The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-13
copyrighted, by the author, lssO,l
CHAPTER III,


body on the road between Boston and
Happy Hollow Station, and arrived with
hungry passengers and sensitive tempers
an hour behind its time.
"Better look out, thereW
The statIon.master said thiF, springing
forward to clutch a girl in brown, who
had been riding nervouBIy the platform
between the last cars for mile past and
who now came hesdlopg down and of the
train before 1t had "alowed up" She came
with the 1.-THE, gymnasium spring elastic
slly upon the toes; but even that did not
save her from the shock and WhirlinR
overthrow Of balance In which the stout
official arms caught her, and the severe,
official voice Ieproved her thus:
saint you old enough to know hetter'n
that? How'd you like to be sawed in
two? Or drsgged mile, like the last one
We hSdP Say Never you git of q train
against the ordersI" cried the railway
man, by way Of Cllmex, won, tooW
he added, as he squared the girl on her
feat and took his first fair view OF her lace,
~ thought better Of you, Mics LoEo' l
vow did,"
"I-nevsr-did go before. 1t wan very
wrong, know"
@You'd never have done so again II l
hadn't ketChsd you" mutteIed the sta
tion. master, 40 Bhe hurried away,
She did not wait to speak to him. She
dared not. The question which she could
nat rat no should nOtapsWsr, She plead.
cd with herself for delay, US II delay itaeIi
were lilo, -,
No one was there to meet hor, She did
not trust herself to think what this meant
or II It meant anything, at all. She would
not take tho coach she forgot to leave
her check; she avoided tho nelshboIs
whom she saw on opposite sidewalks. y
ser1nsd 10 her that Tho one thing abe could
moi hear wCs to hear q word from any oil
these people about the dreadful or the
blessed itte lhst awaited her Ut home
Not to know, was 10 hope and believe
Her respite from the truth seemed to
the poor girl like tho respite Of con
denned criminal on tho brink Of execu'
ton. She tried to comfort herself with it.
and III II, as abe walked up the hill.
She walked rapidly al frat, and nervous
IL, like one whose heart 1ies before hel
iset. But when she came in sight o.
home che stopped short. She drew R:hel
breath and held It, and all the color, left
her fresh young face. After that mo-
ment's arrest she moved on, but slowly
Her feet dragged after her Ike half
irc2en Child's. 1t seemed 10 her that hel
iiiH itself stood still. m
Yet ull looked natural enough. There
was the great white house peacefully re-
OaJdiny her through the soft BpriDg after
noon, There were the two wings tina
she always thought looked ready to fly
, The kitchen on one side, and ut the Othel
tbe Office, with tho pgtients' door. There
were the green blinds, all open with win
ter generosity 70 tho nuui and the north
crn one, in the spare room closet, closed
, es 1t had not been sinCe she was little
girl, Somehow 1t seemed 10 make every
thing right and safe to see that blind
So, too, the wnshing on the line In the
ysId rather Comiorted her, until she re
, inembered that 1t was not Monday ant
80, hall startled, lost ground with hel
hone again. =,
WHIST dear old homo II wa3l An old
fashioned housp, OF tho best that were
} built in ils day; capaCious aud calm anC
solid; without pralenpe, as II was without
psrsiinony; erected Tor sense and for com
fort, and looking 90 sure Of itEelt as Rooc
breeding looks. Thero were the generous
groundr, the great elm in front, tho horse
Icheslnuts and Rrbor Wits In cool Clumps
and the lawn growing pleatNnuy into tht
garden and orchards beyond. They haC
some famous orchards, for tho doctor
made q hobby Of his apples, and psttet
Ibis pears, and loysd bis cherries. Snow
lsy everywhere now, melting In patches
under tho gentle auA. Dash was tho set
ter, but he vas old--Rlmoat Cd old az the
houEe, the children thought. They hat
never expected much Of Dash. He gos {
part Of tho place, Ike the ateps, but hard
i ly more active member ot the family
Dash had rheumatism, and presumed
upon the PRIVILEGES Of All invalid, taking
no trouble for anybody. Lotto always said
that he carried BomO aecret grief besides
which gave him an unSoCial turn OF mind
and SLAM had even suggested that he wal
disappointed in love.
Dash, grave and dlgnihed to tho last de
gree, sat on the atepg, 90 he always had
No one else was 10 be seen. It wss i'm
possible to ray whether the dog reCOg
mixed Lotto as che came slowly up the
slope. He would not have come 80 far Il
meet her II no had. That no looked
stoadtastly in her direction was TO be adj
mitted. What did Dash know Oh
what could he cay II he would2 II he
had been my other dog In North America
he would have come TO tell her by thil
time. She would have known by one
look at his ears or eyes. But what was t
be expected OF Dash, Yet Dash loved hill
master to iniatuRtion. Would no not give
some sign? Why was he not in the siCk
room2
Lotto looked up, dizzy and blind. The
windowa Of her fathers room were closed,
except one at the top, little; the darE
shades woro drawn on two; at tho Other
light poured in.
The girl came in at tho white gate, and
up the winding walk, feeling BiGk faint,
meas. She sCorrCd iRlnting girls, and her
sCorn steadied her. She reused herself
and in low voice said:
"Dash?"
Then, indeed Dash mot the emergency
Since Lotto had come to him, as 1t was
proper that young people should seek the
old, Dash was not above the ordinary
courttBits Of nociety. He rose and re-.
garded the girl. Thore was certain dig.
nifty in the old dogs attitude.
"DsSh," repeated Lotto softly, sis papa
nlivO2"
The girl and tho dog looked steadily
into each others faces. Tho brute eyes
and tho human eyes exchanged long
and mute regponse.
"If he ia dead" thought L1to, "Dagh
will not wag his tail for anybody"
alvep
Dash looked kindly at her. II he Just
missed Of compassionate, bright smile, It
was because his mouth was not made for
II, not because hi1 heart want. His big
brown tail stirred and Bolomnly moved TO
and fro II would be species Of indignity
TO say that Il wagged.
'I6 he, DABh7 oh, tell mo better than
a. =