Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-03
especially at Die servica Of your brOthers

sister"
"Ifhe is only alive to thank you
You think l cannot go en- tonight p
~ krow you cannot" l did net kno'
it, but / knew she ought not.
The mistress of one of the Nice hotel
was well and favorably known to me.
committed Miss Hardness to her care, CT
planning in few words the object of he
Journey.
Then | ordered-and l remember / too
great pains with its selection little din
ner for one, of soup, game, outlets, sweets
choice fruit and coffee, to be served a
soon as possible to No. 90; aud after l hs'
done that, l went about my W business
l scored the coupe of the diligence ant
one place in the banquette as far as Genoa
| sent a telegram to Marseilles to reques
that my luggage, which l had left un
owned there, should be taken charge o
till further notice. 1 dined at a hote
close to the diligence Office, drank coffee
smoked, lounging on the esplanade anC
looking towards the windows of the house
where L had left Miss Hardness, and
wondered dreamily what would come OF
this strange adventure of mine.
SuppoSC u WIG Suudiu COilc VI II
Pshawl most unlikely What pro,
liability was there that a sweet girl like
this should be disengsged?
To what sort of a fellow, however, if be
lets her run such risk az theseH Suppose
she had fallen into bad hands as complete
ly as she had fallen into mine-which shall
be harmless for her, God knowsl
She would not have fallen into bad
hands.
There is Judgment diseernment, wis
dom beyond her years in that sweet little
face, with its serene brow and clear eyes,
its firm, rather sad mouth.
l was sorry she had seen my name,
otherwise l could have laid the hattering
JUNCTION to my soul that it was my face
which had inspired her with confidence.
But what on earth could she nave done
had | not been there What in the Mans
of heaven would have become of her 2
Well Heaven guards its owl. Heaven
knows what would become of her.
When / tired of my moonlight ramb-
ling by the shores of that wonderful Bay
of Nice, and went to my hotel, L found it
was too late to be worth while going 10
bed that night, SO l watched till morn
ing.
l was at her hotel pretty early, anxious
TO settle her account before she should be
troubled about it. l ordered breakfast to
be taken to her in her room, and sent a
peneilled message to her, telling her 1 had
arranged everything.
| sha'n't easily forget the earnestly
grateful look she gave me when we met.
As l tucked her up snugly in the coupe
Had she been comfortable 2" 1 ask
ed.
90 yes; l had thought of everything.
| had been most kind, she answered, her
eyes full Of tears. And then, "Where was
l going? 2" with a half alarm in her one
and her face, as she found l did nor take
my place beside her.
TO the ~banquette, up above 1 am
your courier, mademoiselle one sees bet
Ter there, but this is filter for a lady"
1t was an early February morning; the
and sky as bright as only a Riviera
sun and sky could be the Mediterranean
blue, as only the Mediterranean could be.
That wonderful Cornice Road l had
travelled it before; but that only
made me better able t. admire it. Now
high on the hills, where you seemed TO
have glimpses of a whole Switzerland of
'now-mountsins; where you had below
you bay after bay glittering azure of vi0-
town, village, and tower, and distant
Of sea where you looked upon
title castellated cities sitting on their
natural Notifications, secure, impregna- |
Die then down to the shores, through the
and quaintest of small ports, past
lew-bailt and building fleets, between
loaded with lemons, through
richards of lemons, past the palm-groves
IT Bordighera,-wbat an enchanted world
t seem'dl Mediaeval and romantic.
lorthern strength, southern grace /; but il
) not of these things l care TO talk now.
We did not stop more than a few hours
t Genoa. How long we were upon the
QUITE altogether L eonnot distinctly re-
We had bad weather at one
lme, cold and rain, snow, wind, and hail
was, l think, in crossing the Apen-
ines between Sostris and Spezia. She
ever complained, though she got so be-
umbed with cold that she would have
allen, but l cought her in my arms, one
vening as l was helping her to alight,-
was at Spezia,-she never complain
Caught her in my armsl yes and be-
IRE l knew it had given her a sort of
COMPASSIONATE hug, exclaimins, You
cor, tired, patient child" l couldn't
clip it.
Rail from Spezia to Leghorn past the
larble quarries of Car era, past Pita
all and diligence to Civita Vecehia, rail
} Rome. Our journey was not long since,
sec.
When we reached Rome, in the full
rightness Of sunny morning, she did
,ok travel-worn, tagged, and iaded. The
light before, in a crowded diligence,-I
nd not been able to secure a coupe for
er,-she had slept great part of the night
er head upon my shoulder sleep of
Ich profound exhaustion as had half
me. l had ventured to put my
rm round her, to draw her to me, in or
er to support her better,-what a slight,
'agile-fee!ing form it wasl As 1 held
er thus, and she slept this dead sleep,
" eyes never eloled, and my mind was
cry busy.
What would be the end of this jour-
ey2
Should her brother be already dead 2
Friendless, moneyless, homeless, alone!
When we stopped once she half reused;
re looked up in my face IS 1 bent down
her.
~ am afraid 1 weary you" she said. 81
mt help it I'm so tiredT she was half
with fatiguei almost before she
nd finished speaking her head dropped
a my shoulder again.
l pressed her eloserfor answer, that was
Il.
Your wife, poor young thing, seems
ute worn out, said a kindly, half qua
.erish-looking lady sitting opposite. l
noticed how pleasantly and compass
she glanced at Ruth. A few days
20 l should on this have told Ruth's
DRY, and claimed a woman's protection
IT a woman; but now-well, l was jeal-
rs and selfish. l wanted her all to my
III, wanted her to be cared for with my
ires,-all mine, only mine.
1 answered simply, "She Is worn out;
le has Travelled from London almost with
at s%toppingi she has a brother dying in
ONE"
"Poor, poor young thing But she is
apPier than many; she will meet sorrow
it'll n by her who loves her with more
ian the love of a brother"
Ny conscience was reused; none of our
her fellow-travelers could hear US; l
told her Ruth's story, and finished
y asking, "Aro you going to stay in
AYES, friend, and shall be glad to be of
to the young lady"
EYou NAV nerbans he of tho greatest