Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-07-17

son. 1t is all off between US now," she
added; "and perhaps it is for the best
that it should be So"
l could have rightly interpreted these
words without the aid of the partially ex-
pressed sigh which followed them. The
perilous position of so attractive, so mex
perienced, so guileless young creature,
amidst the temptations and vanities of
London, so painfully impressed and pre-
occupied me, that 1 scarcely uttered an
other word till the rapidly diminishing
rate of the train announced that we near
ed station, after which it was probable
we should have no farther opportunity for
private converse.
"Those men-those fellows at Rugby
where did you meet with them ?'' l in
.quired.
"About thirty or forty miles below
Birmingham, where they entered the
carriage in which l was seated. At Bir-
mingham | managed to avoid them"
Little more passed between US till we
reached London. Sophy Clarke receiv-
ed her cousin at the Euston station, and
was profuse of fluctuations and compli-
ment5 upon her arrival and personal ap-
pearance. After receiving a promise
from Mary Kingsford to call and take tea
with my wife and old playmate on the
following Sunday, | handed the two
young women into a cab in waiting, and
they drove of. | had not moved away
from the spot when a voice few PAGES
behind me, which | thought recognized
call out "Quick, coachee, or you'll lose
sight Of them." As l turned quickly
round, another cab drove smartly off,
which l followed at a run. I found on
reaching Lower Seymour Street, that l
was not mistaken as to the owner of the
voice, nor of his purpose. The fellow l
had unwigged at Rugby, thrust his head
half out Of the cab window and pointing
to the vehicle which contained the two
girls, called out to the driver "to mind
and make no mistake" The man nod
ded intelligence and lashed his horse in
to a faster pace Nothing that l might
do conld prevent the fellows from ascer-
tanning Mary Kingsford's place of abode,
and as that was all that, for the present at
least, need be apprehended, l deSisted
from pursuit, and bent my steps home
ward.
Mary Kingsford kept her appointment
on the Sunday, and in reply to our ques.
tioning, said she liked her situation very
we'll. Mr.. and Mrs. Morris were ex
ceedingly kind to her; so was Sophy.-
| "Her COUSIN" she added in reply to 6
: look which / could not repress, "wa:
perhaps little gay and free of manner
+ but the best-hearted creature in the
: world" The two fellows who had fol
, lowed them had, found, already twice
e visited the shop; but their attentions ap
\ peared now to be exclusively directed to
D wards Sophia Clarke, whose vanity the,
f not little gratifed. The names the,
gave were Hearty and Simpson. S.
G entirely guileless and unsophisticated wa
n the gentle country maiden, that saw sh
S scarcely comprehended the hints an
o warnings which threw out. At part
@ ing, however, she made me a seriou
h promise that she would instantly appl
II TO me should any difficulty or perplexit
a overtake her.
st / often called in at the confectioner'
d and was gratifed to find that Mary
y modest propriety of behavior, in a some
l. what difficult position, had gained he
l-1 the good will other employers, who, il
variably spoke of her with kindness an
r respect. Nevertheless, the cark and cal
i'll of a London life, with its incessant en-
at ployment and late hours, soon, pc
I'd ceived began to tell upon her health al
tn spirits and it was consequently with
ed strong emotion of pleasure ] heard fro
lg my wife that she had seen passage in
letter from Mary's mother, to the effe
that the elder Westlake was betrayir
" symptoms of yielding to the angry al
id passionate expostulations of his only Sc
relative to the enforced breaking off
w his engagement with Mary Kingston
as The blush with which she presented 4
an letter was, / was told, very eloquent.
n' One evening, on passing Morris she
ne / observed Hartley and Simpson thel
They were swallowing custards and 9th
Is confectionery with much gusto a
Oh from their new and costly hablimen
ne seemed to be in surprisingly good ca
They were smirking and smiling at t
Oh cousins with rude confidence; and Sopl