. When I began
to wonder whether I was a nabob travelling in a private car, or a tramp
looking for a supper, that made me laugh. It was frightfully dark, and
of course I did not dare light a lamp. It was cold, too; but I managed
that with more rugs. There were plenty of rugs. By that time I was
nearly a thousand miles away from my friends, and nobody seemed to be
making any inquiries about me. But I knew that was nonsense, for do you
think my mother wouldn't hunt me? When I thought of how she must be
worrying about me, it made me cry again, and I cried myself to sleep.
The next thing I knew somebody was shaking me by the shoulder.

"'Wake up, young man!' the somebody was saying. 'Are you Frank Howell?'

"'Yes, sir,' said I, as soon as I got my senses.

"It was a tall young gentleman, as I could see by the light through the
window, and the train was standing still.

"'Then come along with me,' said he. 'It's half past five in the
morning, and this is Washington. You've only about twelve minutes to eat
your breakfast in.'

"Then I knew I'd been found, and do you know it almost took away my
strength. We were in the railway restaurant, and I was eating like a
starving man before I had a chance to ask any questions, and then it was
the gentleman who did the asking.

"'Have you come far?' said he.

"'Come far!' said I; 'I was carried past Winter Park. Didn't you know?'

"'I didn't know anything about it,' said he. 'I'm just obeying orders. I
got this telegram only about two hours ago.' And he laid on the table a
telegram which read:

"'TO FRED ROBLIN,
Washington.

"'Mrs. Plant desires you to find Frank Howell, a boy probably
coming North in her car in Train 14. See that he has breakfast and
anything else he wants, and send him on to New York. Telegraph
Seminole Hotel as soon as found.

"'H. S. HAINES,
Vice-President.'

"'That's all right, then,' said I. 'Somebody's found me; I don't know
who it is.'

"'All right!' said he; 'I should say it was. You're the luckiest boy in
the country if Mrs. Plant is looking after you. There goes the bell. Now
is there anything more I can do for you?'

"I told him not a thing more, and he said he would telegraph to my
father, and that of course somebody would meet me in New York. Well,
sir, it was a different ride after that, though the car got colder all
the time. I pulled up all the shades and made things look cheerful, and
unlocked the door, f