The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-03-16
'sAnd you have seen no one else ?''

''And you have seen no one else 2"
"No one-except Captain Oswald,
at the Waterloo station, this afternoon"
"Oswald d-n.it! You don't mean
to cay you we're such q fool as to speak
to him z"
IL could not help it! He recogniz-
cd me at once and came forward. I
dismissed him as quickly as I coull."
"He did not hear where you were
driven to-"
"No; I ordered the cabman to drive.
toward the Strand. Of course it must
have seemed strange, but how was I
to act? That letter, which l took IS
coming from yourself, said that a mes
senger should meet me. 1 seemed to
have no alternative"
"No alternative p he exclaimed, an
grily; "do you know that you may
have ruined me? Why, your hesita-
ton alone must have shown Oswald
that there was mystery and = mere
knowledge Of a mystery is suffcient to
max ao-.e msn follow it to the c.ose.
Your foll5 l,-, the means of dis
.J,.':, r .:Cc"s tnlG:r-"''-"~
II did it for the best" size uurmur-
ed.
His vehement accusations so op-
pressed her, that she felt as though
she could not stand against them.
"For the Jestv he scornfully re-
peated. ~ suppose it was for the best
that you let ny secret leak out by drib-
lets, to one curious fool and another, till
the circumstances Of yonr communica-
tion with me have become known and
I suppose it was for the best, that you
rusfed up town this morning, in
such hot haste that that alone is sufi-
cieut to throw suspicion on your actions;
and burst into this house, SO tu]l OF
questions and anxiety, that the people
will never believe again that I am only
what I profess to be. Curse all such
doings :tor the best,' say l! The worst
would be better than they"
"Oh, Henry! wish that I had nev-
er come p sue sobbed; "but indeed I
did so fully believing what I read. 1
thought that you were i'll, aud wanted
me. Had it been the case"
"Had it been the case" he interrupt
ed her, "you may be quite sure should
! never have sent for you. You're the
last person that I wish to see, until my
affairs are put straight again. Your pres
ence is risk to me it is more than a
risk-it is an annoyance"
81 will co." she said, in a low voice,
rising from her chair. "Let me 60,
Henry, and I will promise never to
trouble you agaio."
She strove to pull the shawl about
her shoulders, which had fallen from
them as she spoke and he lifted it for
her, and unlocked the door, and other
wise behaved more quietly: He was
a little ashamed of his harsa words
when be saw that she made no reply
to them and, before they parted, he
strove to make her some amends.
"You see, Eugenia," he commenced,
cit would be all very we'll if things
were straight; but in the present state
of affairs and now, with this letter,
we must be doubly cautious and these
people will talk, naturally, of lady
coming here, and
II see-I see it ALL" she answered {:
II will not come here again." And
then, without even a farewell shake
of the hand, she turned from him,
and blindly groped her way into the
lower .a~sage.
II hope you found the servant
right crcyght. ma'am," sa::l t. lrnd-
la4y: talric?'!ing egress with her s!op-
py person. "Pm sure as Barratt and
me, we've done every think as lay in
our power for to render things pleasant
to him; and if he have any complaint
to make, l hope as you'll inform US OF
it, and"
"Oh none, none at ALL" was the
hurried reply; che is quite comfortable
every thing is right. Good-evening
to you" and, scarcely knowing what
she was about to do, Eugenia turned
into the crowded street. But there
the sight Of the cab which had brought
; her, still stan ding at the door, with
> with her carpet-bag upon the box, re-
> called her to herself, and, getting into
it, she desired the driver to take her tt
! the same hotel where she had stayed
} on coming up to town before. To re
turn to Ash Grove, under two OF three
, days absence, she felt would be tot
suspicious to be safe; and, therefore
for that length of time she lay hid
hardly leaving her own rooms, aud Ger
tainly not eating enough to justify the
bill presented to her on departure
But she was too unhappy and dispirit
el to concern herself about any such
minor troubles OF life; and crept back
to Ash Grove like a criminal, feeling
that she would rather undergo ane
torture than the string of questions
which she felt awaited Ler.