Arabella | Page 2

with a glass cover, enshrining a rose, which had been a birthday
gift from Mrs. Christie, and a book of fairy tales. This latter had created
for her an entire new world, to which she compared people, things and
events.
She had scarcely completed her costume by an ugly and unpicturesque
hat, trimmed by Mrs. Christie's unskillful hand, when she heard the
latter's voice calling her at the foot of the stairs. She gave one last look
about the room, as though she were bidding it farewell, and then ran
down to join her travelling companion. Mrs. Christie was quite pale
with emotion, and, to Arabella's eyes, quite resplendent in an
old-fashioned costume of dark green serge. As the two were about
setting out, Trot, the brown spaniel, came leaping and barking about
Arabella, supposing that she was going for a ramble in the woods, and
that he was to be of the party.
"You go and put that dog in the barn," ordered Mrs. Christie sharply,
and Arabella, calling the dog after her, ran round the side of the house,
and stooping down to pet the woolly head and bid her favorite

good-bye, she shut the deceived and disappointed animal into the
outhouse, whence his dismal whines and scratching at the door pursued
Arabella until she was actually off the premises. As the travellers
finally started, Silas Christie, heavy-eyed and ponderous, stood in the
doorway looking after them, and taking the pipe from his mouth to call
out a word or two of warning.
"Don't take the wrong train, mother,"-- this was his familiar name for
his wife-- "and don't you get lost down to the city."
To these unnecessary instructions Mrs. Christie vouchsafed no reply,
only throwing back a hurried "Good-bye," to her husband, and seizing
her satchel in one hand and holding Arabella by the other, she hastened
down the road.
They arrived at the station nearly an hour too soon for the express
which was to convey them into the city. Scarcely anyone had as yet
appeared, and the two sat down forlornly, very close together, and
feeling more in sympathy than they had ever been before. A sense of
blank desolation, in fact, came over them, chilling the pleasant glow of
anticipation. When, at last, however, the station began to fill with
hurrying feet, and an acquaintance or two, who were setting out for the
great journey, and seemed undisturbed by the circumstance, threw them
a friendly greeting, their spirits began to rise.
With one last bound of the heart, Arabella beheld the huge, puffing,
gleaming, monster coming up out of the distance, and realized that she
was really going upon a journey. She cast a farewell look around upon
the road by which she and her companion had lately come, upon the
fields and the trees, browning now and turning to the sere and yellow
under the touch of autumn, and then she was hurried aboard. There had
never been any remarkable sympathy between her and Mrs. Christie,
but oh, how profoundly thankful she felt that that strong and self-reliant
personage was with her. It was tolerably clear, moreover, from the
strong grip of the other's hand,that she fully shared this sentiment.
Once comfortably seated, however, on the plush-covered seats, which
appeared very magnificent to Arabella, with their valise and other

impedimenta, in the shape of a small hand-bag and umbrella, securely
bestowed, they began to look around them with something like
cheerfulness of spirit. This was still farther increased by the sight of
their neighbors and acquaintances, likewise comfortably ensconced,
and smiling recognition at them.
Arabella fairly thrilled when she heard the parting whistle, a wild
shriek from the engine, and the conductor's stentorian "All aboard!"
Then the first movement was apparent-- very slowly at first, then
quicker, the train began to move out of the station. One by one the
familiar objects disappeared, and in a very brief interval of time, as the
locomotive drew the cars upon their steaming, unsteady course,
Arabella, with a tremulous joy, more than half awe, experienced the
delights of travel.

CHAPTER II.
ARRIVAL IN THE CITY.
The light faded slowly out of the sky, the landscape grew dim, and the
train sped on through the darkness. Mrs. Christie, imitating the
nonchalance of her neighbors, settled her head back upon the velvet
cushions, and, wearied by her early rising and the unwonted excitement
of the day, fell into a doze. But Arabella looked out with strained, eager
eyes into the gloom, striving now and again to catch some object, and
thinking wonderful thoughts. She scarcely noticed the passage of time
until at last the occasional groups of lights, denoting some town or
village, began to grow numerous and concentrated, and once more,
with a quick beating of the