Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-10-10

as far as possible to relieve her OF all trouble
She would expect me, as a letter had been
written to Mrs. Slater desiring her to send
the young lady to Antwerp, under charge
of a servant
"Bv Jove, thought" said Herbert Engle-
due, "wouldn't 1 ike just little thing OF
that sort to do u
"Wait until you hear the end Of my ste
ry, and you'll think differently" sad Mt.
Minton; mo one likes to be fooled, and
that what happened to me"
&C. started, according to my instructions,
by the night mail for Dover, and at one
o clock the next day found myself at the
Hotel ST. Antoine at Antwerp. | inquired
IL Miss Valdane had arrived, and was asked
to step uD to a drawing-room on the second
floor. No one was in the room when l en-
tered, but in few minutes a respectable
looking middle-aged woman came in with an
expression of anxiety on her countenance.
:" Are you the gentleman from London,
sir?' she said.
60 am, said l. When viii it be con-
venient for Miss Valdane to set out on her
journey?'
- Oh, sir, said she, Miss Valdane is
very unwell, and has been obliged to go to
bed. This has upset all the plans that has
been arranged and L don't know what to
do.
''' When did this illness come on?' !
asked.
Why, sir, Miss Valdane seemed very
well when we left, but as we got near An
twerp she complained of headache, and was
obliged to go to bed directly when we got to
the hotel The worst of it is, said she after
a pause, that l must return by this eve
ning's train
9 The young lady has her maid, I under
stand, said l.
- Oh, yes, sir, she is with her, certainly
but she is young and Eighty, and l haven t
much confidence in her
90 Has Miss Valdane any medical man ?
said L
"'O Oh, no, she would't hear of one being
sent for
Well, said I, { it cannot be helped
you must return to your mistress, and must
wait here until Miss Valdane is able to
travel
~ In the course of the afternoon, and
after Mrs. Slater's S servant had left, 1 sent up
my compliments to Miss Valdane, and re-
quested to know how she was.
"' Miss Yaldanes compliments, she was
so much better that she hoped to be down
stairs in the course Of an hour
This was good news, and I Immediately
set about inquiries as to trains and boat.
found that by leaving Ostend at halfpast
three the next morning, the young lady
could be at her fathers house in time for
lunch the same day 1 accordingly made
the requisite arrangements, and awaited
Miss Valdanes appearance.
Her maid shortly afterwards came down
With message to know if it would be con-
yenient to me to have an interview with heI
mistress. ], of course, assented, and di
recdy afterwards young lady came into the
room.
II bowed, and looked at my charge with
some curiosity. Her appearance surprised
me. She was dark, and had large, tender
looking eyes but in other respects was by nc
means good-looking, and seemed to want the
ease and saroiir fare that [ should have i'm
agined a girl in her rank of life would have
possessed. She was well and handsomely
dressed, but was decidedly not elegant, and
there was a want Of freshness and youthful
ness about her that made her anything but
an attractive-looking girl. She addressed
me in constrained and rather unmusical
voice.
"' You are the gentleman that has
been sent over to fetch me-
. I am, Miss Valdane; when will it be
convenient to you to set out on your jour
ncy?
& don't know, she said, pettishly; !
wanted to see the pictures and the cathedral
but 1 suppose 1 shall have to do as am
told.
4" was instructed, said /, 'to escort you
home without any delay
Oh by the way, said she, there's a
schoolfellow of mine and great friend going
with us. She wanted to go home, so we
agreed TO travel together.
How strange, thought I, that the servant
should have made no mention of this other
pupil. But l supposed she was so much en-
crossed with Miss Valdane's illness that she
could think of nothing else.
&C was not aware, said I, that you
would have companion; but shall be
very happy to be of use to her.
"' I'll call her down. she said, and going
to the door she called, or rather shouted
Amy come down
She forgets, thought, that she is in q
crowded hotel, and not at home 1 heard a
lght trimming step ON the stairs. and aftel