Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-09-16
NO. 900.
Gales and ISketehss.
"UP LAUREL"
CONTINUED FROM YEsTERpAY.1

y
am not selfish? Do l not want IN 40.
cure your presence for myself, your sweet
face to light my life p But, since this is
not to be, we will say no more about it.n
They did not. He began at once TO
speak of the ferns, and, as they presently
walked back to the house together. Louise
caught herself wondering once or twice
II that brief conversation had not been at
all fancy.
day or two after this Mr.. Dunwardin
announced that he must make his long
deferred journey to Laurel.
lie shook hands with Louise at parting.
ana bade her be sure and finish by his re-
turn a sketch OF the place which she had
promised him.
1he allotted week of his absence passed
uneventfully. Louise walked and read.
and talked to Paul. In Asheville she had
frankly said that she missed Dunwardin.
Now she did not say so, and Paul, with a
shrewdness beyond his years, decided that
this was a good sign.
AT the end OF ten days the adventurous
traveller had not returned, and another
week passed without any sign of him.
faul was inclined to be uneasy, but the
proprietor of the house pooh poohed the
idea OF any harm having befallen him.
"When those mining fellows set out they
never know where to STOP" he said
i've seen too many of them with their
pockets full of ores. Depend upon it, Mr.
Dunwardin will turn up all right
Louise said little, but as the DAYS wore
on there came an anxious look into her
eyes, and In her walks she almost inyaria-
bly, followed the road down the river, as
Il she hoped to meet the returning wan
derer. She looked and hoped in vain,
however. The days slipped by. and the
third week OF his absence found Septem-
Der throned in golden beauty on the earth.
Then the brother and sister said to each
other that they began to fear some harm
had befallen their friend. Since he lett
Alexander's nothing had been heard from
or OF hun. 1t was certain that he had
gone alone into one of the widest and
least accessible as well as one of the most
dangerous parts of the mountains, and it
was impossible to deny that there was
ground for uneasiness.
| III L were man, like other men,
would go in search of him." said Paul.
woman as l am. l would go-and |
had any right to do so." thought Louise.
Three more days of increasing anxiety
passed. Then thunder-bolt fell. 1t oc.
Cured late in the afternoon when Paul
ana Louise were sitting on their favorite
end OF the upper piazza. while on the one
below several of the guests were gathered.
Immediately in front OF the house ran the
turnpike, along which two horsemen came
riding briskly, and drew up before the
gate AS they appeared in sight Louise
looked at them eagerly. but, perceiving
that neither was the person she wished to
see, she sank back with a sigh into her
seat behind the vines. When they stopped
one OF them uttered the customary coun-
try Observation-Disclosures
mo accommodation tonight" respond
ed voice from the piazza; "house full"
81 reckon you'll have to put US some-
where" said the first speaker. "We'ye
come on pertikler errand. Didn't you
nave boarder her what went up Laurel
on mining business" replied the voice
from the piazza. What about him ?"
"Well mans bin drowned up there.
and some of the folks think it's him-thal's
all"
There was quick volley of sxclama-
tions from the piazza below, but neither of
the two above uttered one word. Louses
hand closed on Paurs like a vice. but she
made no sound. She only leaned breath
lessly forward, peering down through the
green network of vines.
| Two or three men went hurredly down
the short walk to the gate, and q CONVEX
sation ensued, of which every word was
audible on the piazza. The matter, it
seemed, stood briefly thus: the body of a
drowned man had been found in LAUREL
lodged against some drift-wood which had
accumulated in the middle Of the stream.
lie was stranger. and there was nothing
found on him by means of which he could
be identified. Whether there had been
foul play or not no one could say; but
there were no signs OF violence, and the
inference was that he had been drowned
accidentally.
You see there's been pretty consid'-
able freshet in our part O. the country"
said the narrator, land all the water has
been monst'ous high"
but how do you know that the drown
ed man is Mr.. Dunwardin ?" asked voice.
I'VE don't know; we only s'pose SO;
and that's what we've come fur. Hasn't
he got relations or friends here what
could go and say whether ics him P"
There are some friends of his here
said some one, hesitatingly.
And then there was pause. Paul's
voice broke 1t. He leaned forward and
spoke clearly:
Bring the man here. if you please.
We are Mr.. Dunwardin's friends, and we
want to hear all about the matter"
The man was brought, and told his sto-
ry again. The body, he said. was lying
at his (the speaker's) house on the banks
OF Laurel, not very far from where that
river emptied into the French Broad. All
he wanted was that some one should come
and identify it. THE kurroners. there"
he said. He'll tend TO every thing else.
All you've got to say IS whether or not it's
him"
/ Those around looked at each other.
What could be saidP Who could goa Il
was clearly impossible for Paul to do SO.
The journey down the French Broad
would be terrible. the journey up Laurel
much worse, to one like him. He felt this
not less clearly than the others, and put
his hand to his face with low groan. '.If
were but man ~ he said.