The Labor enquirer., 1883-02-24
tho Pond, Of wandered BY twos and
threes through the grove.

the Pond, or wandered by twos and
threes through the grove.
In the breaking up Of the crowd, Lien.
tenant Lacy lost sight of Miss Horton
and concluded thatshe had either ioined
the water party Or gone home with the
Lees, with whom she was a great favor.
lite. Feeling completely out of humor
with himself, and tired of. talking non.
sense with girls whose evident delightin
his attentions was losing its charms, he
walked away by himself deep into the
grove, and throwing himself upon the
ground, with a tuft of moss for o pillow
fell fast asleep. had enjoyed his nan
for sometime, when he was awakened bv
the frightened cry Of a child. Surprised
to find that. any one beside himself
should have wandered so far, he sprapo
to lis feet and hastened in the direction
of the sound, but had not gone dozen
yards when he came upon Miss Horton.
PROSTATE and sinsensible, with two child
rem at her side, crying with terror.
Alarmed at her pallor, he kneeled and
raised her head upon his arm; but her
swoon was not performed one, for she
opened her eyes at the motion, and
starting up in Samazement at finding him
bending over her, answered his inquiries
by concisely Informing him that while
searching for ferns she had sprained her
ankle; fearing that the children might
get lost if she should send them for help,
she had tried to limp back, when her
ankle again gave way, and she fell and
tainted with the pain of the second hurt.
"Will yoube SO kind, she saidin con-
clusion, '''as to! send my cousin, Charley
Adams, or, if you eannotfind him, Judge
Lee, to my assistance"
"Judge Lee has gone home, I am sorry
to say, and your cousin is out on the
pond. Lam stronger than either. Will
you allow me Ito carry you back to the
picnic grounds There is no other way
he added, as he saw her face flush, ''the
grove is so dense here that it is impossi-
BILE to bring carriage for you"
"It is unnecessary" she answered
frigidly. Il am sorry to be obliged to
trouble you at all, but if you will be so
good as to give me your arm, think 1
can walk" Hr71 asfI -.-'.~.
fIt is impossibleP' he exclaimed eff
you attempt it you will only aggravate a
pain that is already serious enough
(, "Allow we to be the judge" was all
the reply she vouchsafed. He accord
ingly assisted her to rise and gave her
his arm, but at the first step the old
faintness came over her, and, in spite of
herself, her head went down against
the very shoulder strap which had been
the subject of her sarcasns. Lieutenant
Lacy stopped, and said resolutely:
circumstances constitute me your pro-
tector, Miss Horton, and I shall not
allow you to lame yourself, perhaps for
life, on account Of any girlish scruples."
So saying helifted her ia his arms and
strobe on through the grove, the fright
ened children following as fast as their
little feet would carry them. Miss
Horton could not at first find words to
express her indignation; and when she
was about to speak, a twing of her throb-
bing ankle reminded her that she, was,
in fact completely helpless, and her
dignity would suffer less from quiet
submission to what was inevitable, than
from a controversy which could only end
in defeat. She was a pretty heavy load
for the young officer, leaving him no
strength to spare for conversation, so the
journey was a silent one; but every time
his glance fell upon the pale face, now
rigid with pain, which rested against his
shoulder, he felt his judgment of its
owner growing more and more lenient.
The time il took to traverse the grove
seemed interminable to Isabel, who at
last had the grace toe say, Il am afraid
you must be very tired; had you not
better stop to restP" =. -.-.
Never mind me-" replied Lieutenant
Lacy. II will rest by-and-by."
The burden in his arms, however
agreeable it might be, drew more and
more heavily upon his strength, and his
lips we're compressed tigh tly, and his
face was pale as Isabels when he at
length. laid her upon the grass at the feet