The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-03-28

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"Not till I've given you a kiss"
he said, insolently. "You are a very
pretty girl"
And he drew her nearer to him,
SO that his rough beard 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 a minute she kept him at
arms length.
"You little vixenP' 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, a well-directed
blow from a powerful fist felled him
to the ground.
"You cowardly blackguardl" cried
the newcomer Indignantly. "How
dare you insult a lady! Stand up,
and let me knock you down again!"
But this the tramp wisely declin-
ed to do. He rolled over in abject
terror, whining out an appea. 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 h s
hat and turning to Eveline.
The girl tried to thank him but
her emotion was too great, and put
ting her hand to her eyes she cried
bitterly, while the young man look
ed on sympathetically, scarcely
knowing what to do or say under
such embarrassing circumstances.
"My Parcelp she exclaimed sud.
denly thinking of her employers
property.
as here!" returned her new
friend, picking it up, as he spoke
s land your purse too," he added, fol
in the struggle the tramp had drop
: ped Eveline's shabby little porte.
monnaie.
Eveline took the purse, and ther
mechanically held out her hand fol
), the parcel; but Ralph Vernon-suct
e was the name of the gentleman who
G had come to her rescue-shook his
head.
a "I'll carry it," he said obviously
Y 3" You don't think l am going to
!, leave you in the lane after what has
n happened. Where are you going?'
e "To North Lodge" faltered Eve
i line.
1t "You will find the Thursbys il
n great trouble" said Ralph Vernon
n looking rather curiously.
e 81 know it,. returned Eveline
o coloring. 81 have come from Lon
y don to make up their morning"
Is "Ohw cried Ralph, little sur
IS prised, for he had imagined that sh
le was some poor relative at least.
y, His manner was far more res
'r pectful than before, and Eveline fel
le so glad of his company that sh
a soon frightened up, even laughin
d, at the recollection of the tramp, a
e. he crawled away on his hands an
"a knees, and then suddenly sprung t
d his feet, flying off like the wind. 1
to was too dark for Ralph to distir
y guish the girls features plainly, bu
q, he could see that she was pretty
he and that her figure was slight an
cd graceful. Her voice, too please
TX him, it was so sweet and refined.
s. This little dressmaker was lad
ne in every sense of the word.
IT "Pray, take my arm," he sal
rd kindly. II know you are very tire
er and upset by the fright that ruffia
he gave you"
d "But you have the parcel
ut carry" returned Eveline, hesita
On ingly.
ot- II can manage both you and Il
on parcel" he told her with laugh.
ne "You never carried a parcel befo
", in your life," observed Eveline
Ill she accepted his arm.
"How do you know that?' |
&C. asked good humoredly. swell, if
lie; have never made myself usef
ire before, it is high time 1 began now
ire They had left the lane and we
in the highroad. Strange to say, t
be walk which at the commenceme
ou seemed so intolerable to Evelir
ou now appeared marvelously short.
II shall never see him again" S
her thought, with faint sigh, as tn
she parted at the gates of North Lod
out and it was with very weary lit
tile face that she entered the presence
the the lady of the house.
ueh He had told her that Mrs. Thu
OF by was very amiable woman,
rley still Eveline was agreeably surpri
at the kindness of her receipt
81 She had been to many houses
the the same errand before, but nowh
inu | bad che baa,, traotad with suob n