Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-25
of lying still She feared even to speak,
lest he might look up at her!


Without moments further hesitation
she threw herself upon the ground. and
creeping to within arms length, and in
fearful proximity to the mill sails, seized
him bv the collar, and with tremendous
effort dragged him into safety just as the
bewildered man raised his head. and
passed hand across his dazed ewes.
By the miller's fire side, an hour later,
Reuben Straytor is seated, pale and still
somewhat confused, but unhurt. 1t seems
that the stupor caused by his fall had
saved his life; for although his unmanage-
able horse had blindly dashed within
range of the mill sails, the animal had
thrown him into perilous safety, Just as its
death shrek rent the air.
Naomi and her father, soothing him
and administering restoratives are bend
ing over the young man; the girls face
beaming with its tenderest expression, for
she has been assured of Jeanettes safety,
and knows that her suspicious were all
groundless
When, after while, Reuben is able to
tell his story in detail, this is what he re-
lates:
"Throughout the summer and autumn,
a day hardly passed when there was not
to be seen the figure of certain man
| lurking under the shadow ofthe copse by
our barns at the foot of the down. He
was staying at Crewhaven, probably to re-
cruit his health one of the many idlers
there, but one whom | Glanced to know
by sight-to know as thoroughly G 81
pated scoundrel; my London exper ice
had taught me that You both here had
never observed him, dare say, but l had,
and my suspicious were aroused; jeanette
was hardly likely to have escaped his evil
eye. Once | saw him talking to her near
| the town. | hesitated to say anything
about 1t for the sake Of your peace of
mind, hoping that with his absence all
would be well again, and here was my
only error.
mine days ago l started, bag in hand,
for CreWhaven, meaning to run up to Lon
don to see about matter that promised an
opening for me. Just as | was leaving
the farm, jeanette came up and we walked
on together. In two minutes | could tell
that | was in the way She tried hun
dred pretty little devices to get rid of me-
and when we came to the turning to the
station, | babe her good bye | had taken
my seat in the train when | saw her again :;
she was on the platform with this man.
| evidently IN much trepidation. There
was large crowd about but did not
lose sight Of her. and to my great surprise
instead of their both getting into car
riage, she only entered, he handing her a
small bag as she did so. He leant in at
the carriage window for a moment; and
directly atterward the train was in motion,
and he left standing on the platform
II was amazed, but my course was
clear | would not lose sight of her. At
the first station we stopped at, | thought |
| W011fH rpt |
decided it would be better not | would
take care, however, that she did not leave
the train withoutmy knowing it. At Red
| hill junction there was crowd again !;
| still | could have sworn that the door of
| the carIla in which Jeanette was had
not been opened. Then the train went
| through to London without stopping. 1t
was four O'Clock. | went straight to the
carriage, fully determined what to do
To my dismay, she was not in it; yet
was SO quick that the other passengers
had not even begun to leave it. Then |
! looked in some Others-lOOked every
where; not a sign Of her. | flew to the
guard, described her, Yes, sir, the young
lady got out at Redhill.' Impossible, |
thought; yet so it was, he assured me. A
| train on the other platform was about to
start for Ashford, and would pass Red
| mn, Oh COURSE. w lLnout utSlidtlo0, L got
| into it, and by six O'Clock was back again
there. All my inquiries for time seemed
| hopeless. Then a station clerk thought
young woman answering my description
had taken ticket some hours before to
Ashford, the furthest point toward Dover
to which at present the railway is open
| could only follow her that night by the
mail at eleven o'clock.
How | thought of you both, who shall
say? How | pictured your agony and
despair But there was no way of letting
you know what | knew indeed. what
had | to say? | could not even tell for
certain that | was on her track, since that
had now so unhapplly missed her, But |
determined to go on, and not to leave a
| stone unturned until | had discovered the
foolish, thoughtless child.
| ARRIVED at Ashford, | found there were
| coaches waiting to take on passengers to
| Dover. In the hustle and darkness, |
could get no answers to my questions
even At first | could not decide whether
| to go on at once, or stay till morning.
Suppose she had not gone to Dover, and
was even then waiting here for her tempt
er to join her? for that that was to hap
| pen, sooner or later, felt certain fore
boding. No! | would wait at least for
the next train, and meanwhile arouse
the landlord of every inn in the place. |
got no hint of her until return coach
| from Dover, the following morning, came
| in to meet another London train. The
| guard of this remembered such young
| person going on with him the previous
afternoon; and thus | saw how it was
| that valuable time had been lost.
"Then / wanted wings; | fretted and
ragged through the many hours that inter
vened before reaching Dover. Again it
was night. | spent many weary hours
wandering down to the steamboat quay,
| going on board the mail-boat, searching
and inquiring everywhere with no result.
The whole of the next day, and the next,
were passe1 in this fruitless manner. To-
ward the evening of this, which was the
fourth day, being in coffee room of one
Of the hotels where the coaches pull up
and being on the point to write to you
both, who should see getting down from
a stage coach that had just arrived from
| Ashford but the man to whom all this
mischief was due Hope returned. |
felt sure Jeanette was waiting for him,
and come what may, said, she shall be
| found.
| at was about seven o'clock; the tide
was out, and passengers for the French
| packet would have to go OFT IN small
boats to where she lay, outside the har-
| Dor, the custom under such circumstances.
Save for few minutes never lost sight
of the man again, but l did not let him
| see me, for | wanted him to guide me to
her. He took boat from the stairs and
7 IL Il.