The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-04-07

1t was almost time for the Phlla-
delphia express to be called, ana III
the waiting room the usual quota Oh
travellers had gathered. 1t was conn
mon enough scene, but full OF absorb
ing interest to a serious mlte oi "
child sitting like an obedlent NIUE
statue on the seat where her compan-
ions had placed her, hands seda'eis
folded in her lap and her plump niue
legs barely long enough 10 danSle
over the edge.
Her vide eyes questioned each lace
about her with wistful intentness, ana
there were occasional evidences OF
mighty struggle Of cogitatlon IN hef
little mind The man with her WAS
kind enough, after his own lights bnt
he was not used TO children, and TINS
child was not used 70 him, and she
was lonely.
The Deshrosses street ferry mao
just cone in, and among the strlhG o.
passengers who hurried into the walt
ing room were 9 man and Woilldil'
upon whom the childs eyes hAed
themselves in speculative admiration
This was stately and beautiful lady
The man was large, and perhaps
would some day be larger, but now ne
carried his bigness OF helSht ana
breadth with an enviably easy swing
He went to the window and oouShl
one single ticket, and then the TWO
came ard and sat diagonally opposite
the child and her companion. | re
woman was speaking in a constraln-
edly polite tone.
There are but Il few moments to
wait l beg that you will not consider
1t necessary to stay. There was no
occasion for your coming at all.
You forget that there are stIil
some appearances to maintain, he
answered stiffly. There is no occa-
sion to create any more gossip 1hah
is necessary, and this is an absurd
hour for you to start
Isn't it little late to consider ap-
pearances?" she asked, with a touch
of scorn in her voice, chatting at ms
cold supervision of her actions, which
he did not attempt to explain by any
warmer motive than conventlOnailty
She knew what he meant-that 1t put
him in the light of a brute that she
should be fleeing from his home unat-
tended at particularly announcement
hour. She knew that it was an abb
surd journey, bringing her at her des-
tination at midnight, but she could
not endure that silent house for anoth-
er minute. The fever to be among her
own peOple-the few, the very few
who would sympathize and ask no
cruel questions-had rushed irresisti-
bly, upon her few hours before, and
she had recklessly made her prepara-
tons and started. What matter? They
had agreed that the hollow sham Of
their married life had better end at
once, and that later they would be
legally separated. 1t soon would be
known to the world, and New York
had become sell e &c toi nI5nt 70 her.
And he-when he was coolest he
was always punctiliously polite, and
he had insisted on seeing her off if she
was determined to take tnlS 1OOllSn
journey. His face had been hard and
Indifferent as the dOOr-their door
had closed upon them as man and
wife, and the ride to the ferry had
been made in rigid silence.
Her eyes caught the child's unwaver-
ing gaze, and her face softened from
its flinty composure. She had no
children of her own, and this was such
an unconsciously pathetic figure, with
it's primly folded hands and solemn
eyes. The little traveller smiled faint
ly and looked shyly away. Then the
eyes crept back again, and friendly
communication was established. For
a few moments she sat in sober con
sideration, weighing some mighty prob
lem in her mind, and ever and anon
slipping tentative glance toward the
stately lady; then there was a eau
tious peep at the caretaker's face,
and with the anxious haste OF one who
gathers all his courage for desperate
leap, she slid swiftly down and
was across the way before ner com