Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-03-27

woman look De1ore, sank Dack against
the rectory wall and tried to laugh. The
stranger lifted his hat, looking straight
at her with pair of piercing brown
eyes.
ssExcuse me, Miss Travers l'' he said,
in rather an off hand manner, 'but that
was about as rash thing as any one
could possibly do. The dogs might both
have turned on you and bitten. you
badly.n
"Thank you, Captain Hardwicke, 1
had not the least fear," was her only re-
sponse, given with little haughtiness;
and the gentleman, with nod to Rich
ard, turned and strobe away as rapidly
as he had come.
'.Miss Travers are you hurt ~ Richard
was able to articulate at last. ssYou
never should have done thing like that !;
Hardwicke was right; it was awfully
rashl By the way, you know Hard
wicke %
"No, Pm not hurt bit.n The won
derful grey eyes were dancing with fun
now. Don't scold me, please;I know
it was silly thing to do, butt didn't
stop to think Pray don't look so hor-
rifedl"
''But if you had been bitten''
"Well, l wasn't" And her face dim
pied with friendly smile at his shocked
look
But you know Hardwicke?" he per
sisted, unable to get over his surprise in
that quarter
'Oh, yes" Her face grew cold in
stantly. Captain Harwicke was in hos
pital with an accident some months ago
my hospital 1 had charge of him
there, that's all. And she pulled rose
so sharply from the hedge, that it fell to
pieces in her hands.
''Look there!' she laughed, showering
the petals on the ground before her; '1et
us cover over the battlefield with fow-
ers, " and she laughed again.
Richard went home more thoughtful
than ever. Surely this women was a
novel thing in his experience of men and
manners. She acted with the skill end
daring of man; and yet he would
rather not think what his sisters faces
would be like had they but seen iti Was
it actually lady-ike? or should she not
rather have fed from the scene of con-
fiict, or even had screamed and tainted 7
Nearly three weeks had passed since
the dog episode, and Richards courage
still wavered in the balance He had
grown to know Miss Travers well in those
three weeks, and to know her well was
but to love her better There was never
woman so sweet, so clever, so sympa-
thetic, SO beautiful-he was certain of
that-no woman he more ardently longed
to have for his own; and yet-and yeti
That terrible strength Of character, that
profession, that lack of pedigreel Only
last night, in the moonlight rectory gar
den, he had almost flung all prudence to
the winds, she had been so dangerously,
fatally sweet (she was always especially
kind to HIM, but he reeled back from
the gulf just in time when she mentioned
casually, without a change of voice or
countenance, that she had an uncle who
waa chemist in Rochester. "a chem
istl Shades of my ancestors, protect
mel" Richard recoiled again as he
thought of it, and fancied Hardwicke's
look if he could have heard her. For
Captain Hardwicke was still at the
''White Hart" and perhaps his presence,
and the atmosphere of exalted society
about him, had been oneof Richards re-
straining though unconscious influences.
Now, as he slowly worked his way up the
steepest hill in the neighborhood, on his
new tricycle., he was pondering the old
question in his mind Could he take the
fatal plunge, or was it too costly
A trim graceful figure on the road
before him, as at last he gained the sum
nit. drove all else to the four winds;
and in an instant he had overtaken the
object Of his cogitations. and sprung to
the ground beside her.
''lIr. Allerdycel" she said, turning
with her own bright look to shake hands; !;
chow like a ghost you stole upon me !
Oh, see, it was on a tricycle., and what
a beauty Do let me look at it, And
Richard, nothing 10th, began to display
his new toy-a perfect thing in build and
inish-the Allerdyces' possessions always
were the most perfect Of their kind.
He began to explain it to her, forget
ing all about the chemist uncle, but she
interrupted him.
"Yes, know all about them, thanks,
l see, it is regular bit Of perfection. I
should SO like to try it, may II"
Once more Richard was dumb with
surprise. A lady on tricycle. was as yet
an unheard-of thing in rustic Chellow-
dean, and it seemed an outrageous idea
to him.
really don't think you could, y he
faItered 'fMy sisters never have done
such thing"
"Your sistersa oh, perhaps not, !" with
smile at the idea. ''But l am quite
used to tricycles. ride one whenever
can get chance"
Further blow for Richard; but there
was no knowing how to refuse her, and
he stood aside She took her place like
one who was thoroughly used to tricycles,