The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-01-08

any rate, II SAID, III muSU Dt
very nearly time for It,"
Eyes, yesl" 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 Brackenbridge, a special
friend of his.
"Well, there's Channing-haven't
seen him for a week." he calculated.
"Just wait till | speak to him a mo.
ment," andhe darted of.
Ida waited five minutes-ten. A
train moved slowly out. Could ithave
been hers2 Ida grew rather nervous.
She knit her brows, hesitated, and
finally joined her uncle.
"Ah, your train, my dearl' said
Uncle Harvey, briskly, as he perceived
her. "I'll see about it."
He started off with q business-like
air, but he came back slowly.
cts gone!" he announced, in a
dazed way. "Went just this minute,
they say. Idon't see how it happen
ed never made such q blunder be-
fore"
Ida gasped, and stood staring at
her uncle in despairing helplessness.
Then, pulling herself together, she
turned to a 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 a half! But there
was no help for it.
She should not feel safe, however,
till Uncle Harvey was we'll out of the
way; she felt that he was quite capa-
BILE of leading her into a third blunder.
She interrupted his flood of specula-
tions as to how the mistake have
occurred.
"You mustn't wait for me, you
know" she said, with heroic sweet.
ness; "and you better take your train
now, so as to be sure of it. It's al
ready made up"
She took his arm andfairly put him
aboard; she saw him select q seat in.
side and open a paper, and knew that
he had already arrived at q peaceful
Inconsistencies of her very existence.
Then she went into the waiting room
and sat down.
Two hours and q half! She would
not be at home till late in the evening,
when they would have given up ex.
pecting her. What q dreadful day it
had beenl
She wondered that she was still
alive; she wondered whether her hair
would not have turned a ~littlegray by
lifetime she reached home-if she ever
did. She leaned back and closed her
eyes despairingly.
Somehow Arthur Clifford was still
uppermost in her mind. She took ur
her reflections where she had left of
before. Yes, of course there was the
explanation-he had congratulated
himself upon escaping her. Ifhehadn't,
would he not have asked her again?
To be sure he would! He had never
cared for her--it was perfectly plain
that he didn't. 1t was probable 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 a 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 away, and looking directly
at her. Hecameforward Immediately
and sat down besideher.
Ida bit her lip. But the sight of his
friendly face had the odd effect OF
bringing a lump into her throat and
tears to her eyes. She pressed her
handkerchief TO them hastily, and
went and stood By a window. And
Arthur Clifford followed.
"Oh, what is the NATTER" he whis-
pered, bending cautiously over her,
quite forgetting the strange fact of her
presence there in his tender distress.
81 don'tknow," said Ida, h~elplessly,
looking up at him timidly throughher
tears.
That look was too much for the
young man.
II can't help i'll can't help itr' he
burst out. II want you! / can't live
without you'll There! Ihad made up
my mind never to trouble you
again"
He looked down at her.
ooh, you do care for me?" he cried,
rather wildly. "Say i'll"
Eyes, / do" said IDA, firmly.
For there was no longer a doubt in
her mind on that point.
There was a littlesilenee. 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 ! came
to be here" said the girl, perhaps to
cover the JOYFUL thumpingof her heart;
and she related her misfortunes elo.
uuently.