Carolyn Wells

The Mystery Girl Carolyn Wells

Anyone who has arrived at the railroad station of a New England village, after dark on avery cold winter night, the train late, no one to meet him, and no place engaged for boardand lodging, will know the desolation of such a situation. New England's small railroad stations are much alike, the crowds that alight from the trainsare much alike, the people waiting on the platform for the arriving travelers are much alike, but there came into Corinth one night a passenger who was not at all like the fellowpassengers on that belated train. It was a train from New York, due in Corinth at five-forty, but owing to the extreme cold weather, and various untoward freezings occasionedthereby, the delays were many and long and the train drew into the station shortly afterseven o'clock. Tired, hungry and impatient, the travelers crowded out of the train and stamped throughthe snow to the vehicles awaiting them, or footed it to their nearby homes. The passenger who was unlike the others stepped down from the car platform, and holdingher small suitcase firmly, crossed the track and entered the station waiting room. She wentto the ticket window but found there no attendant. Impatiently she tapped her little foot onthe old board floor but no one appeared."Agent," she called out, rapping with her knuckles on the window shelf, "Agent, -where areyou?""Who's there? What d'y' want?" growled a surly voice, and a head appeared at the ticketwindow."I want somebody to look after me! I'm alone, and I want a porter, and I want a conveyanceand I want some information.""Oh, you do! Well, I can't supply porters nor yet conveyances; but information I may be ableto give you.""Very well then," and a pair of big, dark eyes seemed to pierce his very brain. "Then tell mewhere I can find the best accommodations in Corint