The Wilmingtonian., 1885-03-07
THE STORY TELLER.
ONE DARK NIGHT.

power to light the dull earth.
Nervousy, with a beating heart, young
girl hurried down country lane, a parcel in
her hands. She was London bred and had
the town fear of country lanes, and, if she
did not think, ''every bush and officer"
dreaded that every bush might conceal a
thief Eveline Moreton was employed by a
large London mourning establishme t, and
she had been sent down according to the
advertisement, to ''fit' a 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 was no
cab to be had, and North Lodge was ''quite
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 heightened 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 dark figure came in sight Eve
line shrank back TO go out of its way, but it
moved also, so that it was still right in front
of her.
"Good night" said gruff voice.
"Good nightI' 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 copper about you to give poor fel-
low? %
Trembling Eveline took out her purse to
look for penny: as she did SO, it was sud
denly snatched out of her hand. Eveline
gave little cry of distress at the loss of her
money; but she was too much alarmed to
utter single word of remonstranct. The
mans burly figure still barred the way.
'sLet me pass, she pleaded. 81 have no
jewelry. My purse was the only thing 1
had worth stealing; you have that, SO pray
let me 60"
''Don't be in such hurry, pretty one,"
said the man, with a coarse laugh, and he
caught hold of her arm. 81 want to speak
to you.'
"oh! pray-pray-let me go" 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 very pretty girl"
And he drew her nearer to him, so that
his rough beard touched her cheek. Eve
line pushed him from her with all her force,
uttering scream after scream. Her terror
gave her sudden strength, and for quite a
minute she kept him at arms length.
''You little vixen!'' he exclaimed with an
oath. 'I'll have that kiss in spite of all
your struggles; will, by"
He never finished the sentence; for at
that moment, well-directed blow from a
powerful fist felled him to ths ground.
''You cowardly blackguardp cried the
new conner Indignantly, "How dare you
insult lady! Stand up and let Inc 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 Eve
line.
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-
barrassjng circumstances.
"My parceln she exclaimed suddenly
thinking of her employers property.
SIS here!" returned her new friend, pick
ing it up, as he spoke ''and your purse too''
he added, for in the struggle the tramp had
dropped Eveline's shabby little portemon.
nae.
Eveline took the purse, and then mechan
ically held out her hand for the parcel; but
Ralph Vernon-such was the name of the
gentleman who had come to her rescue
shook his head.
''Tll carry it," he said, obviously
"You don't think that am going to leav,
you in the lane after what has happened
Where are you going?''
"To North Lodge" faltered Eveline.
''You will fluid the Thursbys in grea
trouble said Ralph Vernon, looking at ne
curiously.