Middletown transcript., 1882-01-13

9 No outside communication with her
: has been possible for six months"
"You have full control of her money,
1 suppose ?"
g Yes, until she is twenty-one, unless
! she marries before that time. Nor
J daunt could take every cent any time,
, for she always liked him better than
she did me from child. But you see
if you cut him OUT
/" l see-I see -
But Mr.. Rolfe Rathburne did not
look hopeful.
Well, for heavens sake get on a
little faster ~ grieved the fat honor
able, who was privately in misery lest
certain liberties he had taken with
Brides money should he discovered by
Mr.. Aubrey Mordaunt.
Rathburne thought he was getting on
a little next day. A happy smile dim
pied Brides rosy cheeks all day.
Though she seemed lost in her own
thoughts, and did not pay very strict
attention to her companions conversa-
tion, she allowed him to walk with her
and was far less thorny than usual.
cts going to be fine night-moon-
light, y remarked Mr.. Rathburne, when
they went in to tea.
Birdie assented.
" It's cooler out of doors, and the
fountain will look very pretty by moon
light"
{" So it will, (" returned Birdie.
There is very comfortable seat
that rustic one by the fountain"
Mr.. Rathburne's heart rose with a
bound when Birdie, with a dazzling
smile, said:
Wait for me, there. y
AT tea he refrained from eating his
favorite salad with onions. He rushed |
up to his rooms, after hurriedly whis-
pering his hopes to his uncle, and
drenched his handkerchief with Ger
man cologne. Then hastily scribbling
letter to a pressing creditor, to the
effect that his bill should be settled
soon, he went down and sought the
rustic seat by the fountain to wait for
Birdie.
He waited until the fountain had
flung up and the basin caught a hun
dred gallons of water-until the whip
poor-wills had whistled themselves
hoarse and gone to bed. Weary from
a sitting posture, sleepy and stiff from
the dampness of the heavy dew, Mr..
Rathburne Iose, at last, and abandoned
his post in despair.
Birdie had not come-certainly was
not coming, for (Mr. Rathburne looked
at his watch in the moonlight) it was
past ten O'Clock.
He moved stifly along the path, en- !
tered another, stopped to pick up a I
letter which lay there. 1t was ad-
dressed to Birdie. Mr.. Rathburne !
thought it looked familiar, somehow. '
He had no scruples about reading it, as !
follows = {
"MY DEAR BIRDIE-I know now
where you are, and [ am near you.
Don't grieve any more. Be happy; all !
will soon be well. As soon as l have
taken some steps to ferret out wrong
which is being done you, [ will take {
you out of Brudenell's care. A carri-
age will wait just beyond the south $
gate at Ashdon, at ten O'Clock, on the ;
night Of August Both. to bear you away :
with me to become my own beloved
little wife. I will place you safely in '
my own home with my mother, while [ G
return to fight Brudenell in his own :
den. shall take my own chances of
getting this to you by asking the favor (
Of this good-for-nothing nephew to t
place it in your hands. He comes c
counting. 1 think he will do it. In
haste. AUBREY"
There came before Rolfe Rathburne :
a vision of the fine looking man with :
big blonde beard. He looked up and .
stood staring blankly at the open gate !,
Of Ashdon. There were the marks of |
carriage wheels without, and hand !.
kerchief of Brides in the dust.
He rushed into the house-to the
bedside, and pounded him d
awake. Pell-mell they tumbled up
stairs to Brides room. The cage was
empty the bird had flown.
The letter-how did she get it ?''
yelled the Honorable. Il have not
servant who dares accept bribe - d
II suppose" confessed Brides G
suitor, "that I brought it to G
her when came. He was a business
like looking man with a big, blonde
beard.''
"Mordaunt p yelled the Honorable
eve are lost p
As, indeed, they were !,
SAM CARY's BRAINs.-Eli Perkins a
tells the following, in the Star, on Sam 0
Cary, the horny-handed greenback apos- t
lie, aforetime temperance orator of P
Ohio: A poor brakeman on the New v
York Central got run over near Syra- e