The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-12

odlu, kuoW yOu uluu uledu al ehiusy
only was taken by surprise, as we'll !
might be, for / was tremendously fond
of Rose Naughton once-am so still, for
the matter of that-and the sight of her
face rather took me abaek. We were
half engaged once. only her old mother
broke it of; and was angry and hasty,
and-and Idropped them, and have been
sorry ever since; and then was too
proud, and, in short, have made an ass
OF myself. Do you know where she is
now? Do you know where she is gone%
mo; but / can find out"
81 wish you would; for after all you
tell me, l have a strong inclination to
follow her, aud try my luck again-try
if fortune will turn her wheel for my
benefit"
"Most certainly do SO; you would be
flying in her face if syou did not; for
really this is the most astounding thing,
on the whole, that ever happened to a
fellow. There must. .have Teen some mys-
terious agency at work when you were
thrown 50 close together that night with
out either Of you knowing it. Say that
the appearance was but vapor Of the
brain, partly due to ill health and un.
easy sleep, still its aspect and nature are
clearly traceable to Miss Naughton's
presence hard by; mere coincidence is
not sufficient to account for all that hap
pened."
"Very marvellous truly" said he, "and
we can only call it, as the guard did, the
ghost of chance Still, whatever it
was, it hardly accounts for the earring
being in my compartment; that, as
originally wrote, was not the ghost Of an
earring; how do we get over thatT'
"Ah," | answered, 1--WE are as far off in
the solution of that as ever. Never mind
be thankful that things are as they are.
will ascertain from my wife Miss Naugh'
toms address, AND do you 60 and see il
she can explain the mystery"
He followed my advice, and he finally
married Rese Naugnton, Of course; bul
still it was long time before any light
was thrown on the earring side Of the
mystery. This eventually came, how
ever, thuswise: In the course Of the
whirligig of society in which my friend
and his wife move, there has turned up 6
young man, who was one of the bal
party on that fatal night, anc
he thus explains the enigma: H'
says he was late, and was hurry
ing along the platform at Peterborough
when Miss Naughton and her friend
were trying to find seats. They were
little ahead of him, and in the confusion
she must have dropped one of her ear
rings, for he picked it up, and fearinl
to be left behind-for the whistle wa
sounding-he made dash at the neares
carriage.
The window was open, but the doc
was locked; and on precipitately thrust
ing in his head to see if there was room
his elbow struck against the edg
of the door, and the blow jerke
the trinket out of his hand to th
further side of the carriage, and acros
the legs Of recumbent passenger hal
asleep. There was no time to arouse th
passenger or call the guard, the trai
being actually in motion; and it was onl
by jumping into the next compartment
that he managed TO save himself fror
being left behind. OF course he cor
cluded that he should recover the eal
ring when they stopped at Granthan
but then came the accident. and the los
Of the earring was held of little accoun
albeit it was potent factor in saving
my friends life Time.
THE END.