The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-23

come alone. She. had gone to che Bel
vidcre House she must be the one.
George waited to hear no more He
hurried up the street to the place, where
the landlord assured him that no lady of
Katie's style had arrived; perhaps she
had stopped at Margate, ten miles back.
George seized on the hope. There was
no train to Margate until the next morn
iLg, but the wretched husband could not
wait all night-he would walk there.
lie got directions about the roads was
told that 1t was a straight one-for the
most of the way through the woods
rather lonesome, but pleasant. He set
forth at once, not stopping to swallow a
mouthful. Excitement had taken away
his appetite. The fine day had developed
into cloudy evening, and the night
would be darker than usual
George fastened on, too much excited
to feel fatigue too much agonized about
Katie to notice that he had split his cle-
giant French CATERS out at the sides.
After three or four hours hard walk
ing, he began to think that something
must be wrong. He ought to be ap-
preaching the suburbs of Margate. In
fact he ought to have reached the village
itself some time before. He grew a little
doubtful about his being on the right
ROAD, and began to look about him. There
was no road at all, or, rather, it was all
road; for all vcstige of fences and wheel
tracks had vanished, and there was forest,
forest, everywhere.
The very character of the ground be-
meath his teet changed at every step he
took. 1t grew softer and softer, until he
sunk ankle deep iG mud ; and, sud denly,
before he could turn about, he fell In al
most up TO the arm pits. He had stumbled
into a quagmire A swift horror came
over him. 1t would be so dreadful to
die thus, and Katie not know what had
become of him. He struggled with the
strength Of desperation to free himself,
but he might as well have taken it coolly
He was held fast
Thus slowly the hours wore away
The night was ages long. The sun had
never before taken so much time to rise :;
but probably 1t realized that nothing
could be done until it was up, and Vas
not disposed to hurry.
As soon as it was fairly light, George
began to scream, at the top of his voice,
10 the hope that some one, who might be
going somewhere, might hear him. He
amused himself at taiS for an hour and
at the end of ;hat time you could not have
distinguished his voice from that of
frog, close at hand, who had been doing
his very best to rival our hero
At last, just as George was beginning
to despair, he heard a voice In the dis
tance, calling out
"Halloa, there! Is it you, or frog ?"
"It's me-" cried George, sand | shall
be dead in ten minutes Come, quick
I'm i1to the mud up to my eyes -
Directly an old woman appeared, sun
bonnet on her head and basket on her
arm. She was huckleberrying.
''Thc lands sake !" cried she, "you're
in for it, hain't yep
Eyes too deep for comfort!"
"Sarved ye right I'm glad of it =
Didn't ye see the notice that the old mai
put up, that nobody mustn't come a huck-
leberryin' in this ere swamp Z"
"Huckleberrying" !" exclaimed George
angrlly. "1ou must think fellow was
beside himself to come into this Jungle, if
he knew it! Huckleberryins, indeed !
I'm after my wife,
"Land's sake Your wife Well, of
all things, | declare, never!'
"She got on the wrong train, and so did
l. [ expect she's at Margate, and
started from Groton, last night, to walk
there, AID lost my way. Help me out
Do, that's dear woman !'
The old lady steadied herself by tree,
of
drew George out-mud from head to foot
He shook himself
"There if you'll show me the way, I
will go right on"
''No, you won't, neither You'll 60
right over to our house, ana have cup Of
coffee and something to eat, and suit of
the old mans clothes to put on while |
dry yourn. And I'll send Tom over to
Margate with the boss and wagon to bring
your wife !"
you're trump !" cried George, wiring
ing her hand. "God bless you You
shall be rewarded for your kindness"
Mrs. Stark's house was only little way
distant, and to its shelter she took George
Tom was dispatched to Margate to hunt
up Mrs Jamison aud George, arrayed in
a suit of Mr. Stark's clot;es-bue swal-
low tail coat, homemade gray pantaloons,
cowhide boots, and white hat with broad
brim, for the Starks were Friends-felt
like new man. They gave him good
breakfast, which did not come amiss, and,
wEile Tom was absent, the old lady made
him lie down on the lounge and take
nap.
Tom returned about noon. He had
secured the whole village, but found moth
ing Only one passenger had left the
train at Marnafa the nrauinrn don and