The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-14
ZANE CONCLUSION,

2
4 my way home from "Nlonday
g. 4 ySiIta Saturday afternoon concert,
heart was dissolved, andmy foot
5litI'}~rrr rarrcsted by thesight of female
She was young, she was attrac-
bgx I, face and figure, and she stood ire
''sS |SAIn Portland Place, crying.
ts,, 3 bad time for reflection, ! should
fR,finly have passed on without taking any
'Sjs,Vcc for TO speak to young lady with
~ tlrn introduction is very rash act. To
~ Il Convicted of doing such tling, before
iRpf London magistrate, would stain ones
very considerably, and there is
i},ir knowing what course hystGria might
.,EpGtatc and an active policeman adopt; it
N, impossible to be too cautious, But Ibid
..lS,t take time 10 reflect, | acted on the
iBdpulsG of the moment, and inquired, rais-
it,ng my hat, if could be Of any assistance.
4 '0hH cried the young lady, Il have lost
NY aunt
Tut, tutP murmured sympathetic
ally.
She was to have met me at Regent
Circus, and the omnibus man was told to
put me down On the right hand side, where
She said that she would be, continued the
young lady. u waited for nearly two
hours, and then IL get frightened, and
cqmc up here, where it is quieter'
And do you not know where your aunt
liveSP
Somewhere in place called Clapham,
not in London, She was coming up eX-
pressy to meet me, and said in her letter
that she had so often met my COUSINS in
the same place, by the hal(-past three
o'clock omnibus, that we could not posi-
bly, miss
'Nlay ask where you have come fromr
inquired.
'Galcutta,' replied she.
rGood gracious = said I, for had been
on the point of recommending her return.
It was long omnibus ride, not to mention
geographical difficulties.
"0h, how stupid y she added presently.
fof course you mean to-day. | have come
from Acton to-day. ] vert there from
Southampton, and have Staid week.
Had you not better go back to Acton p
I should have done so already, If my
friends had been still there, but they were
TO 70 away an hour after | started
"Now for fear you should deem this
damsel ovcr-conliding, must be egOtisti.
cal. and draw my portrait. Know, then,
that | am classically musical, and the fact
Of my savage breast having been soothed Is
written on my features, wear my hair
longer than is the fashion nowadays, and
keen It well brushed Oft my interesting
brow; spcctaclcs lend an air Of respectable
sedatencs to my face. dress soberly,
and generally carry roll Of music in my
hand because doing so once caused me to
be pointed out rs famous composer.
And then, the young lady was so very
Young, almost child, and so very ingen-
ious and inexperienced. She trusted me
by instinct, which is not bad guide
sjmetimes.
'And have you no idea where your aunt
intended to take you when you met 2 |
asked presently.
20 yesp she rcplied-'to the railway
station
:, Which y
Are there more than one 2
Several. Do you not know where the
train was to gotoP
Yes; to Dublin; and from Dublin We
were going on to Wicklow, where papas
regiment Isl
Here was asuddcn clearing up Of diill-
culties. I pointed out that she would
probably find her aunt waiting for her at
Euston Square or that, at any rate, her
best plan was to take the Irish mail at n
Quarter past seven. She had plenty Of
time, as Il was not more than six o'clock.
Directly she began to see daylight
through her troubles, the damsel checrcd
up, and told me that her luggage had been
sent on to the railway station by carrier.
Could tell her how she was toget it q
She looked up at inc as she spoke with
such big, round, innocent, trustthl eyes,
that | quite forgot all about the pruprieties,
called 4 cab, told the man to drive to
Euston Square, put the girl in and JOllored.
You may blame me MS much MS you please;
am Gel tain that | was right the position
was very exceptional ono. It is quite
beside the mark TO ask me whether |
should have taken so much trouble II the
child had been plain and uninteresting, for
under those circumstances she would not
have had the same need Of protection.
Still, | confess that felt extremely hot
and uncomfortable, and did not dare let the
conversation flag for moment, lest she
should be suddenly seized with panic or
sense of awkarlness. However, It never
seemed to occur to her that she did not
know my name or character, and she
chatted on quite easily and pleasantly
ab",t herself and her belongings. ! did not
catch all she said, for the iOur-whecler
nearly dislocated ones limbs, and sentences
were quite diSiointed but from what
gathered, II seemed that her father was
major In an infantry regiment, and her
mother was with him at Wicklow; that
she had four brothers and three sisters, all
very much younger than herself; that SHE
alone had been with her parents In India
that these last had gone to the rcgimental
headquarters, to arrange for the accomoda-
tion Otso large family and that there