Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-03
aHase tda alept At I'D on .the roadag.

Iput my hat-box for her feet, and threw
my wrapper over her; then l immersed
myself in my books again.
Two old ladies and one old gentlemen
gentleman were nodding in the other com
partment Of the carriage. For a long
time | did not stir hand or foot or look a
my neighbor, hoping that, with hel
mind more at case, she might, per.
chance, catch the infection of their drowsi-
ness. She did; when l did venture 10 look
at her she was asleep. Her hat lay on heI
knee; her head WAS leant back in the an
gle of the cushions. The light of the car
riage-lamp,-it had grown dusk now
slanted down from the bright hair, threw
a shadow Of long lashes on the pale cheek,
fell on the pretty round white throat but
it did not look easeful sleep; the mouth
retained lines Of anxiety and depression.
/ did not look at her long; l WIS afraid
of disturbing her, and besides it seemed to
to me that it would be a piece of unchival-
rous audacity and profanity to take that
advantage of the unconsciousness of one
50 strangely thrown upon my protec-
ton. Her hat slipped off her knee and
fell to the floor of the carriage; l
picked it up reverently, and laid it on my
own, which was on the seat beside me. l
fell to considering it: it was a modest lit
tie hatpretty, but not in q coquettish way;
simple, tasteful, and free from any of the
grotesque and unsuitable excrescences II
can't call them ornamentsl l have won
dered ut on other women's head-gear. Her
whole dress had struck me, as l first no.
ticed her at the station, as having a special
appropriateness, a neat completeness, an
absence of all superfuity, and yet no alb
sence of feminine gracefulness.
"Mho is she What is she 2" l pom
dered, and, as l pondered, my eyes, for the
first time. fell upon a card fastened to the
handle Of her bag, which l had put OIL the
seat beside me, TO give her more room,
when l begged her to try AID sleep.
The name-not q common one-was not
unfamiliar 10 me, and yet the familiarity
of it carried me far back into the past.
"Harkness 1 kept repeating. /
questioned and perplexed myself to no
purpose, but, by and by, when l had
given up, or imagined that l had, think
ing about the matter, it all came 10 me.
Hardness was the name of an old draw
ing-master of mine. Hardness was the
name of a young school-fellow of mine.
AAoA >AACIS "a Il A0hAC Lh1t " LmO VI
three years l had seen in the Royal Acad-
emy's Catalogue as the painter Of pictures
which had struck my fancy, mostly
scenes in the country round Rome, cattle
and peasants of the Campagna. For the
sake OF the name as much as for the pic
lures themselves, l had purchased some
twoo r three, forget which, of these works,
/ bought up many more of them after
wards, for her sakel at the time, wonder
ing if that young artist Harkness was my
young schoolfellow Hardness.
l now determined that the two should
certainly be one, and that one the brother
of my little companion, who must ms GER
tainly be the "%sister Ruth of whom he
had often talked,-a baby girl then, and
the Object Of his almost idolatrous atfee-
ton.
While she slept l furnished up my mem
DRY as TO all matters regarding the two
Harknesses, father and son it was some
time before I could remember the sons
Ohristianiname, much 70 my vexatien, but
at lastthat came too, HaIold, Harold Hark-
ness. l was triumphant, almost anxious
the tired little sleeper should wake, quite
resolved that Harold Hardness should
have been my very dear friend. / could
remember, happily, that l had sometimes
been of service to him that I had been
fond Of the boy; that he had been a bright,
beautifulfaced, fair-haired little fellow,
who had nouTished q romantic and CRATE
full regard for me.
Ny, charge, SO l now regarded Ruth
Hardness, moaned in her sleep in a faint,
distressful sort of way.
l bent towards her we were stopping at
a station, Cannes 1 think. She reused
herself.
"Could you get me a glass of water p
she asked. Il am So sorry 10 give you
"You feel III, faint? III be back d.
1 sprahg out; 1 brought her y
glass of water into which l had put a lit
tie ccgnac. "You needn't be afraid, it's
not too strong, it will DO you good. I'm
u sort of a doctor"
She took it with a grateful, confding
look, and drank it. Having paid a porter
to return the glrss, 1 was lingering on the
platform, near the carriage door, regard
of warnings to get in, amusing myself
by watching the eager hurry Of others,
in that manner TO show myself an
old, experienced traveller, perhaps, when
'he looked out.
eff you should be left behind. or get
hurt in getting in a hurry" she said. 1
was in the carriage before she had finished
,peakingi her anxiou- face was enough.
It was new to me 10 feel myself Of para
mount importance to anybody: a very
novel and pleasant sensation.
] brought her a small nosegay Of Prov
ence rosebuds, jasmine, and %violets; but !
.ook it away from her almost directly,
1.-THE perfume is too strong"
She let me do as 1 pleased, but she
oeked at the flowers lovingly.
"You are better now?
20 yes, thank you'll 1 had been dream
ng painfully about Harold, my brother"
Il wonder when you ate anything last
II have eaten some biscuits l had with
ne they told me I should have plenty
time to get rcfreshment by the way,
put | was afraid TO lose my place and the
oustle confused me-"
"Then you have lived on biscuits since
fou left London2"
Il have no; been hungry"
Il have made a very pleasant discovery
you were asleep, Miss Hardness"
I said, pointing to the card on her bag.
This is your namer'
,"Yes."
at is well-kRown name TO me. A
schoolfellow of mine was called
Hardness, q favorite artist of
nine, whose works l have greatly nd
nired, is called Harold Hardness. Now
lon't tell me you are not the little sister
Ruth he used to talk about I
al am only too glad and proud to tell
Tou that l am"
"You don't ask who I atm, or seem sur
at my discovery"
"No." she answered, eighty smiling.
Il knew before"
Knew me-
"Yes; Harold used to talk to me about
rou enough to make me remember the
lame very well: and while you were
up midtown the platform at Mar
eilles l read your name upon your lug
,age."
But how did you come to associate the
luggage with its right owner? l did not
20 near it"
"By instinct, I suppose partly; and
because Harold once tried to paint
likeness of you from memory, and you
re still enough like his picture to have
made me notice your face before l noticed
he name on the luggage"
When we reached Niee,-how wonder
lovely under the moonlight some
,arts of that route looked the shsrnly-