The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-21
The Long Chase.

i The Long Chase.
Phil and were schoolmates in forme
years and friends In later life. Mis-
Diana Davenport was an acknowledged
queen in society when l first knew her
and it did not take long to discover tina
Phil loved her, and had already looked
upon Phil as q married man, when on,
night he burst into the room, flung hi
hat in one corner, his cane in another
and sinking into chair covered his fact
with his hands and gave vent to a groaI
of half-suppressed agony.
"Why, Phil" 1 said, Fastening over tt
him, "are you hurt! Has any acciden
looked at him from head to foot, hal
lexpecting to see the blood flow from 9
recent wound.
"There are no limbs broken, Hail." he
said, looking up with face so distorted
and pale, hardly knew it for his own
"only the heart, Hal. have got my
death blow. Diana belongs to another
"MarriedW gasped.
"Just the same. She has been engaged
to a Colonel In the army for two years
They are to be married this fall"
"Why what monstrous-.". But Phi
put his hand on my arm.
"Don't Hail." he said, pleadingly, 81
can't bear it; besides, think she scarce
ly knew the danger we were in till it was
too late. l believe she loves me, Hal, as
love her, as shall always love her, to
the last moment Of life."
| "Can nothing be done?' asked.
| "Nothing," he replied, with an accent
of despair. s'Only let us get away from
here as soon as possible; let us hasten
our plans for travel. beg of you, Hal,
put as many miles between her and me
as you can."
A fortnight afterward we were upon
the ocean. One night as we sat outside
the tents, in Africa. whittier we had gone
with hunting party on tour, Phil and
1 smoked long and contemplatively.
He held an old newspaper to his eyes
for a moment, then dropped it and start
ed to his feet.
| for my rifle, ga lion, serpentW
| he sank back upon the smooth bit oil
up the newspaper again, and read in q
trembling voice that Col. John Talbot
had been killed on the American plains
by the Indians.
"That's rather rough for Talbot" re-
marked, "but can't exactly see how it
affects u.s."
"Colonel John Talbot" repeated Phil,
| in an impressive whisper, sis the man 10
whom Diana was engaged"
"A widowr' murmured, with the &C
cent of a Weller.
Phil looked ut the date of the newspa.
per, and found it had been printed only
fortnight after we left the old collie
giate town.
81 might after all have been first man,
I remarked.
Nothing now would do but to take up
| the thread Of life tor Phil where it was
SO rudely snapped asunder.
"All these months Of travel, Hail." he
said, with the peculiar selfishness of a
lover, shave been merely existence for
me, not life. Let me 80 back, my friend,
to the air l can breathe, the air that is
shared by DIANA"
We at last found ourselves on an At
lantic steamer, bound for home.
Phil and 1 were old travellers by this
time, and the wild freshness Of enthu-
! siasm that seized upon some OF our tel
low voyagers as they neared their ma
tive shores was with us toned down to a
calm but profound conviction that
America was the only country in the
world worth the rational affection Of an
experienced and cultivated mind.
ihad been looking through the glass a
while, and was about handing it Over to
fellow-passenger who had eyed me
with devouring envy the while, when
a big steamer, outward bound, glided
close by our side, and I could see the
| faces OF the party nearest me.
One last, fleeing glance OF mine con-
tanned a revelation. glued my eyes to
the glass again. Right opposite me there
shown two soft glowing orbs, wonder.
fully familiar. The face was one not
easily forgotten, the form full, shapely
with peculiar serpentine grace about it,
"Phil," I said, putting the glass in his
hand, "look over there at that group OF
ladies'" ..
He took it 1anguidly, but having
looked, quick, eager gasp escaped
him, he dropped the glass into the
hands of our envious fellow-passenger
and seized my arm with q sudden
frenzy.
"she is going out, he said.
| "W lille we, alas, are going In"
added. ~
"But this is monstrous," he cried ir
dismay. "We cap't 20 in; we must fol
low, her."
There again was the absurdity of 6
i
less to relate to the Captain that my
friend, seeing person he was interest
cd III on the passing steamer, would like
to join her. 1t was impossible to thro "
a plank across the ocean; besides she
rrs already cut Of sight, and Phi
rushed below like a mailman. All We
could do was to engage passage for the
other side again and sail as soon as pos
sible.
confess it began to wear the aspec
of chase to me, and appealed to my
taste for hunting. Then, suppose
beauty such as hers seen through .
strong glass, had an effect of nearnesi
upon me. At oil events began to taxi
a keen interest in the passion of m!
friend. When we reached the other sid'
all trace of the fair fugitive was lost
All we could do was to travel about thu
continent in the hope Of encounterinl
her or hearing OF the party. One lin
autumn morning we fingered on tn
heights Of a mountain resort in Saxony
We leaned over the railing that en
closes the plateau on the top. of tn
mountain, and looked admirinSly dow
~ss--tiy sS SSs.-~