Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

THE FLIGHT OF THE EAST-BOUND EXPRESS. 133 worry because of the fact that enemies are on board the cars—all will be well. The train makes remarkably good time while they sleep, and is well on the way to St. Louis when they get up in the morning. Putting their heads together they soon construct a long message to Mr. Joe Hooker that will cover the case in all its bearings. This, Senator John, who has been an operator in his time, volunteers to get in at the office when they pull into St. Louis. Unexpected delay comes—there is a wreck on the road ahead, and they are flagged. There they lie for hours, awaiting the clearing away of the dedris. There is no station near, and so the monotonous hours pass away. Fortunately they have a hotel car on the train, and the passengers are not yet reduced to a state of actual hunger. As Americans usually do under such circumstances, they take it all good naturedly and joke over the situation. Some even go forward to the scene of the wreck and assume entire charge of the work—at: least, they bustle around with a great sense of 1m- portance and give orders to which no one pays the slightest attention. They tell us that all things have an end, although. one could mention a number that give little promise of such a heavenly consummation. At any rate, this delay does not last beyond a certain number of hours, and then, at nightfall, the track being cleared, they once more move on, though at a snail’s pace for a long time. Thus it is morning when they reach St. Louis,.As. (€(0) im