Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-01

too funny"
Then she noticed Sancho, who had stretched
himself at her feet, and praised him and
asked his name; and SO by degrees we goj
into an easy talk in which we each learned a
great deal about the other. I let her know
who I was and that I had just honorably
passed my college examination, and she con-
fided to me that her name was Cora Madden;
that she was ward of her uncle, Squire Mad
den, upon whose ground it appeared I was at
this moment inadvertently trespassing, and
that she was just home from the Misses
Spicks' select academical school. She had
hated the place, but would prefer returning
there to living at Madden Hall, where there
was no society or amusement Of any kind.
OF course I sympathized with her, and be-
fore parting had asked and obtained permis-
sion to call upon her at the hall.
From my landlady I that evening learned
something more about Miss Madden. She
was an heiress-"a real heiress" Mrs. Chubb
assured me-and her uncle was doing his ut
most to secure her and her property for his
only son, a young man Of no great brilliancy,
but of very expensive habits, who resided in
the same town with myself. This prepared
mt for the not over cordial reception which I
met with at Madden Hall, where the squire
greeted me grufly and his maiden sister, Miss
Penelope, sat during my visit with q piece of
knitting in her hand and q %forbidding ex-
preston of countenance, apparently resolved
not to leave the parlor while I remained.
This occurred again and again, until it is no
wonder that I took to watching for tho fair
Cora in her strolls and sketching expeditions
about the grounds, or that we both found a
ramble down to a secluded lane or q chat I'M
der the beech tree where VIZ had first met
more interesting than the stiff parlor visits,
with Miss Penelope as a third and the old
squire scowling at a distance as I took my
departure.
In ore of these interviews Cora assured me
that she cared nothing for cousin Tom" be-
yond a cousinly regard, and that If she had
ever for a moment given him encouragement
it was only because-because, no one else had
offered whom she could love. This naive
confession brought matters to a crisis, and
the result was ardent VOWS and q solemn
pledge of engagement, with a promise on her
part that she would marry me just as soon as
l could make some arrangements and return
to claim her. We agreed that an elopement
would be best, as securing ourselves against
the annoyance of opposition and perhaps per-
secution from her relatives. This would re-
quire some necessary preparations on my
part, involving a weeks absence, and SO,
with many fervent VOWS, we parted, I be-
upon her-asa n invaluable token of
my ardent a~ffection-my dog Sancho, to
whom she had taken a great fancy, of which
the faithful fellow manifested a grateful ap-
probation.
1He viii he a protector to you," I said, ten
DERBY, Din your lonely walks. and especially
should there occur any difficulty in your join
ing me when I return. No one will dare to
with you or with anything belong
Ing to you when Sancho is present."
1t was over a week when / returned, armed
with money, license and everything else that
was necessary to the carrying out of our
plans. At the hotel I heard that MI. Tom
Madden was at home, and that he and Miss
Cora walked n rode out every evening to-
gether, accompanied by Sancho. Theroupon
I wrote to Cora. requesting that she would
meet me at some time and place of her own
choosing, where we might finally arrange our
elopement. This note was conveyed by a
little cowboy in her uncle's service, and who
on the following morning, in taking his herd
to pasture, delivered to me the following re-
ply, written in a trembling hand:
"This evening at 6 you will find a letter
from me at the foot Of tho beech tree where
first met. If you love me do not miss it.
depends upon your getting it in
Your own, c."
This brief and emphatic note rather alarmed
me. What had happened or was about to
happen that she should be SO earnest and so
mysterious to me? However, of course, the
would explain, and SO long before 6
o'clock I was on my way to the appointed
place.
The beech stood not a hundred yards from
. fence forming a division line between the
Madden estate and the one adjoining. Passing
by means Of a loose plank Of which /
had before made use OF. / came in sight Of the