Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-08
q Bailifs " 7 gasped.

| Excuse me if / do not give you your
proper title, she continued with melan-
choly smile. at is the first time that we
have ever been brought in contact with the
officers of the law, and hardly know how
to address them. We have expected you
for two days"
Bob and 1 could only stare at her in
silent bewilderment.
| "There is one thing I should like to
ask you" she went on. drawing nearer to
US, with her hands clasped and beautiful
pleading expression upon her face.
Thou Ii my mother and are almost be g.
CARS now, remember that she is lady, del
icately reared and sensitive. Above all,
remember that she has no one to protect
her OF to take her part. Be gentle with
her, therefore, and do your duty without
wounding her feelings more than you can
| help"
% Bob" whispered, drawing my CON-
panion aside, though he still continued to
stare idiotically ever my shoulder at the
young lady, Sc do you realize it? They ex-
pect the baliffs. There is no money in the
concern. What are we to do?"
"She's an angel ~ was all Bob could
evolve.
so she is, but she's got no money"
"Then you give her up?"
81 do" said l, with sentimental
twinge at my heart. Sentimentalism has
always been my weak point.
" You won't propose asked Bob ex-
citedly.
mo. marriage is an expensive luxury.
Besides"
Besides what ?"
"I am convinced she would not have
me-"
Then, by Jove, I'll do it, +" said Bob,
facing round with Look of determination
upon his dirty face.
|, Miss Clairmont had been standing look
ing considerably surprised and a little
frightened during our hurried conclave.
She drew back a few feet as Bob took a
step toward her with his two arms thrown
out in eloquent entreaty, like an animated
semaphore.
"Young lady," he began, d" am not
baiEff l belong to another and higher
branch of the legal profession. l am a
Londoner and gentleman"
Bob paused for moment to allow this
statement to sink into his listeners mind.
Miss Clairmont locked more amazed than
impressed, though it was evident from her
startled
''In foreign land, cried Bob, warming
to his work-"a land beyond the seas-I
allude to England-I heard OF your charms
and of your solitary existence, and swore
that is to say, we both did, only lost
the toss to save you and bring you out
into the great world which you are SO fitted
to adorn. We crossed the deep-which
Ia i Ill
flew to your rescue. We have scaled this
inhospitable wall of yours; if you doubt
my statement you will fua large portion
of the sleeve of my coat upon one of the
spikes which adorn it. We also ran the
gantlet of the many unpleasant things
which your amiable parent seems to have
Uttered about for the benefit of the casual
stranger. Dear girl, continued Bob, ad-
vancipg with an imbecile grin upon his
countenance, which he imagined no doubt
to be seductive smile, 'fiy with me Be
mine Share with me the wild free life of
a barrister Say that you return the love
which fills my heart-oh, say it !" Here
BIB put his hand over hole in his waist.
coat and struck a dramatic att tude.
During this extraordinary address the
young lady had been gradually edging
away from US, and at its conclusion she
burst into a merry peal of laughter.
edward p she cried" Ned F! Do
come out It's really too ridiculous. but
don't know what to say to them"
At this summons man emerged from
behind a tree where he had concealed him
self and flew to her side. Imagine our
petrifying and all-absorbing astonishment
" hen we recognized in him Pendleton, our
retiring companion of the inn.
Don't be frightened, darling" he said,
passing his arm around her slender waist,
to Bob's intense and audible disgust. 81
can understand, gentlemen" he went on,
"the romantic motives which have led you
here, but you will see how futile they are
" hen tell you that this lady is my wife.
"Your what 2" reared Bob and l in
chorus.
"My welded wife. You are the first
that have heard our secret. though Mrs.
Clairmont must learn it to-day. 1t does
not matter to you how we met or how we
married suffice it that it is so. To-day the
ruin which had long foreseen has come
upon the household; Mrs. Pendleton thinks
1t may have softened the hard heart of her
mother, and we are going up now to see
her together, to confess what we have
done, and to offer her a home for the rest
of her life at my place in Devon. You will
see, gentlemen" he continued, that
delicate matter Of this sort must be done
without interruption and at once you will
therefore excuse us from showing you off
the grounds. may say, however, that if
you will keep to that path on the left you
will soon find yourselves at the boundary
and now, gentlemen, my wife and myself
must wish you very good morning, with
which he offered the young lady his arm
and the two strolled off together in the
direction of the house.
How long Bob and 1 stood there gazing
after them and at each other neither OF us
could ever determine. Then we plodded
sullenly down the path pointed out, with.
out exchanging word, and after sundry
gymnastic exercises found ourselves in the
road once more.
Bob was inclir ed to be sentimental all
day, and perhaps 1 was hardly myself
either When night fell, however, and
steaming Jug of hot water was brought up,
flanked with lemon on one side and the
sugar on the other, while the whisky bot
tie lowered in the rear, we began to get
over our troubles, and / doubt if Okeefe,
when he joined US, could have given guess
at the stirring events which had occurred
since he told us the story of the Ciairmont
family the night before. Certainly by next
morning there were no traces left OF our
short matrimonial campaign.
Another week found US in our chambers
in town, settling down comfortably into
the old routine. do not know where cur
next holiday will be spent, but confidently
predict that it will not be at Glenma-
howley. l have heard nothing since of the
Pendletons beyond the fact that he is the
owner of a large estate on the borders of
Dartmoor. Bob talks of visiting those
parts in the spring, but 1 think for his
own peace of mind he had better steer
clear of those blue eyes and sweet features
which arc our only recollection of the land