"Ask somebody-ask that man there," she whispered. "This is the train for Chicago, hain't it?" inquired the old man of the passenger in the next seat behind. "This is the train," replied the man. "There! didn't I say so?" clucked the old man. "It may be-it may be!" she replied, dubiously; "but if we are carried wrong, it won't be my fault. say that we are wrong, and when we've been led into some pirate's cave, and butchered for our money, ye'll wish ye had heeded my words!" I He looked out of the window again, opened his mouth as if to make some inquiry of a boy sitting on the fence, and then leaned back on his seat and sighed heavily. She shut her teeth together, as if saying that she could stand it if he could, and the train sped along for several miles. He finally said: "Looks like rain over thar in the west. I hope the boys have got them oats in." "That makes me think of the umbreller !" diving her hands among the parcels at their feet. She hunted around two or three minutes, growing red in the face, and then straightened up and hoarsely whispered: "It's gone!" "W-what?" he gasped. "That umbreller!" "No!" 66 Gone, hide and hair!" so she went on, "that sky blue umbreller, which I've had ever since Martha died!" up. He searched around, but it was not to be found. "Waal, that's queer," he mused, as he straightened Queer! not a bit. I've talked to ye and talked ye, but it does no good. Ye come from a heedless fam'ly; and ye'd forget to to didn't tell ye to." put on your boots, 'f I "None of the Harrisons was ever in the poorhouse!" he replied, in a cutting tone. "Philetus! Philetus H. Harrison !" she continued, laying her hand on his arm, " don't you dare twit me of that again! I've lived with ye nigh on to forty years, and waited on ye when ye had biles and the toothache and the colic, and when ye fell and broke your leg; but don't push me up to the wall!" He looked out of the window, feeling that she had the advantage of him, and she wiped her eyes, settled her glasses on her nose, and used up the next fifteen minutes in thinking of the past. Feeling thirsty, she reached down among the bundles, searched around, and her face was pale as death as she straightened back and whispered "And that's gone, too!" "What now?" he asked. "It's been stole !" she exclaimed, looking around the car, as if expecting to see some one with the bottle to his lips. "Fust the umbreller-then gasped. the bottle!" she "I couldn't have left it, could I?" "Don't ask me! That bottle has been in our family twenty years, ever since mother died; and now it's gone! Land only knows what I'll do for a camfire bottle when we git home, if we ever do!" "I'll buy one." "Yes, I know ye are always ready to buy; and if it wasn't for me to restrain ye, the money'd fly like feathers in the wind." "Waal, I didn't have to mortgage my farm," he replied, giving her a knowing look. "Twitting again! It isn't enough that you've lost a good umbreller and a camfire bottle; but you must twit me o' this and that." Her nose grew red, and tears came to her eyes; but, as he was looking out of the window, she said nothing further. Ten or fifteen minutes passed: and, growing restless, he called out to a man across the aisle: "What's the sile around here?" "Philetus! Philetus H. Harrison! stop your noise!" she whispered, poking him with her elbow. "I just asked a question," he replied, resuming his old position. "What'd your brother Joab tell ye, the last thing afore we left hum?" she asked. "Didn't he say somebody'd swindle ye on the string game, the confidence game, or some other game? Didn't he warn ye ag'in rascals ?" "I hain't seen no rascals." "Of course ye haven't, 'cause yer blind! I know that that man is a villun; and if they don't arrest him for murder afore we leave this train, I'll miss my guess. I can read human-natur' like a book." There was another period of silence, broken by her saying: "I wish I knew that this was the train for Chicago." "'Course it is." "How do you know?" "'Cause it is." "Waal, I know it hain't; but if you are contented to rush along to your destruction, I sha'n't say a word. Only when your throat is being cut, don't call out that I didn't warn ye!" The peanut boy came along, and the old man reached down for his wallet. "Philetus, ye sha'n't squander that money after peanuts!" she exclaimed, using the one hand to catch his arm, and the other to wave the boy on. "Didn't I earn it?" "Yaas, you sold two cows to get money to go on: this visit; but it's half gone now, and the land only knows how we'll get home!" The boy passed on, and the flag of truce was hung out for another brief time. She recommenced hostilities by remarking: "I wish I hadn't cum." He looked up and then out of the window. "I know what ye want to say," she hissed; "but it's a blessed good thing for you that I did come! If ye'd come alone, ye'd have been murdered and gashed and scalped, and sunk into the river afore now!" "Pooh !" "Yes, pooh, 'f ye want to, but I know!" He leaned back; she settled herself anew; and by and by He nodded She nodded And, in sleep, their gray heads touched; and his arm found its way along the back of the seat, and his hand rested on her shoulder. WORK, WORK AWAY. M. QUAD. Contributed by the author, Virgil Alonzo Pinkley, Director of the Dep't of Elocution and Oratory in the College of Music and G Oratory, Cincinnati, O. OOD advice for every one; Work, work away. Soon the race of life is run; Work, work away. Seize the moments as they fly, Let no obstacles affright; Work, work away. Soon will fall the shades of night; Work, work away. All our days are but a span, Work, work away. |