Marion found her voice and pointed out the trunk. She was vexed at herself for feeling stiff, embarrassed and shy, when she meant to be affable and amiable. The heiress of the McGregors had been so, and had soon succeeded in setting the boys quite at their ease. But these boys were quite at their ease already, and they were very different from what she expected and from Mrs. Gertrude's description. Harry was fully as elegant a young gentleman as Doctor Prince, who was the model young man of Holford society, and she was obliged to own that Frank seemed as nice a boy as she had ever seen.
Heiress of McGregor.
Harry Van Alstine.
"Now, are you afraid to stand here a few minutes while Frank and I put on the trunk?" asked Harry. "And then we shall be ready to set out for home."
Marion stood and looked about her at the odd place in which she found herself.
In all my travelling, I have never seen a place which offered greater facilities for the shipwreck of travellers than the station at the Falls. The train draws up by a narrow platform. On one side is the great, rushing, solemn river, about six feet below the track, with no fence or guard, of any kind between. On the other a wide and deep canal, between which and the train is the narrow platform aforesaid. If you are absent-minded or near-sighted and step off the wrong side of the car, you step into the river. If you go a little too far on the right side, you walk straight into the canal.
A little way below a huge cliff rises apparently to heaven, feathered here and there, where its perpendicular face is broken by a little ledge, with shrubs and plant; wild vines and small evergreens. A little stream falls down the precipice into the river, thus giving a name to the place. The settlement consists of a shabby-looking store or grocery, a still worse-looking tavern and a few more or less forlorn-looking houses.
As Marion looked round her and noticed the appearance of the men who lounged about the place, she did not wonder that the conductor did not like the idea of leaving her there; her gold watch might have changed hands without much ceremony.
"Now, Marion, if you will come this way," said Harry, appearing at the end of the platform.
Marion did so, and soon found herself seated in a roomy, comfortable sort of family carriage; one of her trunks was fastened on a rack behind; the other was being loaded into a large wagon, drawn by four handsome gray mules, profusely decorated with bells and red fringe. Presently one of them opened his mouth, and gave vent to one of those unearthly sounds between a yell and a bray in which mules are used to express their emotions.