he would
have to go along the street past the
grocer's whose window projected a
yard into the footpath, turn down the
by-street, and then again turning take
the road leading to his home.
In ten minutes he reached the garden
gate He had run part Of the way, and
now he could not make up his mind to
60 I'D the drive to the door. What II
they were all dead? He grew sick at
the very idea There was light in his
mothers room, which was at the front
of the house. What IL she were Ill
perhaps dying? At last MS legs carried
him up the drive, which swept round
the little front lawn in a semi-circle.
He heard the bell tinkle shrilly at the
back of the house The sound seemed
like home All at once he remembered
how. years ago. he had banged 1t with
a long-handled broom till it tangled
against it's fellows on either side.
The door opened. flood Of light
streamed out on to the gravel. 1t was
a strange face and the fact sent an icy
shock to his heart. Far outside himself
be heard a voice he did not recognize as
his own asking II DR.. Harborde were
In. A year seemed to pass before the
servant said NO" adding, Did you
wish to see him PARTICULAR"
Yes"
He'll be in in half an hour"
Isis Mrs. HarbOrde IN? Is she
alive?" said the man at the door, throw
ing the words at her when once his
tongue had consented to frame them.
why, lor bless me, yes! Come, none
o. that!"