The Labor enquirer., 1883-01-06

i with sudden flush and eVlQenb e&clle-
ment. Apparently the trite sentiment
brought some message to her, or touched
some secret chord.
The puzzled. surprise increased IN
Ifabels face; but before she could speak
she was thrown violently against the
seat before. her, while the car swayed
about like boat on stormy sea. Then
came sudden plunge, a horrible slipping
out of consciousness, and the next Mabel
knew she was lying on.a grassy bib slope,
with the sound OF "a water fall near, and,
!, bird singing and fitting on the swaylnpg
bough of an elm tree overhead. 4
Mabel raised herself on her elbow and
looked about her. The bird, startled at
the motion, stopped her singing and flew
away, and then there was no sight or
sound of anything living. y
81 wonder if | am dead" though she,
"and in the next world all by myself /
/ 1 didn't suppose there would be worms
nests on the trees there, or thorns on the
black berry vines. ".she continued, reflect
lively, looking more carefully around.
Then she grew giddy, and shutting her
eyes sunk back again on the grass. Pres
emily she was conscious of a football, so
light thatsshe felt rather than heard it,
and opening her eyes looked straight
Into the brown eyes of young man.
Il am dead" she decided, "and here is
an angel"
The "angeP had no wings, but wore on
his head Panama hat, and taking it off,
now began softly to fan her till, little by
little, Mabels scattered senses came
back; the color returned to her cheeks,
and she perceived herself to be sill in
the body. Then she recognized the
young man as the fellow-traveler who
had bought the lilies.
What happened, and where are the
rest?' said she.
AS she spoke, an engine screamed in
the distance, as if in answer, followed by
the rattle Of train of cars. Mabel rose
to her feet in quick excitement, and then
|she saw far down the hill slope, an up
turned car and mass of debris, with
people standing and lying among and
around the fragments of the wreck.
"Is~Nelly killed." she asked, in an
agonypf impatience. "Where is cousin
WaVerly?"
Nobody is killed, and l think nobody
is seriously hurt. Miss Natal has a
slightly sprained ankle, and Mr.. West
gate has another SO they waited for you
below" replied the young man. Excuse
me; you will walk more firmly if you
take my arm"
Mabel was beginning to feel tremul Gus
again, SO, without standing upon the
order of her going, she thanked him and
took the strangers arm.
Il don't see why am 50 weak. am
not hurt" said she. "And how came
away up the hill all alone?"
Il carried you there to have you out of
the way of the confusion" replied the
youth. "When I found you had only
tainted l went back to look after the
Others"
He did not think it necessary to add |
that, deceived by the gypsy hat and
cigar-colored suit, he thought he had
Mabel's cousin, Nelly, in his arms until
far up the bill; and if it had been she,
it was possible he might have felt it a
duty to stay by her until she had entirely
recovered from her faintness.
When they came down among the
shattered fragments of the overturned
car, among the confused groups of
anxious and of suffering faces, MabePs |
light touch upon the young mans arm
became more and more heavy as the
deathly sickness began to come over her
again, and she was glad to turn away to
more sheltered spot beyond a little
clump of barberry bushes, where her
cousins were seated, talking as cheerfully
as though they were there merely for a
picnic.
Then such a pretty pink color 1ickered
up over Nelly's face, settlingin her cheeks
and burning them scarlet. But Mabel
hardly noticed it. or the sudden con-
scious silence that fell over her; for
Mabel herself in the excitement of
fright and sense Of relief, put her head
on her cousin Wayerly's shoulder, and
began to cry like a silly school girl. So