St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-03
BY CHANCE.
wooed and Won Under an UNI
brelIa.


NV name is Oliver Desmond, and / was,
at the time the story opens, at a fash
ionable summer resort, where went to es-
cape the vigilance of my father, who was
Oh the lookout for a wife for me. AS
had heard something about friend OF my
sister, who was coming to pay us a visit,
suspected my father of the intention OF
questioning me on the subject of proposal,
30 1 quickly got out of the way.
l had no intention of getting married,
and I felt certain that this maiden whom L
had never seen was as ugly as dragon, and
should ever have had the misfortune OF
meeting my fate, as they say in the novels,
it would not have been her. When L was
through soliloquizing on this strange maiden
it was time to go in the water, and l had
been in it but a short time when imagined
] heard indistinct cries for succor As
was so far out as to be beyond talking dis
lance with any other person bathing, de-
termined TO discover the drowning person
and lend him my assistance. This 1t was
ouite difficult to do, for the cries had ceased
and the horrible thought struck me that the
Door unfortunate had been drowned.
| was lust about to retrace my steps
when the cry again struck my ear, and
recognized it as that Of a female. l an
sWered with more readiness than L would
had it been one Of my own tender" sex,
and once more l waded out into the water.
looking for the distressed female. AS
was accommodating was thrown by heavy
wave, and in falling, my hand came In
contact with an object which proved to be
the head of the person l was seeking.
was in the nick of time, for L had grasped
her long. beautiful hair just as she was
sinking. l held the girl until, reaching the
shore. we received ADLER assistance. 1t
was not until then that l noticed that the
strange beauty had tainted in my arms
from sheer exhaustion, and we were con-
viewed to the nearest hotel, which turned
out to be the very one at which l was stop
ping.
AS [ sat alone by the couch of the young
girl. who was sleeping, and while awaited
the first return of life, | noted how beauti-
full she was. She possessed hair which
could not have been eXcelled by a Venus:
her complexion was olive; her features
were well made, and altogether she had a
fascinating look and she awOlle with the
customary cry:
''Where am II"
"You are in the hotel" / answered.
'rYou were rescued while drowning. Had
IL UOI Decll lOl lilC illllCll VI Il
friend you would undoubtedly have found
watery grave"
eyes, remember all now. But do you
know this friend?"
1 answered with some prevaricatiOn, but
did not let her know how near that friend
was at the time. l gave her the full par
ticulars of the affair, and when the nurse
entered left, intimating to her that was
a neighboring physician who had been
called in for assistance.
Returning shortly afterward, 1 was sur
prised to find her somewhat jubilant, and
when / entered the room she poured out
thanks to me for preserving her from a
wateTy grave. When L asked her where
she obtained her information, she said that
the nurse had told her. l was not sorry,
though, for it led on to an acquaintance,
and about a month afterward l let myself
into a secret. l was in love with her. l
did not lnow whether the feeling was re-
eiprocated; l did not even know her name.
One day when we were sitting on the pi-
azza talking about things in general, she
inquired where l resided.
''Oh! live in New York when 1 am at
home. which is seldom" l answered care
lessly: land, strange to say, never cared
for this place much, and would not have
been here now were it not to escape the
wileS of a woman whom l have never met,
but whom | was destined to marry.
heard that she was coming to visit my sis
ter. and my father informed me that he
wished me to cultivate her acquaintance,
intimating that she was very pleasant
creature. | did not wish to marry just
then. and had a notion that she was COM
ing to capture me, so l ran away from this
girl-thiS Beatrice LortOn-and by the
time / get home hope she will have re-
turned to her native city, Chicago"
Raising my eyes, saw that my compan-
ion had risen and was leaning on the chair,
looking very pale. l quickly asked if she
were i'll, but, instead of replying, she went
Oh with my story where ! had left Off
$50" she said, you wish TO escape
from this woman. as you call her. Then, y
she added, III a sneering tone, ''let me tell
YOU there was no love lost, for this woman
did not go to New York city. She also
heard that she was to be sought after in
marriage and came to this place to get out
of the way"
A vague suspicion crossed my mind.
GLOW do you know all this? 1t is i'm
possible that she is here"
mot at all impossible, Mr.. Desmond,
for am the identical Miss Beatrice Lor
ton whom you ran away from and whom
you met against your will. Quite a coinci-
dence, is it not?" and she burst out laugh
ing.
was so astOnished that l abruptly left
her, and it was some weeks before L spoke
to her again. When L found the oppor
tunity implored her pardon for the harsh
names 1 called her, and she only pardoneC
me because had saved her life.
Some weeks after this while walking
through deep wood / came across her OF
bench reading book.
''Ah Mr.. Desmond, it seems as though
wemeet wherever we go" 1 sat dow
without word and suddenly broke on
after pause:
Miss Lorton is it not strange that we
should meet despite our urgent efforts t
ESCAPE from one another? IL seems a
though we were destined for one another.
81 do not understand your meaning, Mr.
Desmond; please speak palmer" she said
with repressed excitement.
81 will speak palmer" [ exclaimed il
the sudden frenzy ofmy passion. Il hav
loved you from the first moment that say
YOU. when | rescued you from death.
love YOU, and my heart is in your hand, t
crush it or prize it as you Will"
She hung her head, and l took the oil
maxim for my motto, that ''sllence mean
consent. " and poured forth the eloquenc
of love into her ears.
my life is yours; you have saved m
from death. and give myself to you, as
hone to prove a true and loving wife.
That was all. That ended my romanct
and as | write these few lines Mrs. Olive
Desmond sits beside me, the woman
xyhon I met by chance.