Year: 1872

that it was long before / felt quite convinced
to the contrary; and I, went on along the
foot-board to other carriages very much
more slowly than had gone first to that
one. Utter darkness surrounded us outside,
but from the lamplit compartments eager
heads were thrust, searching for the reason
of the unexpected stoppage. No one owned
to having summoned me until I reached
that second-class carriage near my own van,
(Which I had hastened past before,) where
the fidgety, deaf old lady who had amused
me at Rugby sat alone. had no need to
look in and question her. Her head was
quite out of the window; and though she
had her back to the light and couldn't see
her face, her voice was cool enough to show
that she was not overpowered by fear.


"What time you've been coming" she
said. "Where is it?"


"Where's what?'


But though 1 yelled the question with
all my might and main, believe l might
just as hopefully have questioned the tele-
graph-post which could dimly see beside
us, and have expected an answer along the
wires.


Where's the small luncheon basket?'
she inquired, pulling out her long purse
with great fussiness. ga small luncheon
basket, my good man, and make haste.''


Shall ever forget the sharp expectancy
ofthe old lady's eyes as they looked into
mine, first over, then, under, then through
her glittering gold-rimmed spectaclesP
What surprised me most particularly was
the fact of her decidedly not being, as any
one might suppose, lunatic.


BE quick with the small luncheon bas-
ket, please" she said, resgnedly sitting
down, and pouring the contents of her
purse out into her lap, "rm as hungry as
| can be-


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


"Look there Doesn't it say "Small
luncheon baskets. Pull down the cord"
I want a small luncheon basket, so l pulled
down the cord. Make haste and get 1t me,
or I'll report you to the manager"


Seeing now that she was almost as blind
as she was deaf began to understand
what she meant. On the spot to which
she pointed above the seat opposite her, two
papers were posted in a line one the ad-
vertisements of "Small luncheon baskets
supplied at Rugby, the other, the compa-
ny's directions for summoning the guard
and stopping the train in cases of danger.
AS they happened to be placed, the large
letters did read as she had said:


"SMALL LUNCHEON BASKETS PULL
DOWN THE CORD"


While / was gazing from her to the bills,
getting over bit of my astonishment, and
she was giving me every now and then a
sharp touch on the shoulder to recall me to
my duty and hasten me with her refresh
ment, we were Joined by one of the direct
ors, who happened to be going up to town
by the express. But his just and natural
wrath-loud as it was-never moved the
hungry old lady; no, not in the slightest
degree. She never heard one word Of it,
and only mildly insisted in the midst of it,
that she was almost tired out waiting for
her small luncheon basket.


With fierce parting shot, the director
tried to make her understand that she had
incurred penalty of five pounds, but he
couldn't, though he bawled it ut her until
the poor old thing-perhaps mortified at
having taken so much trouble for nothing /;
perhaps overcome by her hunger; perhaps
frightened at the commotion she saw
though didn't hear-sank back in her seat
in strong fit Of Mysteries, and let the shil-
lings and sixpence roll out of her lap and
settle under the seats.


II seemed to me long time before we
started on again, but suppose it was only
six or seven minutes delay after all. ex-
pect should have waited to explain the
stoppage to the pretty young girl of whom
/ considered myself sort Of protector
but as said, she was at the very opposite
end of the train, and / was in haste now.
There must have been good laugh in
several of the carriages when .he cause Of
our stoppage got whispered about AS for
me- when got back into my van, solitary
as IL was, / chuckled over 1t until we stop
ped at Chalk Farm to take tickets.


"Of course you have the carriage doors
all locked, and I'll 60 down with you while