National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-27


speed towards the nearest farm. house.
Dashing like the wind up to th
door, and startling quiet Farmer Jel
sup and his family nearly out Of thei
wits. Leone cried .."...
"Mr. Jessup, let your son ride Q
once to DR.. Wells, and tell him . ger
tleman lies dangerously hurt on th
road near Hillside Spring; tell him I
come there at once, and you, Mr.. Jet
sup, please come on with your carriage
and bring all that you think necessary.
Every one in the country knew an
loved Leone Iightfoot, and rapidly he
orders Wer0 o6oyed; observing which
she wheeled her ioaming horse, an'
again sped away on her return to tn
wounded stranger. .
There he lay just rs she had left him
but groaning slightly, and each instan
chief the girl awaited the coming o
the surgeon.
Would they never come? sh
thought; but at length, when # seemet
hours instead of minutes, the sound O
wheels broke on her ear, and tho mex
instant the surgeon drove up at rapit
pace.
"You are noble woman, Mis-,
Lightfcot, and if this man lives he owe'
it to you, said the good old physician,
as he approached and knelt beside the
PROSTATE form.
"But will he live, doctor ?"
For some minutes no reply was given
by the man of science, who carefully
probed and examined the wound, but
then he said slowly:
"It ia q serious injury-ha ! here
have the ball yes, hope he will live y
and Dr. Wells took from the wound a
small bullet, while he continued
Now he needs the most careful
nursing" 81.
"He shall have it. Thank God, here
comes Mr.. Jessup," and Immediately
after the carriage drove up, and telling
the doctor to come on with the wound.
ed stranger to her brothers house,
Leone again mounted her horse and
rode on to have all in readiness for his
arrival. -. f.t
It was week before the stranger was
sufficiently recovered to tell his story
regarding the wound that had so nearly
proved fatal to him, and then by care.
full nursing, he informed Leone, who
had been untiring in her devoted care
of him, that his name was Clarence
Ainslie-was an Englishman, who
nearly year before had come to Amer
ica, and. purchasing few acres of land
in the West, made it his home.
He also stated that business had
called him to New York, and that while
enjoying horseback ride he had been
suddenly fred upon, was thrown to the
ground, and had an indistinct remem-
brance that some one was robbing him,
for his watch, pocket-book and all the
valuables he had about him were gone.
That Clarence Ainslie was no ordi.
nary man. Leone Lightfoot knew when
she saw him lying by the roadside, but
that he would ever possess the power to
control her life she had not believed.
But so it was, for each day proved to
her that she had met her beau ideal;
and yet was he for her? Might he not
already have loved ? Might he not al
ready have married?
The thought chilled her very heart.
And yet when she saw the dark, fasci-
mating eyes turned upon her with admi-
ration, and read--or hoped she did
therein deeper, holier feeling, Leone
felt happy, and begged to be very
slave and become o mere automaton to
the caprice of Clarence Ainslie.
Now Arthur Lightfoot and his pretty
wife looked upon the matter in differ
ent light, for, though hospitable in the
extreme to the, stranger guest, they
looked upon him as a poor English emf
grant, q petty Western farmer, and did
not like the idea that he should control
The heart of Leone, for they were
not blind to her devotion to the wound
ed man. ....
Still they could not but admire the
courteous manner Of their stranger
guest, when after six weeks he suffi-
GENTLY recovered to join them in the
parlor and at dinner.
That he had been reared gentleman
was evident, and that he had travelled
and seen something of the world was
slso evident, as was also that Mr.. and
Mrs, Lightfoot had never seen a hand
somer man, they were ready to admit
put that Leone, the belle, the heiress,
,he most lovely woman Of the day,
should marry an unknown and poor
Englishman-bah! the idea, even, was
ridiculous r.asF ,,,..-
When the trunk OF Clarence Ainslie
he had sent for it as soon
IS he was able to speak-Mrs. Light
'oot paced around it for half an hour in
he vain endeavor to find something
about it /; but tho trunk was a
rood one, English make, and bore on
t simply the letters, 30. A., Eng
and.
With disappointed look the inquisi-
i've little woman ordered it sent to the |
lick mans room, and sought her cham
ser. A' .srs'Sf
"Arthur, Leone really loves that
younded man, and what will become of |
{ SLIP }hJtET >.
cit is Leone's romance, little wife;
he will recover from it q few tears at |
,arting, hard riding for her poor horse,
few sentimental songs, and all will
,e over"
But, Arthur, suppose it should not
70 /; suppose he should love her I; for
'ou know he's poor and she's rich
That then ?" -. .1 |
Well, he cannot have her, that's
H." And Arthur Lightfoot went out
or q drive.
At length Che hour came for Clarence
Ainslie to depart, fer no longer could
70 impose upon the kindness of his
ost and, hostess; and determined to
cave that evening, he asked to see
leone alone. m
With pale face but quiet manner the
Dung girl entered the room, and stop
ing forward Clarence Ainslie said,
eelingly:
Miss Lightfoot, no longer can I i'm
ose upon your kindness, and tonight
leave you. Shall it be forever p
No ans wer came. and the Enplishman