The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-05-17

ness that she was about to perpetrate a
great and good action, she sat down in her
own room, and waited for Amy's reply to
be brought to her by the treacherous maid.
The note, which was very brief, came to
Miss Marrable in less than half an hour.
"Dear Viv," wrote Amy, ~ will be ready
and will look out for the white choker.
Your loving A" ..... .... -.. .F..
In spite of the ordeal which was before
her, the good old spinster was perfectly
calm and unfurried. At one o'clock she
made very hearty luncheon; at half-past
two she took her nieces for a walk, and
talked to them with extraordinary affability
about the emancipation of women; and at
half-past six she appeared at the table
d'h6te, and, just as if the occasion we're an
ordinary one, complained of the soup being
too peppery, the fish too cold, and the NUT
ton too underdone. Her coolness was ad-
mirable. Lucy and Amy, on the other
hand, could scarcely conceal their excite
ment and agitation. They each looked at
least hundred times during dinner at the
clock upon the mantelpiece, and they each
started and turned red whenever the noise
of carriage wheels without was heard.
After dinner Miss Marrable went again to
her room and began to make her prepara-
tions.
"How sad it will be-" she thought to
herself, "for poor young Jellicoe when l
discover myself and overwhelm him with
reproaches. Men are but poor creatures.
Perhaps he will faint. Yes; L will take my
salts-bottle." She wrapped herself in an
ulster belonging to Amy, and having
shrouded her face in thick veil, took
seat at her window, which happened to be
Immediately above the front door of the
hotel
Meantime, Edward Grifliths, the billiard
marker, was i'll at ease. He knew Miss
Marrable by sight, and looked forward
with terror to the prospect Of an encounter
with her at close quarters, Nevertheless
he had Vivian Jellieoe's five pound note
in his pocket, and he was determined to see
the affair bravely through He felt, how
ever, that his natural bravery would not be
sufficient to support him; and he therefore,
at about six o'clock, began to swallow a
succession of potent doses of whiskey and
water, with the object of laying in stock
of Dutch courage. Whether the whiskey
was bad or the water was too powerful, |
cannot say; but at ten minutes TO nine, when
Vivian Jellicoe arrived to give final direc-
tions and counsel to his substitute, he found
Edward Grifiths decidedly the worse for
liquor. Fortunately, the young fellow was
neither quarrelsome nor noisy in his cups.
His main ambition seemed to be to 90 to
sleep in peace, and no sooner had Vivian
bundled him into one corner of the car
riage, which was in waiting in the stable
yard, than Mr.. Grifiths incontinently
slumbered. The carriage was then driven
round to the front door of the hotel. Miss
Marrable, from her post Of vantage, saw
it, and, remarking that the coachman wore
a white chpker, descended at once, and lis
tened, as she went outside Amy's room, to
satisfy herself that that young lady had
not forestalled her. The porter with alac-
rity opened the carriage door, In the dark
shadows of the interior Miss Marrable
caught sight of the figure of man, and,
making sure that all was right, she entered
at once. An instant later she was being
whirled northward along the lonely Har.
lech road.
Half an hour afterward two other car
riages left the hotel, but in an opposite di-
rection. In one of them was Lucy and Mr.
Rhodes and in the other, Amy and Mr.
Jellicoe. It was nearly midnight ere they
arrived at the Browns house at Llanyltid;
but the Browns were all up and waiting for
them, and the two runaway couples were
warmly welcomed, and Hospitality taken
care of,
Miss Marrable was less fortunate As
soon as the carriage in which she sat had
been driven beyond the lights of the town,
she threw aside her veil and gazed with
magnificent scorn toward tho dim form
upon the seat in front of her The look
elicitiag no response of any kind, Miss
Marrable ventured to cough, at first gently,
and then with considerable violence; but
still the figure took no notice.
''This is exceedingly strange" thought
the spinster lady, II must adopt more
active measures" And with great tender
ness she prodded Mr.. Grifiths with the
point of her umbrella. The billiard-ma
groaned in his sleep. "Mr. Jellicoe," she
exclaimed, in her deepest and most threat
ening tones. She had counted upon this
exclamation producing an instantaneous
and astonishing effect upon her companion;
and she was woefully disappointed when he
merely groaned again.
"Gracious," she said to herself; che is
i'll. He would never 90 on ike that if he
were not i'll. The fright has been too much
foE him. Oh, how sorry I am. These
men are such weak creatures l must stop
the carriage" And, throwing down the
sash of the window, she put out her head
and cried to the driver to pull up his horses.
But the driver, like the billiard-marker,
had been literally feed, and he was deter
mined that nothing should stop him until
he reached Harlech; he therefore cracked
his whip to drown Miss Marrables voice,
and drove down the next hill at pace
which threatened to shake the carriage to
pieces, @ aa7s
''Stop, stop! For goodness sake stop!'
shouted Miss Marrable; but, finding that
her words were not listened to, she drew
in her head and strovc to revive the
wretched man in front of her. She held
her salts bottle to his nose, she chafed his
hands, she famed his brow, and she al
lowed his feverish head to rest upon her
shoulder; but she could not awaken him.
IF he should die!" she thought l in
tended to frighten him, but not so much as
this Oh, this is terrible r' And once
more she tried to prevail upon the driver
to stop, but in vain. The sight of distant
lights, however, gave her at length some
satisfaction. The carriage entered long
avenue, the gate of which lay ready opened
for it, and about an hour and quarter
after leaving Abermaw it drew up before
the Jones house, near Harlech.
With sigh of relief Miss Marrable
threw open the door and sprang out, to find