Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-09-07
HANG the umbrella!

l stepped back for it-one seconds
daIav In that second there was
inst enough steam on to whirl the
train out of the station, past hope of
oyertaking. Strongly inclined to
pitch it into the middle of the track,
| / tucked my umbrella under my
arm savagely, aud wheeled about
onlv to tear off with its ferrule, the
top of basket that the owner of
the flute like voice was carrying be-
hind me, and away fed two white
doves, and vanished in the air.
| TUNED at her exclamation. A
thousand pardons, l exclaimed.
What shocking carelessness! Were
they pets? Are they quite irrecOv-
cradle? Is it impossible for me to re-
place them? In the swift instants
of those few words l had forgotten
all about train, traps, umbrella, we'd
ding-I had forgotten my self, IN
short.
Oh, no indeed, not pets at all
perhaps they will go home again. l
have Others there. Mrs. Burbank
said ! would loose them. They were
meant for a wedding present, she
added, with a smile that made the
lips as perfect as the voice was
sweet, and kindle the eyes into
blue vivid as the sky into which the
doves had vanished-eyes with
long black back-bent lashes that
gave them most insantile inno-
cence. In a moment, under my
gaze, the lids fell, and color like
that of wild blush-rOse crept over
the cheek and mounted almost to
the soft, loosely curling locks of
chestnut hair on the white forehead,
and fell again.
don't know how to express my
regrets, l said.
Oh please don't think of it, she
answered. will telegraph to have
another pair sent to Waterway.
They will reach there as soon as !,
for / found myself on the wrong
train, and there is no other that
makes the connection to-day.
That is exactly my case said ],
and the wedding feast to which l
am hidden takes place tomorrow.
Why so does mine, she said,
laughing, giving me a quick, Gu
rious glance. wonder
l wonder, said I, if you are my
| MaroiaJs oouGin Rosap
And then you are my cousin Mar
cia's cousin FergusonP
Allan Ferguson, at your service,
said 1.
Do you know, she said siyly, and
coloring in the same charming way,
l thought it must be you, for l have
seen your photograph.
No photograph would look like
you, said, and then, as she drew
back, hesitated to ask for her lug
gage.
Oh, Doctor Wilder took that for
me yesterday, she answered. He is
our old rector you know.
l know he is mine.
Yours! why you don't belong in
Brentford.
Ibelong in his parish, wherever it
is.
How very pleasant, well, she end
ed with a sigh, wish he had taken
me too, for don't see but that may
as will go home, for the wedding
| will he all over before | can oct
there.
1 don't know about that, said /.
The W Id went on before there were
railways,a and there are plenty of eros
country roads left, and if there is a
team to be had in this village
Oh, ! don't think it would do, she
interrupted shrinkingly.
Not do? 1 said. Pray why not?
Ah, you are doubtful concernin :,
the proprieties. Perhaps my Gre
deAtials are not enough. Let me
see. There is my name on my um-
brelIa. But as that may be stolen
here it is again on my wallet; there
is a letter addressed to me-Mr.
Allan Ferguson.
Oh know you are Allan Fergu-
son, she said. Marcia showed me
your picture. Ihave always known
all about you. But
But your cousin Marcia's cousin
Ferguson is not sufficient escort,
said l.
You-you mustn't be offended, she
said. Indeedi it is very kind. 1 am
extremely obliged. But-but-Dr.
Wilder-Mrs. Burbank. Oh it dis
appoints me dreadfully, but
We are all fools once in our
lives, aud here was Allan Ferguson,
infatuated at one glance, In one in
slant, over pretty face, sweet
voice, a blushing cheek, shining
eye-over another mans bride, an
other mans wife for aught he knew;
for who keeps the run of his Cousins
Cousins livesP Not so; that virgin
ial glance, that dewy lip-the dew
of the morning was on them yet. In-
stinct is as good as knowledge.
You shall not be disappointed; l
don't intend to be myself. And in
two minutes more the telegraph in
strument was choking for o special
engine to Waterway. 1t was get
ting to be very expensive umbrel-
la.
Before 1 had fairly explained to
the little Rose what we were to
do, an engine came laundering back
from the Junction, took us aboard,
ran up and shifted; and an hour of
ground and lofty tumbling in that
jumping cab landed us in Water
way. And to tell the truth, felt
that my handsome treasury note but
chesply purchased the pleasure of
seeing this little Rose in the white
silk and shining veil and blue forget
me-nots, that all of Marcia's brides
maids wore next day. l myself was
a groomsman, but what are grooms=
men?--mere punctuation points,
marks of exclamation, lines of shad-
ow, behind the glory and grace of
wedding garments. Personally less
Than that. l was cipher, l had no
existence, ! was mere mote in the
air before this being to whose revel-
alton on this day the whole universe