The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18
Observation-Disclosures

goin to do the minute he sets out to do
it Won't set with us in the evenin'-
| sets in his room. He's took her picture
out o. the frame on his table. and hid 1t
away somewheres. Poor Harris.-if he'd
| only ben expectin' a telegram There
amt no way we can git him to Lapham
Junction today, is there, Adny?"
''Nop-not s 1 see,t replied the station
agent gioomily. THE fastest boss
by train time. And them hill roads are,
awfulr
"Adnyr' exclaimed little Mrs. Minturn
with sudden resolution, I'm going to
1.apham Junction myself
What" cried the station agent incred-
ulously. You? You hain't ben away
f'om home for fifteen year,
Il know it. Adny-I know it, replied
the little grey-haired woman. Il never
set foot on a train o cars but once, and
that was when the road was first built.
and my husband wanted me to go with
him and the other stockholders and their
wives on the openin'% excursion. 1 was
shook up SO then that / hain't we'll got
over it y-it. and 1 vowed I'd never ride
on the cars. again. But don't care, Adny.
| I'm goin now, surei I'm a-goin to do
| it for Harris sake. Why. he's jest like
| one o my own boys, Aany, the way L
feel towards him. I'm a-goin to see that
gal and explain things. I'd know her
from her picture ina minute. r. 1 can
set things right between Harris and her.
I'm a-goin' to do 1t. Poor boy, 1 jest
wish she could see how it's wore on him.
The OILY reason he went of nshin' to-
| day was to git away from folks and be
alone where the wouldn't nobody see
He - tfck
Why, the crazy-headed boy went or with
out diggin' mite O. baitl''
Adna Lewis chuckied- softly This was
situation that appealed to him.
Git a ticket to Lapham junction all
ready for me, Adny," admonished Mrs
Minturn, folding her dust cloth and turn
that train for anything. I'll jest set out
some cold vittles for Hiram, and leave a
note for him, and change my dress. and
then III come right down to the deepo
Land! If / could only set things right for
Harris, how pleased I'd ber'
An hour and quarter before train time
Mrs. Minturn hurried into the little Jeri-
cho Station and bought her ticket for
Lapham Junction. She wore her best
Sunday dress and bonnet, and carried a
little eld-fashioned r"reticule," covered
with black beals.N In this bag she had
put slender lunch, done up in brown
paper, two extra handkerchiefs, a bottle
of smelling salts a bottle of painkiller
and folaed-sheet of paper on which were
written her name and address, with full
directions for conveying her body home in
case she should be Killed
She had put her ticket into her purse
and her purse into the capacieus pocket
Of her Sunday dress. and sat down. per-
fectly contented to wait for the train 1t
did not concern her that she was an hour
too early. The only thing that she had
feared was that she might be a minute
too late. The sweet. care-worn old face
was placid and hopeful. as sat looking out
of the depot window at familiar fields and
woods. which, somehow, she hardly recog-
nized from this unwonted point OF view.
She was full of a great and prayerful de-
sire to set matters right between the
young principal of the village academy
and this girl, whose picture had stood on
his table ever since he came to board with !
the Minturns. In some way, there had
been falliug-out between them. She !
knew 1t the very day the unfortunate let
ter had come from Florenee-she knew it |
from Harris face. Then in a few days |
the POSTING ster knew it. because the let |
ters between the lovers stopped Then |
the whole village knew it; for what the |
country postmaster knows, everybody |
knows. Mrs. Minturn had gone into the |
pantry and cried when the picture of |
Florence disappeared from Harris table. !
She did not look about for it in his room. |
as some women might have DONE perhaps. |
But she knew perfectly well where it |
was. without looking. 1t was between the ,
leaves of Harris Bible. in his trunk
At length the train for Lapham juno
ton arrievd at Jericho depot. and Adna
Lewis. in spite of his habitual whirlwind |
of '.pesky hurry at such a moment, |
found time to assist Mrs. Minturn aboard |
the dreaded cars and admonish the con-
ductor to be sure and see that she got /
safely OFF at the Junction. The last thing |
Adna saw as the train moved slowly away |
was the pale but determined face of the |
little peacemaker, pressed against the |
gazing back at her beloved home.
Florence Appleton had an hour to wait J
at Laplam Junction. The train from
Jericho was due to arrive only twenty
west-bound express IL Harris came
there would be only fifteen minutes for
them to undo the terrible tangfe which
had come about in the course OF CORE
spondence, and which letters had only
served to make inextricably worse. But
what cannot love do in a minute, nay, in
& second, with the help of propinquity |
and the meeting of young, eloquent eyes,
1t would all depend. thought Florence.