Her Ladyship's Elephant

by David Dwight Wells

"It seems to me," she said after a little, "that we've been waiting here more than four minutes. I trust we are not in the wrong train. One has just gone out."

"Hi! guard!" called Scarsdale from the window. "Is this the express for Basingstoke?"

"No, sir," replied the official. "It was the train beyond you, which has just left. Sorry if you've made a mistake, sir."

"Confound it, yes!" cried Scarsdale. "Where does this train go?"

"Stopping train for Winchester."

"Can we go on to Basingstoke?"

"Not by this train, sir."

"But from Winchester?"

"There is sure to be a train this evening, sir."

"It has been a chapter of accidents," he said, explaining it to Mrs. Allingford, "but we had better go to Winchester, I think; it is on the way anyhow."