The Argosy — page 154: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

My First Situation. 130 The train was slow and the stations endless. However, the happy moment arrived at length, when a guard opened the carriage door, shouting, ‘‘ Gorswald—all change here for Woltersdorf,” and out I jumped. Before I could assure myself that all my luggage was out the train was off again. I looked round eagerly. An old woman was hobbling off with a basket, a lady was being embraced by a tender husband, and my neighbour of the next droschky was dis- appearing within the door of exit towards the town. ‘That was all. No countesses—no one expecting me—nothing! A hot mid-day sun, an insupportable glare, and not a creature who knew one word of English! My courage began to ebb a little, still I mustered all my German and began to explain my perplexities to the station- master. As soon as I got to Graf Dahlen’s name, the official’s hitherto perplexed face brightened up at once. “Graf Dahlen!” he cried; ‘ Ja, ja,’—-now he knew all about it. ¢ It is to Woltersdorf the Fraulein wishes to go, of course. ‘The Herr Graf lives close by, I know. I will see that the Fraulein gets there.” And with this comfortable assurance the station-master politely picked up my bag and showed me the way to the waiting-room. ‘In half an hour, Fraulein, the train will start for Fries. May I order you some coffee ?” No, I would have nothing: I was disappointed, tired, and hot. It was evident that now I must give up all hope of meeting the countesses, and make the best of my way to my new home alone. The actual necessity was not as pleasant and did not look as easy as the prospects of getting there ‘‘somehow” had been in the morning. In less than half an hour the polite red-capped station-master was back again. ‘‘ Now, Fraulein, the train will be up directly. You will get to Fries at six o’clock, and then an omnibus will take you on to Woltersdorf, should the Count not send his carriage all the way to Fries.” | “But I never heard of an omnibus,” I protested as well as I could: ‘and are you quite sure about the name ?” “Quite,” returned the official rather curtly, ‘‘ And if the Fraulein heard nothing about the omnibus it was because the Herr Graf is going to send his carriage all the way to Fries.” With a polite touch of his cap, he handed me into the train, wished me the stereotyped ‘* prosperous journey,” and closed the door. The afternoon wore on even more slowly than the morning had done. When the Fries station came in sight it seemed as if I had seen the last of Berlin, and heard the last English words from my neighbour of the next droschky more than a week ago. Once more I was turned out, and the train flewon. This time the station consisted but of a single house and a few sheds. One look showed that no one was here.to meet me, for I could take in a mile of country round at one glance. A long, low, hideous conveyance, — CONnNICOHOOKS.CO @