The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-06-07

her hand tenderly.
"Why did you not come before 2" she
inquired.
Harold smiled. Blame these gen
tlemen for that" he said. "They will
not be offended if say that thought
them just a little de trop; and fancied,
from something they said, they were
going 10 get out at the station we have
just passed, and so | waited. But when
| found they were coming the whole
way, | saw it was useless waiting any
longer, and ! came out, and nearly
frightened poor Polly there servant
| girl out of her senses.'
VERY sorry we should have been in
your way, SIR said Sargent. But it
may interest you to know that am
the profoundest sleeper that ever tray
eled in train, and that feel terribly
sleepy now"
"And J." said Rossmore, can hardly
keep my eyes OPEN"
So the discreet barrsters at once
turned around in their seats, coiled
themselves up, closed their eyes, and
were apparently buried in sleep deep
enough for the Emperor of Barbarosso,
or the sleeping beauty in her immortal
wood.
Then Harold sat beside Alice, and
| took her hand in his; and the servant
Polly seemed to follow the example of
her legal travelling companions, and
sank into sleep. SO Alice and Harold
talked and talked, and were happy.
About to part, apparently, for years, yet
they were happy in the present. Surely
| II Il. Il
exquisite properties of love-exquisite
in Its delight and in its pain-that it
never looks beyond the present hour,
but finds happiness now in moment
airy meeting, though the agony of
long parting threatens near at hand
agony now in a momentary parting,
although the hopes OF a speedy reunion
may smile and offer consolation.
These two then were happy for the
hour. But the whole journey from
London to Liverpool by express is only
some FIVE hours affair; and two hours
had been wasted before our adventur-
Gus lover emerged from his conceal
ment. So the prospect of Liverpool
and separation began TO grow very
threatening and imminent; and Har-
old, dreadins and detesting the
thought of such a parting, began to
urge a wild proposal. Why should they
not escape at Liverpool, take the first
train in the morning-only few hours
TO wait-and go on to Scotland and be
married there? Then let the family do
it's worst; Harold would not 90 to the
West Indies, but would push IA career
at home. Or, even if he had to go, he
would leave behind him a welded wife,
whom no ill-condtioned stepfather
could take from him. " Be my wife
come and be my wife-that first; that
at all hazardsr' So rang the refrain of
the passionate outpouring which for
nearly an hour Harold kept whispering
into Alice's ear.
The girl had spirit enough, and was
not unwilling to yield. Indeed, there
were few risks life could offer which she
was not ready to encounter, rather than
TO 90 back TO the dreary and odious
home life, with Harold far away. Now
she was being sent, as she pr rfectly well
knew, to the custody of an uncle and
aunt in Liverpool, in order that she
ter Harold should have left London and
gone out to the West Indies, where he
hoped 10 make fortune.
"But, Harold dear" the girl whis-
pered, "the thing is impossible. Ny
uncle will be at the station, waiting for
me with the carriage. Do you think
he would be likely to fall into our
plans ?"
Ne, Alice; | have thought of that.
If you have courage-and know you
have-and are very, very quick, we can
escape and defy him. Now listen and
don't be afraid. Just before we get to
Liverpool the train enters a tunnel, and
inside the mouth of the tunnel we stop
for minute bare moment-to make
sure that all is clear. | will have the
door open, and will take you in my
arms and get out; it will be perfectly
easy and safe; and Polly shall follow
without one instant of delay. Then we
hold our breath and stand in the dark
ness close up to the tunnel wall for
only moment, until the train rushes
by; and then we 60 quietly out, take to
the road, get a carriage at the nearest
inn, drive TO any station on the line,
where we can wait for the Scottish mail
Your uncle will only suppose you put
OFF coming for day, he will crumble
and wait for tomorrow, without even
suspecting anything, and then it will be
too late"
4" If we were killed"
dearest, do you suppose would
expose you to any danger ?"
No, Harold, it was not that. was
only going to say thavif we are killed
| mean even if we are killed-we shall
be killed togetherr'
Harold embraced his intrepid and
desperate fiancee and the plan was re.
solved on. A few whispered words con.
veyed the whole to the stout hearted
Polly, who had q romantic heart. and
would have gone with these lovers any.
where-leaped with them out of an ex.
press train rather than desert them.
The moments went by; the tunnel was
near; the two young barristers had
long since been fast asleep in good
rerlity; Harold swiftly opened the door
and stood close TO it with Alice in his
arms; the faithful Polly loaded herself
with such of her mistress cloaks and
| Il. l.. i . 1. Il 4