The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-03-26

his critical eye saw the necessity t-lat
this newborn lovellness should be toned
down little before they started home.
Make yourself as ugly as possible he
said, before we enter the grim presence
of our friends the Bradsbaws; but dom
be long about it, for we havn'ta 8 minute
to spare
When Miss Wharton reached the foot
of the staircase again her companion
was gone; and looking about for him
nervously, for she began to feel that the
moments were important, she saw gay
party trooping, in at the doorway, and
in their midst, in close converse with
Lorrimer. was a young votary of fash
| ion, whose toilet never seemed to need
toning, that no journey seemed TO disar-
range, no dust to sully, or wind to ruffle.
Melicent stared opened -mouthed at
| the masterpiece of nature enchanced by
art, and could remember nothing more
enchanting in the whole length and
breadth of this wonderful journey to the
sea. She did not wonder, with that
miraculous gloved hand resting on his
shoulder, and that bewitchingly bonnet
ed head SO near his own, that he should
forget the existence of plain little wo-
man he had in charge for the day.
She started when a hand fell upon her
arm. There was something in the touch
familiar, and yet repelling. 1t was
muscular, strong. hard as iron, she
shuddered as she looked up in the
frowning face of John Bradshaw.
You followed me, then," she said
bitterly.
1T Is we'll that I did, he replied,
calmly There is just time to reach
the train, and I don't suppose you
care to stay in this place until Monday
No, no. cried poor Melicent; and
clutching the iron hand, she was soon
| lifted into the stage, and out of sight Of
the sea and its surroundings.
| Not until she was hemmed closely in
to seat in the car did her straining eyes
catch sight of a horseman in the dist
ance, galloping, shouting, gesticulating
wildly, but in vain.
'Oh, john she SAID, stop the car!
quick! there is, But something in her
grim smile froze the words on her lips.
It's always the way growled a pass
enger near her; some ones sure TO be
too latep
The train went On, of course. Lor-
rimer watched it till it was out of sight,
as people will in the first moment of
bitter Illustration. Then he took off the
hat that seemed like band of iron; his
BRAN throbbed, his temples burned.
This was the end, then, of his project for
ameliorating the bitterness of this poor
little woman's life. He had wantohed
the moments that decided her whole flu
ture destiny. To lose that train was to
be compelled to stay at the watering
place until the following Monday, with
out friend or acquaintance save him.
SELF He had thus exposed her to an
infamy which only her good sense and
wonderful aptitude had averted. All he
could remember was wild white face
at the window, and little hand out
stretched to him. How she got there
was a mystery.
And now what was to become of her,
as alone and unbefriended she steamed
back to that persecution in her sterile
home? What would the bony and con-
ventional Mrs. Bradshaw say to this es-
capade? and how would it be looked
upon by the stern and black -browed
| John?
Perhaps she would get lost upon the
way, or miss the connecting trains, or it
might be that she had no money with
her for the necessary expenses of her
journey. Even if it all went we'll on
the trains, his heart sank within him
when he thought of the lonely walk
! awaiting her at the dead of night in
that wild defile of the mountains. There
was something unspeakably ignomin-
ious in the thought that he had brought
all this unhsppiness upon any woman,
and yet Lorrimer spent almost an hour
in creating imaginative torture for her
whom IN his remorse just then he would
have given his life to save single
pang.
Suddenly a queer little engine steam
ed up to the track, right under his very
nostrils. The smoke stack didn't seem
to Lorrimer much higher than his hat,
and he lsaned down from his horse to
speak to the smoke-begrimed artisan
within Soon his horse was given TO a
boy near by, and Lorrimer crept into
the little box beside him, and never did
moments lag SO heavily as those before
this queer little machine when again on
its way; and never did the miles disap-
pear behind that little engine as on that
day that Lorrimer became its one pas
senger. He always declared the ext
gencies of the road were created at that
time for his benefit, and the engine was
| an 1HStTuucDb OF IEONlucuCe la Deudll
of despairing soul.
Great drops stood on his brow as they
devoured the long stretch of road and
those drops becoming mingled with the
grimy smoke and einders that filled the
air about him, his face became strik-
ingly similar to that of his working com
panion, and by the time he bade the
man goodbye not a soul that knew him
would recognize in this sooty, begrimed
dirt-stained, and travel-sore pilgrim the
dainty and delectable son of fashion
who had so lately joined in the tete-a-tett
with BIanch DeViRne.
1t was even now possible for Lori
mer to intercept Miss Wharton at any
point in her journey except where she
finally left the train; and had before hel
that mile and half walk homeward. Tt
do this he was compelled to take an ex'
press further on, and walk back again tC