Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-10
The Leisure Hour.
ALTOGETHER AN ACCIDENT.
a ReaIiatic ROmanco OF the Rail.
BY ANNA DIMOCK

BY ANNA 5. DIMoCK.
Among the pleasantest things in an lin
Grant Bohemian life count the perpetual
meeting at most une pected places of peo-
pie whom you have known before in wide
ly different localities. An hour ago my
friend and l started for n stroll on this
matehless Gal' eslon beach. All the after-
noon we had sat on the upper gallery,
watching the long, low surf-cresis that
crept so slowly and surely landward, all
the afternoon we had listened, in the paus-
es of our light chattering, TO the ceaseless
refrain which those same white-capped
waves were chanting, till the beauty OF
the scene and the siren song tempted us
| down to the shore. oh, it was lovely,
saunteripg thither over The oleander plant
ed walks, breathing their rich, exquisite
| perfume and gathering handfuls of the
| pink blossoms. few carriages had come
| for the regular sunset drive; some German
women were gathering shells a few chill
dren, with bare dimpled feet, were wading
out into the coming waves 10 run back
| with screams of laughter when some swift
er bllow washed up higher than the rest ;
and over tho whole picture there rested the
mellow glow reelected from the crlmsoned
west.
The occupants of the carriages raised
their eyebrows in polite amazement as
they rolled past us, for a pleasure walk
was beyond their comprehension and my
friend laughed, telling mo that she always
knew Northern visitors because they loved
to wander a pied and Texans never do.
"Tm sure they regard me as mildly in
sane for my long walks; but see, this time
we have companions in our Madness" she
continued, pointing TO q pair who were
standing little distance beyond.
"Evidently bride and groom" l assert
ed, for
"BOth were young and one fair"
and there were the usual unmistaknble
symptoms of recent ownership quite ap.
parent in the air OF the young man, who
just then folded the lady's wrap more close
ly, and caught her fiutlering veil till she
had fastened It securely; and in the act she
turned her face towards us, startling MT
with its familiar look.
isn't she beautiful2" said my friend.
answered her absently, since 1 wa
nuulllR ON6Iy uOoh III ny uioliloIJ iOI th'
counterpart of the fair girl before us.
was sure had known her-but wheref
An impertinent wave came hurrying NJ
/. the beach, and in a moment the BRIDE
dainty boots would have Suffered, but my
lord clasped her swiftly, and raising he
ran back few steps, coming close to us.
knew then where l had seen the happ!
pair, but 1 went very sOberly toward
them, only quietly saying:
$50 this is what came of that journey p
"By Jove ~ calculated my hero in Ioun,
English tones, seizing both my hands in
grip that nearly crushed them, while tn
II bride blushed, laughed, aud added he
o graceful greeting.
Wasn't it an odd encounter1 last say
u those young people at Cheyenne, in Sep
tember, 1873; now they met me strollin
on the shore of the Gulf, and my friend as
4 sorted that we had picked up somethin
- better than shells this time, for she dc
manded the story at once; and l will to
1t TO you just as told 1t to her.
On Friday, September II, 1871 like
be accurate-the San Francisco train stoO
l. on the track at Omaha waiting the arriva
from the opposite side of the Missouri, fc
! Eastern passengers. There were fou