There may have been a detention.

That is nothing very unusual," she hastened to add, as she saw that Zoe had suddenly grown very pale.
The carriage drew up before the door of the depot; and the girls leaned from its windows, sending eager, searching glances from side to side, and up and down the track.
No train was in sight, and the depot seemed strangely silent and deserted.
"Oh!" cried Zoe, "what can be the matter ?" "I suppose the train must have got in some time ago,--perhaps before we left Ion," replied Ella, in a re-assuring tone; "and all the passengers have dispersed to their homes, or wherever they were going." "No, there could not have been time for all that," Zoe responded, in accents full of anxiety and alarm.
"Our watches may be much too slow," suggested Ella, trying to re-assure both herself and her cousin, yet trembling with apprehension as she spoke.
"No, it isn't possible that they and all the timepieces in the house could be so far from correct," said Zoe despairingly.
"Dar doan' 'pear to be nobody 'bout dis hyar depot," remarked Uncle Ben reflectively; "but I reckon dar's somebody comin' to 'splain de mattah.
Wha's de 'casion ob dis mos' onusual state ob t'ings ?" he added, as a woman, who been watching the carriage and its occupants, the open door of a neighboring house, came miming in their direction.
"What de mattah, Aunt Rhoda ?" he queried, as she reached the side of the vehicle, almost breathless with excitement and exertion.
"Why, Uncle Ben, dar--dar's been a accident to de kyars, dey say, an' dey's all broke up, and de folks roun' here is all"-- "Where?
where ?" exclaimed Ella, while Zoe sank back against the cushions, quite unable to speak for the moment.
"Dunno, Miss," was the reply; "but," pointing up the road, "it's out dat way, 'bout a mile, I reckon.

Yo see, de kyars was a comin' fas' dis way, and 'nudder ole injine whiskin' 'long dat way, and dey bofe comes togedder wid a big crash, breakin' de kyars, and de injines bofe of em, till dey's good for nuffin' but kin'lin' wood; and de folks what's ridin' in de kyars is all broke up too, dey says; and de doctahs and body"-- "Edward!" gasped Zoe.

"Drive us there, Uncle Ben, drive with all your might! O Edward, my husband, my husband!" and she burst into hysterical weeping.
Ella threw her arms about her.

"Don't, dear Zoe, oh, don't cry so! He may not be hurt.