“We are almost in Jersey City now, aren’t we, Madge?” exclaimed Eleanor, making a leap for her bag, which promptly tumbled out of the rack above and fell directly on the head of a young man who was walking down the aisle of the car.
Madge giggled. Eleanor, however, was crimson with mortification. The young man did not appear to be pleased. The girls had a brief glimpse of him. He had blue eyes and sandy hair and was exceedingly tall. Eleanor’s bag had knocked his glasses off and he was obliged to stoop in search of them in the aisle.
“Oh, I am so sorry,” apologized Eleanor in her soft, Southern voice, as she picked up the glasses and restored them to their owner. “I am glad they were not broken.”
The young man paid not the slightest attention to her apology.
“Hurry, Nellie,” advised Madge, “it is nearly time for us to get off the train and your hat is on crooked. Don’t be such a timid little goose! You are actually trembling. Of course Tom or some one will meet us, and if they don’t I shall not be in the least frightened.” Madge announced this grandly. “That whistle means we are entering Jersey City. We will find Tom waiting for us at the gate.”
Eleanor obediently followed Madge out of their coach. The little captain seemed older and more self-confident since she had been graduated at Miss Tolliver’s, but Nellie hoped devoutly that her cousin would not become imbued with the impression that she was really grown-up. It would spoil their good times.
The two girls had never seen such a headlong rush of people in their lives. They clung desperately to their bags when a porter attempted to carry them. A man bumped violently against Madge, but he made no effort to apologize as he rushed on through the crowd.
“I never saw so many people in such a hurry in my life,” declared Nellie pettishly. “They behave as though they thought New York City were on fire and they were all rushing to put the fire out. I shall be glad when Tom takes charge of us.”
Once through the great iron gates the girls looked anxiously about for Tom, but saw no trace of him.
“I suppose Tom must have missed the ferry,” declared Madge with pretended cheerfulness. “We shall have to wait here for only about ten minutes until the next ferry boat comes across from New York.”