Year: 1875

ataii woman OF forty, with a handsome,
fair face, quantity of very red hair,
and cut across her under lip. Ed
ward Capon, their son, slightly built
youth OF not more than fifteen OF six
teen'' Though, for the matter of that,
thought he might have had cunning
enough for twice his age), "with close
~ cut, black hair, gray eyes and deli
cate features


We all knew this description well
enough, and for two days had kept our
eyes open, hoping to identity them
among the passengers. But our scru-
tiny had all been in vain; and as the
train rushed on felt how disappointed
the police at Euston would be when we
arrived again without even tidings of
them.


was soon tired of this subject, and
went back to worrying myself about the
sad-looking, yellow-haired girl, who had
SO evidently wished to travel alone, and
been so successfully foiled in the at
tempt by that intrusive fop with the
handsome beard. Foolishly I kept on
thinking of her, until, as we were dash
ing almost like lightning through the
wind and darkness, only fifteen or
twenty minutes from Chalk Farm, the
bell OF my van rang out with a sharp
and sudden summons. | never won
dered for moment who had pulled the
cord. Instructive l knew, and-it was
| the carriage furthest from my van! /
left my place almost breathlessly as the
engine slackened speed, and, Fastening
along the footboard, hesitated at no
window until | reached the one from
| which | felt quite sure that frightened
young face would be looking out. NV
heart literally beat in dread as stop
ped, and looked into the carriage. What
did l see? Only the two passengers
buried in their separate corners. The
young lady raised her head from the
book she held, and looked up at me as
tonished-childishly and wonderingly
astonished.


Has any thing happened to the
trainp" she asked timidly.


The gentleman reused himself leis-
urely from seemingly snug nap.
'What on earth has stopped us in this
hole!" he said, rising; and pushed his
handsome face and his long beard past
me at the window.


1t was only too evident that the alarm
had not been given from this carriage;
yet the feeling had been such certain
ty to me that it was long before I felt
quite convinced to the contrary; and I
went along the footboard to other car
rlages very much more slowly than I
had gone first to that one. Utter dark
ness surrounded us outside, but from
the lamplit compartments, eager heads
were thrust, searching for the reason of
this unexpected stoppage. No one
owned having summoned me until 1
reached that seeond-class carriage near
my own van, (Which / had fastened
past before), where the fidgety, deaf
old lady who had amused me at Rugby
sat alone. Her head was quite out of
the window; and though she had her
back to the light and l couldn't see her
face, her voice was cool enough to show
that she was not overpowered by fear.


"What a time you have been COM
ing" she said, s'where is it?o


Where is what?n


But though | yelled the question with
all my might and main, / believe
might just as hopefully have questioned
the telegraph post which l could dimly
see beside us, and have expected an
answer along the wires.


"Whsre's small llluncheonb basket?r
she inquired, pulling out her long purse
with great fllssiness. GA small lunch
con basket, my good man, and make
haste!n


Shall l never forget the sharp ex-
pectancy of the old lady's eyes as they
looked into mine, first over, then under,
then through her glittering gold trimmed
spectacles? What surprised me most
particularly was the fact of her decided
ly not being, as any one might suppose,
a raving lunatic.


BE quick with the small luncheon
basket, please" she said, resignedly
sitting down, and pouring the contents
of her purse in her lap.


I'm hungry as | can be''


! suppose that when she looked up at
me from the silver she was counting,
she saw my yutter bewilderment. didn't
try now to make her hear, for I knew it
to be hopeless-for she raised her voice
suddenly to shrill pitch of peevishness
and pointed with shaking hand to the
wall of the carriage


'sLook there! Doesn't it say small
luncheon basketsp Pull down the cord.
| want a small luncheon basket so r
pulled down the cord. Make haste,
hand it me, or I'll report you to the
manager"


Seeing now that she was almost as
blind as she was deaf, / began to UNDER
stand what she meant On the spot to
which she pointed above the seat oppo-
site to her, two papers were posted in a
line; one the advertisement of 'ssmau