The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
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The bride's fate: The sequel to "The changed brides"
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
American fiction -- 19th century
“Do you know anything about the up train, captain?”
“There is an express train starts at a quarter before two, and there is
not another train until five,” answered the master.
“I’ll take that train,” exclaimed Dick.
And he made all his own little preparations, and he hurried the men that
were getting out the boat to take him ashore.
As soon as he stepped on shore, he ran and called a cab, jumped into it,
and, having given his hasty order, was driven rapidly to the station. He
was just in time to secure his ticket, spring into a half-empty
carriage—and not a moment to spare before the express started.
It was not until the train was in motion and his own hurry was over,
that he recollected one or two things that might have been attended to
had he chosen to wait a few minutes. First and nearest, he might have
taken his change from the cabman, whose fare was half a crown, and to
whom he had thrown half a sovereign.
But Dick did not the least regret that neglect.
And then he might have called at the International to see if any letters
had been left for him. But neither, upon reflection, did Dick regret
this neglect. He considered it was not probable any letters were
awaiting there; or, if there were, that they should be of much
importance; or, even if so, whether he were not doing the very thing
that should be done under such supposatory circumstances, namely,
hurrying back to London by the express train. So, upon the whole, Dick
was glad he forgot to lose time and miss the express by calling at the
International to inquire for letters.
The train flew on with its usual lightning rate of speed and at five
o’clock reached its station in London.
He got out upon the platform, carpet-bag in hand, and began to look for
a cab, when he heard a little voice calling:
“Dit! Dit! oh, Dit! tome here, Dit!”
In great surprise he looked about him, confidently expecting to see
little Lenny and Pina, and perhaps Anna and Drusilla, come to the
station on the chance of meeting him.
But he saw no one that he knew. And though he plunged into the crowd
seeking the owner of the little voice in the direction from which he had
heard it, he saw nothing of either little Lenny or his nurse.
At length, thinking that he had been mistaken, he gave up the quest, and
took a cab for Trafalgar Square.
Afterwards he recollected, as a dream or a vision, the momentary
flitting through the crowd of a ragged woman with a child in her arms.
But at the instant of seeing these, he had not dreamed of connecting
them in any way with the voice he had heard. With something of that
vague anxiety we all feel in returning home, even after a short absence,
Richard Hammond hurried to Trafalgar Square.
As soon as he reached the Morley House, he sprang from the cab, tossed a
crown piece to the cabman, and without waiting for the change, ran into
the house and up to his apartments.
He went straight to the drawing-room, where he found Anna sitting in the
window seat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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