Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

she placed her hand on his arm with
bewildered "Bless my soul!'
Ida explained the situation briefly,
and, be it said to her credit, with per-
feet good nature: but Uncle Harvey
was overcome with remorse.
"What a blunder!" be calculated.
'tBless mel how could | have made
it ?"
The idea fitted through his niece's
head that he was precisely the person
most likely to have made it, but she
merely smiled.
81 mustn't miss my train now, at
any rate" she said. cit must be
very nearly time for it. !"
eyes, yes! - rejoined Uncle Harvey.
Certainly, I'll see about it right
away"
His near-sighted eyes rowing about
the depot, caught sight Of an old gen
tleman from Breckenridge, a special
friend CT his.
"Well, there's Charming haven't
seen him for a week." he calculated.
''Just wait till I speak to him g. mo-
ment," and he darted off.
Ida waited five minutes-ten. A
train moved slowly out. Could it
have been hers? Ida grew rather per-
vous. She knit her brows, hesitated
and finally joined her uncle.
"Ah, your train, my dear!" said
Uncle Harvey, briskly, as he perceived
her. "I'll see about it.
He started off with a business like
air, but he came back slowly.
otis gone!" he announced in a.
dazed way. ''Went just this minute
they say. / don't see how it hap
pened-I never made such blunder
before"
Ida gasped, and stood staring at
her uncle in despairing helplessness.
Then, pulling herself together, she
turned to railroad official standing
near, who said, glancing at her ticket,
in response to her agitated inquiry,
that her next available train was due
at /.
Two hours and q half! But there
was no help for it.
She should not feel safe, however,
till Uncle Harvey was well out of the
way; she felt that he was quite capa-
BILE of leading her into a third blum
der. She interrupted his food of
speculations as to how the mistake
COuIO nave occurred.
'You mustn't wait for me, you
know" she said. with heroic sweetness;
''and you'd better take your train
| now, so as to be sure of it. It's AL
ready made un."
She took his arm and fairly put him
| aboard; she saw him select g. seat in
side and open paper, and knew that
he had already arrived at a peaceful
Inconsistencies of her very existence.
Then she went into the waiting-room
and sat down.
Two hours and half! She would
not be at home till late in the evening
when they would have given up ex-
pecting her. What g dreadful day it
had been!
She wondered that she was still
alive; she wondered whether her hair
would not have turned little gray by
the time she reached home-if she ever
ever did. She leaned back and closed
her eyes despairingly.
Somehow Arthur Clifford was still
| uppermost in her mind. She took up
her reflections where she had left off
before. Yes, of course there was the
explanatlon-he had congratulated
himself upon escaping her. II he
hadn't, would he not have asked her
again? To besure he would Hehad
never cared for her-it was perfectly
plain that he hadn't. 1t was proba
BILE that he had even disliked her.
Well, she was glad she had refused
him-she was thankful!
Nevertheless, she took out her hand
kerchief and wiped certain moisture
from her eyes. When she looked up,
YEARLY, she gave a violent start, and
her pretty, pensive face grew brightly
red.
Arthur Clifford was standing some
three feet way, and looking directly
at her. He came forward Immediately
and sat down beside her.
Ida bit her lip. But the sight of his
friendly face had the odd effect of
bringing lump into her throat and
tears to her eyes. She pressed her
handkerchief to them hastily, and
went and stood by q, window. And
Arthur Clifford followed.
"Oh, what is the matter?" he whis-
pered. bending anxiously over her,
quite forgetting the strange fact of
her presence there in his tender dis
tress.
''I don't know" said Ida, helplessly,
looking up at him timidly through her
tears.
That look was too much for the
young man.
ct can't help it can't help itp' he
burst out. 81 want you! can't live
without you! There l had made
up my mind never to trouble you
again.
! He looked down at her.
"Oh, you do care for me?" he cried
rather wildly. "Say it'
eyes, do" said Ida firmly.
For there was no longer a doubt in
her mind on that point.
There was a. little silence. The hand
clasp, which in the publicity of the
place was all that could be exchanged,
seemed wofully inadequate.
"You haven't asked me how I come
to be here" said the girl, perhaps to
cover the joyful humping of her heart;
and she related her misfortune elo-