Year: 1867

| The ehSlne-men were aSSalled on al


hands with inquiries as to the cause


of the stoppage and the probability


of overcoming it, the uproar ending


at last in the whole of the company


quitting the train and making pell


nell for shelter into the little station


Had MT we better look after the


young lady, Bob, before she's quite


buried 2" | said, as my friend reioin


ed me after assuring the excited


crowd at the station that some some


how from somewhere a mythical "pi


lot" would come to their rescue, and


that they would escape with few


hours detention at the most.


Bob clapped his hand to his head


as though a sudden sense of care and


responsibility had perplexed him, and


then we two commenced wading


through the rapidly deepening snow


again. When we reached the com.


partment in which Bob's fair charge


was seated, we found her looking a
little anxiously perhaps out of the


window, but scarcely conscious of the


real state of affairs. Being alone,
she had not been influenced by the


panic that had seized the other pas


sengers. "Snowed up, miss sorry


to say can't go no further, MISS" said


Bob, as he opened the door. The
young girl started and seemed for a
moment hardly to realize"the condi-


tion of matters, whilst she waited for
further instructions from the guard.
Bob hesitated what to suggest, and,


as if to gain time, introduced me as
stood rapidly tm ming into a snoc-
man on the line. master Arthur,
miss old masters son, MISS" said
Bob, and the young lady bowed gra-
ciously, whilst | endeavored to look
gentlemanly and dignifed, and failed
utterly. | saw, however, that our
young friend could discern the ludi-
crous side of the situation as we'll as
its gravity, as with a pleasant laugh
she inquired, Well, guard, what am
| to do then?" addressing us both
at once by her look, as though in
many counselIors she might find
safety.


Suppose we were to carry you,
miss, this wise," said Bob, taking a
cushion off the seat and placing his
arms crossways, while he made a
feint of clasping mine in like fashion.
The improvised chair was soon ad-
justed, the young lady seated be-
tween US, and, as well protected as
circumstances would admit, was duly
conveyed to the station. The sight
that there presented itself, however,
was altogether the reverse of reas-
suring, and saw the young girl shrink
back as she was suddenly intro
duced into the strange company. The
station was mere hut, where but one
train each way stopped daily to ac-
commodate any chance passenger to
and from the scattered hamlets that
surrounded it. The only other build
ings in sight were a couple of single
roomed cottages of the poorest class,
the one inhabited by the railway
porter who had charge of the station,
and his wife the other by labor
er's family. Already some attempts
to ameliorate the hardships of their
lot had been made by the snow-bound
passengers. A store of firewood had
been ransacked, and in spite of the
protests Of .its owner, a bonfire had
been lighted Immediately in the rear
of the station, round which a group
of male passengers stood, essaying
to warm their frost-bitten extremi-
ties while as many as could had
crammed themselves into the Gotta
ges, and stood drinking, at prices
worthy of Swindon restaurateatr,
dirty-cologed liquid that passed for
tea, of which several quarts had been
brewed from the modest store of gro
ceries laid in by the vendors. In the
station were seated the more provi-
dent of the company, imbibing strong
spirits from physic bottles, dissecting
and devouring pork-pies-the fumes
of tobacco everywhere mingling with
their indigestible diet. For the most
part they were decent sort of folk
enough, but disposed-as the manner
is-,somewhat too readily to disre-
gard conventionalities when placed
in novel and exceptional situations
To rough it for night would to ones
self be but small matter but to
see a weli-born, delicate girl subject
ed to its annoyances and inconven-
fences, aggravated as they were by
the too liberal pOtations of one or
two Of the passengers, was quite an
other affair.


"You were going to Hexton, miss,
l think" said the guard civilly touch
ing his cap.


The young lady eOas going to Hex
ton. Her mamma lived at Borton
Green, six miles from Hexton by the
turnpike-road, but not more than half
that distance from Borton station
the pony chaise WAS to meet her at
as the express stopped there.
Was it likely the pilot" she had
heard the passengers speaking about
would soon arrive to take them for
ward? l signalled to Bob to tell her
the real truth, feeling ashamed to
play false with the innocent, ,guileless
young creature so Bob, withdraw
ing her to a short distance, told her
that no effective aid could come for
many hours, and that there was no
help for it but to remain all night in
our present comfortless location.


l Shall not soon forget the look of
that came over her
face as she said Mamma expects
me; mamma will be unhappy; l must
20 to her." Bob and / looked at each
othar but neither face indicated a