Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-08-15

kll144tt44dGSiS inspecting tlo tSeSA 0aSbA44
about HaZleton, in Luzerne County.
Under assumed names, they registered at
o little hotel in the village of Upper Lehigh,
within two miles Of Drifton, in Pennsyl-
yania.
Prof. John Fairfax, a digIifed, gray
haired old gentleman, was in charge OF a fe-
male seminary in the town. He was wellto-
do only in the size of his family, consisting
of several daughters and two sons, Arthur
and Dana Fairfax.
Mir. Arthur Fairfax was absent-no one
knew where. Still this fact, although not all
reassuring, was by no means conclusive
| proof of his guilt. So s'mY Lady LYDIA re-
solved to profit by his absence.
Ere her departure she had learned much
About the town, more about the F~airfaxes,
and, most of all, about Mr.. Arthur Fairfax.
She heard, too, the history of his disappoint-
ments and his present unhappy state Of in
decision But, the more she learned about
him and the more she saw of his fathers
family, the more she began to think that it
was impossible that he should be any thing
| else but innocent.
Lydia was what might be called a prac-
| teal dreamer; and, to be candid, many Of
her musings latterly were chiefly upon n
subject, and much in the following extra
ordinary vein:
Her estates We're large; her tenants man
fold. They, Of course, would vote for the
man of her choice, should he offer himself
as a Parliamentary candidate. How much
better would be her life could she marry a
man whom she might thus help. Howmuch
happier than if mated with some roue, her
equal in wealth and station, perhaps, but
| tired of life and in blase; whom was no am
bition and no apparent interest in the world
at large.
These, and thoughts like these, constant
" hoated through her mind. Can she be
blamed if they were in connection with but
one man?
Her very mission, together with the eK-
tremely satisfactory results Of her inyesti-
| cations as to Fairfax's character and ante
| cedents were such as could scarcely fail to
interest the coolest and most fastidious
woman. Lydia found her interest growing
so warm that she, at last, allowed herself
! to come to a defnitely-shaped resolve, al
| though somewhat staggered at first, by the
very boldness and unwomanly nature OF
the latter. In character it was somewhat
us follows:
When she should eventually find this man,
| Fairfax, he and fate-stogether with a little
| assistance from me,' so she naively told
~herself-must once and for all ''decide this
matter,'' as she was pleased to call it.
But deep down in hor heart was the con-
viction never uttered, yet allpowerful, that
for what she gave she must receive genuine
coin in return.
Let the reader pause a moment before
uttering his hastily-formed opinion as to the
somewhat remarkable course adopted by
this equally remarkable young woman, and
allow the writer to repeat certain facts al
ready given.
She had always been accustomed to hay
ing her own way. She had lived long
enough in her owl country to realize the
false and mercenary spirit of most Of the
men whose rank would allow them to aspire
to her hand. Something in hcT heart told
her that when she esteeme3 eiis Fairfax,
she was esteeIning q genuine man. But her
very rank and wealth, she thought, would
bo apt to hold him aloof, even if he were to
fall in love with her;-perhaps most impor-
tant-their respective homes were in widely
different continents and events might never
again throw them into each others way.
Thus reasoned Madamoiselle Lydia, and
il she reasoned oddly and somewhat diff
ferently from the conventional ways of
precise society, she, at least, reasoned cor
rectly and naturally, and followed not
form, but her own heart. AS Emerson has
it, abe had written "on the lintels Of her
d~oor-post, sWhim.'"
But where was this Fairfax to be foundi
Bis own family did not know. She was at
her wits end to discover some means to
learn his whereabouts and to meet him, so
tina the meeting might appear accidental.
Fortune helped her, as It always helps
those who help themselves.
Ere leaving the village she made a part
ing call on the Fairfaxes. The family was
in great joy. A letter had just that me-
ment been received from the missing son.
Mrs. Fairfax was reading it aloud. and her
caller, taking kindly interest n begging
her 10 proceed, she continued:
SIT seems Arthur is at Mt. Desert, ON q
little business affair." he writes, that may
keep me here some time. By the way, I an
know here as Arnold Fox. Address my let
tiers accordingly, and'"-here he had
heavily UNDERSIGNED the line" please. on
no ~aerosnf, let any one know Of my where
abouts or nom de plume Oil Miss earns
ford'-for such was the name by which
Lydia was known to her-ssyou win excuse
US, then, for requesting silence upon that
point that we have un~wittingly divnlged to
your
OF course Lydia smiled. and promised.
She then returned to New York, endeav-
oring throughout the journey to solve the
problem as to Mt. Desert-how to get there,
and what the excuse for going.
At the Windsor Hotel she found the
cards Of many callers among whom had
been the Guinares, who left q note asking
her to return with them to Bar Harbor,
where they proposed spending October.
She was overjoyed at this simple solution
OF her problem. OF course she would 70
with them.
Wherever the party went, the observed
q all observers, it is quite needless 70 say,
WIS the young Engiishwoman. The tall,
finely proportioned figure, that clear, white,
brilliant complexion, those wonderful bluo
eyes, and her very manner and carriage
never failed to attract q second giance
toward her.
On the afternoon of q loveiy, calm day
they arrived at Mt Desert ferry. In thu
sunset glow the hills of the island doomed
high, end the waters of Frerchman,s bar.