Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-17

felt IKE q runaway elephant.
Hay, but l was twice as excited now
when l was going to leave her. l felt
rather frightened, still l couldn't help
smiling when said to myself how lit
tie | had thought when l learned the
great news about America and Mrs.
Ess Kay. in what circumstances
should part from her.
Each step Viyace and | took in the
corridors and on the stairs seemed to
make such an incredible noise in the
quiet house that | felt like runaway
elephant clipping with a hippcpotamus,
but either it wasn't as bad rs | thought
or every one was lying charmed in a
magic sleep, for we got out through Il
window in the dining room, down the
veranda steps and across the lawn
without being stopped, as l half ez-
pected.
knew the way to the railway sta
ton very well, for | had often been
there since | arrived Che last time
was when | saw Sally Off, but the
question was, When would there be a
train? And a good deal depended on
that question. for, though Mrs. Ess
Kay and Potter might not exactly have
the power to drag me back, | wanted
to get as far away from them as
could before they discovered that had
gone.
| was Mortified to find when we ar
rived that, as the Americans say,
there was nothing doing" Not soul
in sight, and there l was, very hot and
hysterical. with Nivace and my dress
ing bag looking like an escaped bur-
glaress. | had been so nervous while
was packing that I'd been afraid of ev-
erything, even the soap in the soap
| dish. which had two great blinking
| bubbles at one end, like Il pair of goblin
| eyes that watched lie move, but | was
| much worse now. and | could have
| fallen on the neck of the first official
| person | saw moving about the station
after had waited for perhaps a quar-
| ter of an hour. | don't know what he
was, but when | appealed to him for
| news of train for New York, instead
| of calling the police to give Vivace and
me in charge as a dangerous pair, he
! scratched his head and said there was
milk train due presently if I was
mighty anxious.
A milk train sounded innocent and
suitable to girl travelling alone, but
| even if it hadn't l should have been
| thankful to go in it l couldn't buy g
ticket. it appeared, in the ordinary
/ way, but when the milk train came
my man introduced me to another
| Perhaps he was q milkman; anyway
he seemed TO have authority and he
said as favor Vivace and l could bt
taken. He was nice person, and he
| talked great deal after the train had
| given several false starts and at las
had got off. l sat on my bag. as had
on the docks, in a bare, curious car
| which really belonged to the milk, ant
sometimes when we bumped l should
have fallen ON the floor if it hadn't
been for him. He told me all about
| himself, and wanted to be told al
about me, but / thought, nice as he
| was, it would be safer not. He asked
leading questions which it was hare
to keep from answering unless I hurt
his feelings, but / think he somehow
got the impression that 1 was going tc
see sick relative, though / never ex
| actly said so.
| / don't know what time l should
have got to New York if had had t.
travel all the way with the milk, fol
milk, it seems. objects to speed, bu
after we had logged along for couple
of hours, we crawled into station
where real train was ready to start
There were just five minutes to say
farewell TO my friend and buy ticket
when. ali dushed and painting. | fount