Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-09-24
The Sturp Teller.
A LUCKY ENCOUNTER.

A LUCKY ENCOUNTER.
The night was extremely dark, for the
stars that twinkled in the bleak sky had nc
power to light the dull earth.
Nervously, with beating heart a young
girl hurried down country lane, parcel
in her hands. She was London bred, and
had the town fear of country lanes, and, il
dreaded that every bush might conceal a
thief. Eveline Moreton was employed by
a large London mourning establishment,
and she had been sent down according to
the advertisement, to fita recently bereaved
family. If the way was dark and gloomy,
Eveline's thoughts were dark and gloomy,
too. The poor child was tired and hungry,
for her train had been detained for two
hours by an accident on the line. She had
been told to take cab, but there were no
cabs to be had, and North Lodge was 'quite
a three mile walk" the sleepy porter had
informed her. His directions had been
clear enough. Eveline was to keep straight
along the dull gloomy lane till she reached
the high road, when North Lodge would be
the third house. Oh, how she wished the
walk at an end it was so dark and dull
and lonely. Eveline paused suddenly and
looked down the path she had to pursue
with frightened eyes, for she distinctly
heard footsteps. If she had yielded to her
first impulse of childish terror she would
have tried to find some hiding-place behind
the hedge; but, ashamed of her fears, she
walked on with low, nervous laugh. The
footsteps approached rapidly, and soon a
dark figure came in sight. Eveline shrank
back to get out of its way, but it moved al
so, so that it was still right in front of her.
"Good night!" said gruf voice.
"Good night" repeated Eveline; for, as
Charles Dickens said, we are never so polite
as when we are frightened.
"It is dark night for you to be out in,' -
went on the man. Have you such thing
as a copper about you to give poor fel'
loW?"
Tremblingly Eveline took out her purse
to look for a penny; as she did SO 1t was
suddenly snatched out of her hands. Eve
line gave little cry of distress at the loss OF
the money; but she was too much alarmed
to utter a single word of remonstrance.
The mans burly figure still barred the
way.
"Let me pass, she pleaded. l have no
jewelry. My purse was the only thing
worth stealing; you have that, so pray let
co."
"Don't be in such hurry, pretty one,"
said the man with a hoarse laugh and he
caught hold of her arm. II want to speak
to YOU" ..
"Oh! pray-pray-let,m me CO." cried Eve
line, dropping the parcel, for her poor little
heart was beating almost to suffocation.
"Not till I've given you kiss" he said,
insolently. "You are pretty girl"
And he drew her near to him, so that his
rough bearded face touched her cheek.
Eveline pushed him from her with all her
force, uttering scream after scream. Her
terror gave her sudden strength, and for
quite minute she kept him at arms
"You little vixen" he exclaimed with
an oath. "I'll have that kiss in spite of all
your struggles; I will, by"
He never finished the sentence; for, at
that moment, a we'll directed blow from a
powerful fist felled him to the ground:
"You cOWardly blackguard! cried the
new conner Indignantly. How dare you
insult a lady! Stand up and let me knock
you down again"
But this the tramp wisely declined to do.
He rolled over in abject terror whining out
an appeal for mercy, as the young man
spurned him with his foot.
81 am indeed sorry that you should have
been frightened by the fellow" said the
stranger, lifting his hat and turning to
Eveline.
The girl tried to thank him; but her emo
tion was too great, and putting her hand to
her eyes she cried bitterly, while the young
man looked on sympathetically, scarcely
knowing what to do or say under such en-
barrassing circumstances.
"My parcel ~ she exclaimed suddenly,
thinking of her employers property.
us here :" returned her new friend, pick
ing it up as he spoke, land your purse, too,'
for in the struggle the tramp had dropped
Eveline's shabby little portemonnaie.
Eveline took the purse, and then me-
chanically held her hand for the other par
eel but Ralph Vernon-such was the name
of the gentleman who had come to her
rescue-shook his head.
"I'Il carry it," he said, obviously. "You
don't think am going to leave you in the
lane after what has happened. Where are
you going ?"
"You will find the Thursbys in great
trouble" said Ralph Vernon, looking at
IT know it." returned Eveline, coloring.
81 have come from London to make up their
mourning"
"OhW cried Ralph, a little surprised, for
he had imagined that she was some poor
relative, at least.
His manner was far more respectful than
before, and Eveline felt so glad of his COM
pany that she seen frightened up, even
laughing at the recollection of the tramp, as
he crawled away on his hands and knees, and
then suddenly sprang to his feet, flying oil
like the wind. 1t was too dark for Ralph
to distinguish the girls features plainly,
but he could see that she was pretty, and
that her figure was slight and graceful.
Her voice, too, pleased him; twas so sweet
and refined.
This little dressmaker was lady in every
sense of the word.
"Pray take my arm," he said, kindly.
II know you are very tired and upset by
the fright that ruffian gave you"
"But you have the parcel to carry re-
turned Eveline, hesitatingly.
81 can manage both you and the parcel, u
he told her with laugh.
'iYou-have never carried parcel before
in your life," observed Eveline, as she ac-
cepted his arm.
''How do you know that? ?" he asked good
humoredly. "Well, if ] have never made
myself useful before, it is high time | be-
gan now."
They had left the lane and were in the
high road. Strange to say, the walk, which
at the commencement seemed so intolera-
BILE to Eveline, now appeared marvelously
short.
II shall never see him again." she
thought, with a faint sigh, as they parted