, 1874-08-30

| at1Sc out OF tn9 1hciucnt tEe next step must be
taken by her. Vas / one OF tho men she
sought? / almost imagined so-certainly hoped
| so.
I laid the book on the rock, as /
bad found it, bestowed nnother keen scru-
tiny on the lonely landscape, and then descended
tls zayine. That evening, went early to the
ladies' parlor, chntted more than usual with the
various damsels whom knew, and watched with a
new interest those whom knew not. Ny mind
involuutaHly, had already created picture Of the
unknown. She might 10 p, thought: redec-
tive habit Of mind would hardly be developed be-
fore that age. Tall aud stately, OF course; dis
tinctiy proud in her bearing. aud somewhat re-
served Ill her manners- Why ahe should have
largo dark eyes, with long dirk lshes, could
not tell but so l seemed to see bcr. Quite
forgetting that was Cor had meant to be)
| lgnotuy. found myself staring rather eignif-
cantly at ono the other OF the young ladies. in
| whom I discovered some slight general rescu-
6'ance 70 the imaslnary character: NY fancies,
With me. They lad been kept in .
coop co many years, that now, when /
suddenly turned them loose, their ricAety at
tempts at flight quite bewildered me.
No there Was no use III expecting sudden
discovery. I went to the glen bet,mes, next
! morning: the book was gone. and so wero the
faded flowers, but some Of the latter were scat-
| tered over the top OF another rock, i few yards
from 1nino. Ha! this meaus that
! AN NOT TO WITHDRAW,
| eaid to myself: she makes room for me! But
| how to surprise ler?-for by this time WAS
fully resolved to make Aer acquaintance, even
though she might turn out to be 10, scrasggy, and
| saudy-ha1red.
| / knew no other way 80 likely as that Of risit-
ing the glen 1T all times OF the day. even vent
so far as to write line Of greeting, with re-
| g1et that our Wits had not yet conceded and
| laid it under stone on the top Of her rock. Tho
note disappeared, but there WAS no answer IN
| it's place. Then I huddenly remembered her
| fondness for the noon hours, at which time
she was utterly alone.' The hotel table
! Thole was ct l O'CLOCK: her family, doubtless,
| dined later. in their own rooms. Why, this gaye
me. at least, her place in society! The question
| of age, to Ge sure, remained unsettled; but all
else was safe.
The next day took late and large breakfast,
and Eacriticed my dinner. Before noon the
guests had all struggled back to the hotel from
hot was the sunshine. Indeed, could hardly
have supported the reyerbelation OF heat from
the sides Of tho rayiue but for fixed belief that
I should be successful. While crossing the mar
row meadow upon which it opened, 1 caughta
glimpse Of something wlite among the thickets
higher IN. A moment later, ithad Vanished aud
1uickened n,y pace. feeling the beginning Of an
absurd nervous excitement in my limbs. At the
next turn. there it Was again! but only for
another moment. n paused. e1ultlng. ~ md wipea
mel" marmured between the deep draughts
OF cooler air inhaled in the shadow Of rock.
4 few hundred steps more brought mo to tho
foot Of the steep ascent. where had counted on
oyertaking her. l was roo late for tlas. but the
dry, baked soil had surely been crumblea and
dislodged, here and there, by rapid foot. I
followed, in reckless haste, apatching at the
laure!-oranchos right and left and pa5ine little
heed to my footing. About one-third Of tho
snapped at tho root, slid, Nhiflcl over, aud, be-
foro fairly kneT wie. had happened, Was
l,ins doubled up 1t tho bottom Of the slope.
l roso. made two steps forward, and then sat
down with groan Of pain;
MI LEFT ANKLE WAS BADLY srRAEEp,
in addition to va1lou1 minor scratches and
bruises. There was rerulHion OF feeling, of
course instant, complete, and hidcous. !
falrly hated the unsnown. "Fool that ! T:st"
I exclaimed, in the theatrical manner, dash
ing the palm Of my hand softly against my brow:
s.iurod to this By the fair tEaitzess! But, mol
not fair: Hhe shows the nrtfulueEs OF faded.
desperate spinsterhood; ahe is all compact Of
enamel, liquid bloom Of YOUTH and hair-dye!"
There was fierce comfort IL this thought:
hut it coudns help me out OF tbs ecrapo. T
dared not cit still, lest = Eun-stroSe should be
added, and there uns no RESOURCE but to hop or
crawl doEn tho rugged psth. in the hope Of
finding Il fof1ed eapllu;; from which conid ex-
tcmporize crusch. With endless pain and
trouble reached thicket, and vas feebly
working on branch With my pen-knife, whcn
tho sound Of heavy footstep surprised me-
4 brown haryest~hand, in straw Int and shirt
sleeves, presently appeared He grinned when
he "a mo- and the thick snub Of his nose would
have seemed like eneer It any other time:
ssAre you the gentleman that got hurt - he
asked. ''IA it pretty tolcrable bad9"
'Who said l vc5 hurt :" I cried, in astonish-
ment.
"One Of your town-xomcn from the hotel-1
reckon sho was. I IVES binding oats, in the field
over tie ridge; but I haven't lost no time Ill
comm here.'
While was stupidly staring at this announce
ment, he whipped out big clasp kni1e, and in
TEen, taking me bv tho other arm, lie set me in
motion toward the village.
Grateful es I w:s for the n,an's help, he |
aggravated me by his ignorance. When asked |
ii he knew the lady, he answered It's nore'n |
come from: Down from the hill, he guessed but
it might ha' been up the read. How did abe |
look was she old or young? what was the color |
of her eyes? Of her hair? There. low, wns too |
soecklcd yeils ever har n &C, turned her head |
away, and held her pa1asol between, how were !
you to know her from Adam? / declare to you, |
couldn't arrive at one po=itiye particular. Even
when be affirmed that sho was tail, he added, the
ne1s instant:
"Kow I come to think on it, she stepped |
might. quick; so guess E'ae must la baen
shoEt."
Dy the tirus We reached the hotel, WAS in 4
state of fever; opiates and lotions had their wilt
u
escape the worry OF questions, and the conven- /
tional sympathy expressed in infections Of tho
voice which are meant to soothe. and only eS-
Tho next morning, as lay upon my
sofa, restfnl, patient and properly cheerful, the
waiter entered with q bouquet OF homerI.
" Who sent them ?" asked.
II found them ousaide your door, sir, Msybe
.hare's card; yes Lcye's bit o rancr."
opened tie twisted slip lne handel me. and
read:
''YEoH YOUR DEL1-A.7p .uSE."
i took tho flowers; anong them we're tuo or
three rarc and beautiful ya1ietieg. which had
only found in that ono spot Tool, again
noeelessIy kissed, while pretending to smell
them, had them placed on stand with
in reach. and fell iuto etate Of quiet and agree
able contemplation.
Tell me. yourself, whether any rnalc human
being il ever too old for sentiment, provided
That it strikes him 3. the right time and IN the
right way! Wha. did that bunch OF wild flowers
betokcn? knowledge. first; then sympathy;
and finally, encouragement, ct least. OF course
Sue had seen my accident, from aboye; Of conrse
5l,e had cent tie harvest laborer to aid mo home.
It was quite natural she should imagine somo