River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-12

shelter you, must have your prom
ise-"
1.-THE deuce you must.' cried the
young man. waxing more and more un-
easy. ''Oh, say, now, this isn't fair"
Never TO repeat the offense!"
II won't if know myself"
TO turn over a new leaf from this
time forward" she pursued, vigor-
ously.
1.-The new-career question againi Tn
blessed If / know what all this means"
gasped the solitary passenger, breath
ing hard. as he breasted all at once the
flying shrouds of snow, the keen tooth
of the west wind, and the perplexing
problem put forth by the fair guide.
For fair she was; he could see as much
as that himself.
"Equivocation is entirely useless, :"
said Eunice, severely. You know
perfectly well what l mean. i have
given you chance for freedom; for
what is still better, fame and char
acter. See to it that this chance does
not pass unimproved.
''Madr' muttered the stranger to
himself; ''Uery mad! Entirely hope
less case, should say. l wonder il
there really was telegram. or if that
is merely part of her brain disorder?
| wonder if I'd better keep on with her,
nobody knows whittier, or cut and run
for il, snow-stOrm and alp"
There is no mitigating your offense, :"
gravely proceeded Miss Barlow. mind,
l assert that at the very beginning.
But, as | said before, / am willing to
give you one more chance"
Very kind of you, I'm sure" hope
lessly murmured the young man. But
would it be considered intrusive if /
were to ask what the offense iS?'
You have basely absconded with
your employers money! said Eunice,
with the freezing sternness of idealized
Justice; lin other words, you are a
bank defalcatOr."
mo, I'm not" stoutly asserted the
stranger. II beg pardon for contra
dieting you. but that's all mistake
from beginning to end. I'll stand a
great deal, but | won't stand such
names as that"
This is scarcely fair return for my
treatment of you," said Eunice, with
some contempt deceit added to
crime
"Oh, come, now, won't you give a
fellow a chance? uttered her COM
paniOn. "As the schoOl-books say:
Strike, but hear I've nobody's money
but my own, and not too much of that.
| don't know any thing about your
banks nor their defalcatOrs. I've been
only two weeks in your country, and 4
think it's the snowiest climate going.
My name is Ernest Tinsallon, and /
was TO have been met at the station by
Colonel COpley, of the FOur-Hundredth
Cavalry"
Eunice Barlow gave little shrek of
amazement. "Sir Ernest Tinsallonr
she cried. THE Englishman who was
coming out here to hunt buffalo. and
follow up the line of the Pine river?
But you have alighted at the wrong
station; you should have stopped at
Pine Barracks, seven miles beyond
here"
81 heard the conductor bawl out
something about pines OF one sort or
another" said the young Briton. Il
was dead sleepy, and didn't stop to dis
criminate, and scrambled off. So I've
made mistake, have |? But, all the
same, it's awfully good of you to offer
to conduct me to a place of Christian
shelter"
"And have made a mistake, too"
said Eunice, with gasp. Just be-
fore your train came in there was a
message wired to Big Pine station-a
message to detain bank rObber who
was said to be on the train. | was all
alone, but | could have locked him in
to the ticket Office perfectly well. We
Western girls are prepared for any
emergency with some pride). But
/ was so sorry for you, you looked so
young and innocent; and i determined
to give you one more chance"
"For a new career" interrupted the
stranger, with gust of laughter. The
key to the puzzle! | see it all now.
Don't you know, | was beginning to
think you must be lunatic. And how
disagreeably near / came to being
locked up, after all! And the bank fell
low, whoever he is, seems to have got
off scot-free. Really, now, if ever man
had a genuine guardian angel, you are
one, he added, as Eunice led the way in
to pretty little sitting-roOm hung with
the last of the Christmas evergreens,
and all aglow with red carpet and cur
tains, where fire of logs burned on
the open hearth, and a coy meal was
spread on the table.
Sir Ernest Tmsallon slept i'm the spare
chamber that night, was called by star
light, and breakfasted at six o'clock
the next morning with the telegraph
operator and her mother. and after
ward accompanied her to the Big Pine
station. plunging through white masses
of snow-drift, and sliding, school-boy
fashion, across the mirrOr-like surface
of frozen brooks. Mr.. Pettyclove was
there, with his face tied up in a
spotted silk pocket-handkerchief
There were also several kilograms
awaiting the hand of the operator.
One was from the Chief of Police
at White Peak. stating-rather late,
perhaps-that the bank defalcatOr had
at the eleventh hour, and on the very
step, so to speak, of the train, sur
rendered himself to the local authori-
ties. There was another. from Colonel
Copley. of the Four-Hundredth Cav
airy, inquiring if any thing had been
heard at Big Pine station of the miss
ing English Baronet who was overdue
at the barracks.
only think. said Miss Barlow, with
little SILVER. ''if | had locked you up
in the ticket Office all night. what
,CoUld Colonel Copley have saidl'
THAT, under the circumstances, you
had done no more than your country
expected of yOu," returned Sir Ernest.
But, say. all this thing was awfully
plucky of you, Miss Barlow. l don't
know of an English girl that would
have had the courage to go through
with it. )"
Eunice smiled little. Here is your