The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-08

long time in finding one. When at last
she reached the station the train had
just gone and it would be whole hour
| before the next one. She shigered with
CONSERVATION as her eye fell on the
clock and saw it was already past nine
and no possibility of getting home be-
fore ten.
The trembling bit of humanity hud-
died INTO corner to get out of sight
soon caught the eye of young, fair
haired man, pacing up and down, like
wise waiting for the train. She scarce
ly noticed him for he was a gentleman
and confined his observation to coy
ert glance. Every time his beat brought
him near her, and when she was at
last in the coupe and glanced at her
ctS-o-rtS, she only thought: "that is the
young man who was in the station"
for in her Impotence to get home she
had no room for other thoughts than
the snail pace at which they were adj
vancing. 1t seemed to her the train
crept; then came a long delay in chang
ing cars, after which, at every few
minutes, they stopped at station. 1t
was simply mad: 5ning. Arrived in
the city she had to take her place in
the long procession and wait another
eternity before she could get through
the wicket. AT last she was in the
empty streets flying toward her distant
! home. OF course, when she reached
1t the lights were out and the gate
locked. She shook it again aud again
and called ''Madame!" in an agony.
Could it really be that she would not
! let her in? Then where would she go?
The thought almost deprived her of
her senses. Some one, too, was coming
down the street. She shook from fear
and held to the gate to keep from fall
ing. The footsteps were at hand now,
and q mans voice said in foreign
French;
They will not let you in, madem-
oiselle. Then what will YOU do?''
The sympathetic tone treasured her
enough to look at the speaker. 1t was
the young man of the coupe.
81 don't know" she answered.
"Haye you no friends, no place to
go?"
NO"
A low, prolonged whistle announced
the CONSERVATION of the questioner.
''This is a beautiful story" he broke
out in German. ''Did you 90 alone to
the tete?"
''No; [ started with some friends
whom | lost and who are not coming
back to Paris; and then | was with
lady whom l lost, too, and whose name
do not know"
The young man thought for a mo-
ment, and then continuing in an under
! tone to himself: eff | would take her
to hotel or if would let her 90 alone
no, it can not be DONE Then he
added, aloud: There is only one thing
to do, mademoiselie, you must come
with me. | will give my rooms up to
you and go to q hotel. My man, Fritz,
will see that you are safe from any an
nOyance; and tomorrow morning at
nine o'clock | will be waiting for you
at the corner of the block and we will
90 somewhere for something to eat,
and then you can come back here and
make it all right Though he thought
to himself: ''If | am not mistaken there
is something white at the window,
which looks ominous, but still we can
hope" And taking her hand ne laid
it on his arm and led her away.
He reused the porter at his lodgings,
designedly, and sent him for his valet,
and explained to the two men that the
lady was stranger who had lost her
friends at the tete, and that he commit
ted the responsibility of her safe keep
ing to them. If any evil befell her they
would have to answer for it ut the le-
CATION; and giving some additional or
ders to his man, he babe her good
night and went away.
As soon as daylight followed the
sleepless night Lucette unlocked the
door, resolved to go back to the school
at once and send a grateful note to her
deliverer, but the door was guarded on
the outside by Fritz, who, it seemed,
after night as sentinel, had lost his
capacity of speaking French. To her
frantic efforts to pass him he replied
volubly in German, shaking his head
and gently forcing her back into the
room; it was only when the porter came
up to say that "Mousieur would like to
see the lady down stairs that she was
permitted TO pass. Notwithstanding
the gravity of the position her protector
could not help laughing as Lucette eX-
planned to him why she had not come
sooner. She refused to have any break
fast and insisted on taking leave of him
then and there.
Il intend to see you through your
trouble" said he, quietly, land so
will walk behind you. If Madame will
not open the door to you, you will have
one friend at least"
And Madame, in fact, only opened
the door wide enough to say, through
the crack, that, after last nights pro-
ceedings, she was surprised she ex-
pected to be taken back, since Just as
she was preparing to let her in, not
only she but all the neighborhood,
aroused by her voice, had seen her walk
off with a strange man. She could
have her clothes when she sent for
them! And the iron face disappeared
behind the iron door, which went to
with bang.
Poor Lucette was joined by her sole
friend at the end of the street, who
took her to have some coffee; after
which they sat down in the nearest
park to discuss what could be done.
For long time nothing presented it
self.
81 could have you go to my parents
! or to our chateau on the Lahn-there