"I'VE GOT TO GET TO GLOUCESTER, SIR!"
A CHARIOT OF FIRE
BY
ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS
ILLUSTRATED
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
MCMX
Copyright, 1905, 1910, by HARPER & BROTHERS
Published October, 1910.
Printed in the United States of America
ILLUSTRATIONS
"I've Got to Get to Gloucester, Sir!" . . . Frontispiece
The Flowers in the Front Yard were Knee-Deep in Snow
A CHARIOT OF FIRE
When the White Mountain express to Boston stopped at Beverly, it slowedop reluctantly, crashed off the baggage, and dashed on with thenervousness of a train that is unmercifully and unpardonably late.
It was a September night, and the channel of home-bound summer travelwas clogged and heaving.
A middle-aged man—a plain fellow, who was one of the Beverlypassengers—stood for a moment staring at the tracks. The danger-lightfrom the rear of the onrushing train wavered before his eyes, andlooked like a splash of blood that was slowly wiped out by the night.It was foggy, and the atmosphere clung like a sponge.
"No," he muttered, "it's the other way. Batty's the other way."
He turned, facing towards the branch road which carries the greatcurrent of North Shore life.
"How soon can I get to Gloucester?" he demanded of one who brushedagainst him heavily. He who answered proved to be of the baggagestaff, and was at that moment skilfully combining a frown and a whistlebehind a towering truck; from this two trunks and a dress-suit casethreatened to tumble on a bull-terrier leashed to something invisible,and yelping in the darkness behind.
"Lord! This makes 'leven dogs, cats to burn, twenty-onebaby-carriages, and a guinea-pig travellin' over this blamed road sinceyesterday—What's that? Gloucester?—6.45 to-morrow morning."
"Oh, but look here!" cried the plain passenger, "that won't do. I havegot to get to Gloucester to-night."
"So's this bull-terrier," groaned the baggage-handler. "He gotswitched off without his folks—and I've got a pet lamb in thebaggage-room bleatin' at the corporation since dinner-time. Somegaloot forgot the crittur. There's a lost parrot settin' alongsidethat swears in severa