The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-11

strict orders with his comrades that he
was t. be recalled promptly on the ar
rivsl OF Miss Fanny reply.
But this visit was not Interrupted, and
It was nearly three weeks later that he
mounted the box seat Of the Pioneer stsge
coach to return to Lagrange As he se.-
tied himself beside the driver, sfser the
interchange of few mpllmeDtGry
eplthets, his eye glanced down toward
the wheels, and was attracted by an open
letter aud part OF female head ob.ruded
from the window of the coach. The
fair reader had evidently thus sought to
evade the gloom Of the cosch's interior,
and possibly the prying eyes of her fell
low passengers, while she perused it.
But why did the Captains witLeTed
cheeks instantly lose color, and why did
he convulslvely clasp the railing by his
side? The letter was II his owa nd
writing, and had been mailed to Miss
Fanny six weeks before.
1t was impossible, even by the utmCs',
crsning, and at the risk of his life, to see
anything more than q bi. Of lace, some
artificial flowers, front OF blond hair,
and the fatal letter. Yet his guilty COZ
cIence instantly recognized in these
scsnt facts the formidable presentmeLt Of
the deceived orphan. Had she dIscoy-
cred the trick, and was she now on the
trail, with this terrible indictment in her
hand! o: was she still in ignOrsuCc-
an ignorance which sirgla chance
quest on and snswer now mIgat dispel,
amid Paintings, shrieks, tears and wall
ing? Captain Rats grew spoplectiC with
bewIlderment; he dared net even ask q
question Of tie driver, who was already
TO survey him with n sardOn-
&c leer, Ind had audibly sOugh. iafoT-
nation if he, the Captain, cslIed
this kind of conduct proper at "his time
O. lite." "Let the gal alone, Rats-don't
you see il amt love letter from YOU
shes pourln' over2" ne added state
ment that again covered the Captain with
guilty bushes. Bu: sudden jolt of the
vehicle, little Shrek, and the huLtering
of the letter ~ the road, Jared from the
readers fingers, gave the Captain pro-
vidential opportunity. To jump from
the box to the road and seize the trusnt
epistle was the work OF a moment.
When he approached the coach to re-
store 1t to i 5 TAR owner another paSsen-
ger had appropriated his own seat on the
box, and thus gave color and reason tor
his exchange ID the inside" The
ycung lady thanked him, the
coach again started forward, and
Captain Rats fell into tle
seat beside her. Here was the supreme
momentI With proiuse apology
the Captain drew his knees together,
slipped into respectfully dIagonsl posi-.
ton, so Us to oppose the narrowest point
OF contact with her, and carefully busted
his knees and her dress softly with his
handkerchief The shyest nymph
would scarcely have been startled, the
coolest and most Anticipated Of duennss
would not have been discomposed by the
submissive respect of the Captain. The
young lady, who evidently was neither,
turned pair OF calm, large gray eyes on
her neighbor and sat eXpeCtant. But
how the Captain improved his chances |
must refer the reader TO his own account
OF tho interview, delivered gravely the
same evening to his brother guardians:
"When | saw we WAS in for II, boys
he said, rubbing his knees upward softly,
Il kinder measured the gal slore l COM
menced, to see what sort Of q hand she
might hold. But you couldn't hev told
by her looks. And short Of
axlng her downright sassy question you
couldn't get word cut OF her about her
own business nor what she war up to.
And then-well," continued the Captain,
with languId smile OF conscious success,
81 calkilated that this was one O them
peculiar cases that wanted skill and
science, ard | jst applied EN-, and in
course l won. Thets all. Yes" said
the Captain with Il yswn of stuffed in
difference "lLs all right now, boys.
Everythlng's explained"
"But how2' queried the others, eagerly.
"WelI," said the Captain, lszily, al
sorter slipped into gineral converse
ton about the opery. the fashions, and
po'try, and SIGH. Speakin O. literatoor, l
told her of u yarn I'd read tother day in
a magazine, and then, kinder keerless
and easy, | jist up and told her the whole
story about her father and US and her
self, giving her the name Of Serephna,
calling YOU and Horton Oscar and Rod
erigo,' and Fleet 'Gustsvus, and myself
:Rodantio,' which is Latin for Rats
Well, if l do say it myself, it wasn't no
SLOUGH of a story, for | was kinder chip
per and fresh, and the other passengers
was list about rs much interested IS she
was. Then l sorter looked in her eye,
you know this way" and Captain Rats
here achieved a peculiarly JesuItiCsl leer,
land said that l allowed it wasn't true,
and asked her what she thought about it
rs story. And she said Il might be
true and it might net, but it was quite
Thems her very words,
gentlemen"
well, 90 on, said the Colonel, eagerly,
That's all"
"AllI all" shrieked the guardians to-
gether. Didn't she say aoythlng else?
Didn't yOu--"
Mary" said the Captain, cooIIy.
"But it's all right, boysl You'll see"
Horton seized Captain Rats by one
shoulder and the Colonel grappled the
other For q few seconds they shook
him furiously.
where is she now, YOU blank, blank
mule? Answer u!
"Why, l reckon she's over 81 the
Union Hotel with Fleet. forgo. to say
that he happened accidentIy to be there
when the stage KEN in. She seemed to
be kinder easy and nst'ral With him, and
l."
But before Captain Rats had finished
bis speech the two men rose 'urIously and
dashed out of the room bsrehtaded. And
even as the Captain sat there, mute snd
ss,ounded, yet with bis usual vague smile
Of acquiescer &c lingering around his
mouth, Horton returned, shook his fist
fercely st the Captain, seized his hist, and
vanished. In another moment the Colo
mel also re-enteTed hastily, gra,ped his
hat, kicked Captain Rate, and dashed out
again.
AS the door slammed on the last Of bis
fellow guardians Captain Rats rose slow
~. emp,ied bis glass thoughttu.lY, placed
one knee on 6 chair, and rubbed It IN
silence. Presently q more decided smile
came in his eve, aud crept to his mouth
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