Then he feared that his telegram might alarm her, and cause her to worry and fear something had gone wrong with him; this would spoil the ball for her; he would miss seeing her in her new gown and jewels—an event which he had looked forward to with almost as much interest as she herself; while his heart yearned mightily for his child, and the thought of not being able to see her for several days longer was unbearable.
While he was standing there disconsolate and revolving these things in his mind, and feeling that he could not endure to see the train move on its way, his restless glance settled upon a placard that had been placed upon the wall near the ticket-office.
With a start and a thrill of exultation he read the board, which had the following notice upon it:
“A special car will leave Albany for Saratoga at 6:30 P. M.”
He went immediately to the ticket-office and inquired more particularly regarding the matter. The agent informed him that “the extra” had been put on for the superintendent and some other high officials of the road, who were going to Saratoga to attend a ball that was to be given at Congress Hall that evening; that the notice had been posted so that others, if they wished, might avail themselves of the arrangement.
Mr. Temple grasped at the chance like the drowning man at the proverbial straw, and, finding that his ticket would be good for the special, at once felt as if a mountain had been removed from his heart.
Fearing, however, that his wife might be anxious over his non-appearance on the regular train, he sought the telegraph-office, and sent her the following message:
“Am unavoidably detained here. Will leave on special two hours later. Have maids pack for Boston—must return to-morrow.
“W. F. T.”