The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-17

Cameron were ready for Cassidy. His no.
tons of dinner were elaborate. and
idmira bis removed from Els ideas of
LUIS mass.
At the appointed hour Cassidy joined
them. and found Jack in wonderful
/ spirits. The retjcent Colonel blossom-d
INTO table historian, and told yarns of
the great war; and it was ten o'clock
when Cameron arose and withdrew, on
the plea OF letters to write. Cassidy
and the Colonel stayed awhile over the
last bottle.
The Colonel was like many other
habi,ually silent men, and. having taken
out his conversational stopper, was to-
erably free to flow for the rest of the
evening. So the two sat and smoked
and talked. and. in effect, it was aft.r
one O'Clock when Cassidy hZttoned
b mself up. lit his companionaDle Old
brier-root pipe, and prepared 10 face the
storm
The snow was blown twenty ways at
once. and fell with almost binding
thickness. Cassidy rammed his un-
gloved hands deep into the pockets of
his seedy ulster. and with his pipe max
ing a comfortable little halo on the
darkness and the snow-takes in front
of him, tramped along warm and con-
tented. The storm had cleared the
streets alike of the dangerous. the poor
/ and the miserable. and London was as
silent rs desert. When the snow had
made n wreath three inches deep about
Cassidy's hat-brim, and had laid thick
white epaulet on each shoulder, it CT aSed,
4 L. 4 \ -
chance. paused for i stamp on a wide
cleared bit of pavement, and shook the
gathered weight from his hat and over
coat. The Ia l;ngs of the British Mu-
scum courtyard stood against the dark
in crooked and broken lines of white,
and the massive building doomed 0e-
yond as Cassidy, after that momentary
pause, started at IN ambling trot along
Museum street. As he reached the cor
ner girl ilUttered past him, her feet
lent on the snow, and, in the light of
the gas-lampS, he knew her for Mary
BaSSett. She pressed steadily and
swiftly westward, and Cassidy pursued
his own way in the same direction.
Suddenly as she had passed him, he had
seen strange and terrible look i'll her
would have been amazed to find her
aaroad compan .onless at such an hour.
She was bare-head, d. the coils of her
hair were thick with snow. and she
wore nothing on this Indictment night
above the ordinary indoor dress. CaSs:-
dv'S first conclusion was that Bassett
had met w tn some disaster. or had fall
en- Suddenly i'll, and that his daughter
had run out in this ill-furnished haste
10 lind doctor. The red lamp of a
surgeon cleaned on the street thirty
wards ahead, aud the girl crossed the
road toward it, but passed the door and
went on as ilcet!y rs ever This alarmed
the one observer, and he quickered his
pace in pursuit.
The impudent gayety of his ordinary
manner with woman was of no avail in
this case, and, though he had known
the girl almost from her infancy, he
could not summon rs yet the presence
of mind to accost her in these extra
ordinary circumstances. A hundred
conjectures, hitting anything and
everything but the truth, passed through
his mind AS he followed the flying hg-
ure. While he held on with qu;ckened
footsteps, he saw that once or twice she
threw hvr hands abroad and dropped
them laxly ut her side again. with the
ultimate gesture of remuneration and
despair. and this so moved him that he
cast aside everything but his pity and
concern, and ran until he came abreast
of her.
Miss Bassett. Pardon me. What
is the matter? You are in distress. How
can help you?"
She looked at him. but never paused
in her swift walk. He could not tell
from her glance whether or not she
recognized him.
Miss Ba>sett,' he began again.
''thiS is mere midwiuter madness. Ye
can't be G.iOwed to be out in this dress
at such an hour on night like this.
What can DO for you?"
Nothing she answered, in 4
GREATNESS voice, and hurried on with
Cassidy beSeeching ut her side.
Now, Mss BaS>ett,' said the IRISH
man ut last, I'm IN Ould friend O.
your fathers, and I've known We since
We were Il child, and I'll not have it.
Ye must listen to reason, and be a good
girl. Now, now, now"
He passed his arm through hers, and
gently brought her to a more moderate
pace. She made movement 10 resist
him, but he held her firmly, yet softly.
by what right do You stop me? 5"
she painted, turning tiercely upon him.
Il saw your mother nursing you.
manv's he time" said Cassidy. i
knew you when Sc We're barely able to
walk and tlk Is this the sort of a
night for maid to be out in? Or the
sort of dress for the weather? Or a
time of night for YOU to be alone !?
Come, come, let me take We back to
Bloomsbury square"
NO" she cried, striving 10 free her
self from his hold: " nobody shall force
me there" He held her firmly and
gently still.
Me poor dear child, won't force
We anywhere if l can help it. But it's
out of reason that We should 20 about
I lOike tnis. Now, what II | do for you?"
She shook her head from de to side
with such Il piteous gesture that his
heart ached at it. 1T can't le the old
story here" he said 10 himself. Il
! won't believe it vet awhile, any way.
VIII take YOU home, Miss Bassett?"
/ he asked aloud.
No, no she cried, heipleSsly.
Let me go
Where &c asked. soothingly.
Il don't know." she answered, dis
tractelly. Anywhere. >
Now. now.' said Cassidy, with kind
decision, Il won't have this. Miss Bas-
sett. Where will | take We to? For
until know. | won't budge a foot. nor