“What do you think it will be like?” asked the woman as she gathered her bag and wraps together.
“I don’t care much,” replied the boy, dragging his suitcase from beneath the seat, “just so it isn’t too fancy—I don’t want to be mowing lawns all the time, ’specially in January.”
Just then there was the hoarse sound of the locomotive whistle, and, almost with it, the grinding of the quick set brakes. As the woman and the boy sprang to their feet, the train conductor hurried into the car and the porter sprang forward to help with the baggage of the anxious travelers. As the other passengers aroused themselves in surprise at the unexpected stop, the woman and the boy were hurried to the platform and, the long train scarcely coming to a stop, assisted precipitately from the car.
Instead of landing upon a depot platform, the two suddenly disembarked passengers found themselves on a sandy incline, slipping slowly downward into a dry ditch. They were conscious that their bag, suitcase and wraps had lodged somewhere near their feet. Scrambling to upright positions, they both turned only to see two fading green lights marking the fast disappearing Lake Worth express.
“Andrew!” exclaimed the woman, clasping the boy’s arm.
“Looks like they’ve dumped us into nothin’, mother.”
“It’s gone!” the woman almost shouted.
“Gone?” repeated the boy. “You bet she’s gone, and gettin’ goner about a mile a minute.”
“What’ll we do?”
The boy laid his hands on his mother’s arms.