Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-11


never seen him since. Perhaps it IS only
fancy. and my poor girls alment comes
from other causes, But come VIII
show you the water.
Leading the way the old gentleman
took me across the sIOping meadows,
and left me at last by as beautiful
trout stream as I ever saw.
'sThere, % he said, 81 won't stop, but
if there is no sign Of rise, come and
have a bit Of lunch. We shall dine at z
so as to leave you free for the evening,
when the trout are sure to come on.
Before I could utter word Of protest
he was gone; and then, with that deli
ci0us trOut-stream before me. my tackle
in nv hand. and the Aay-fiies darling
up and down, I, an ardent fisherman,
forgot all, and sat down upon an old
stump, trying to bring up memories
half forgotten story told me by quaint
Ralph barley, my old friend and com
paniOn, who had told me to go and try
this water; old Ralph, the misOgynisG.
the dry, grumpy old fellow, who had
told me one night in his chambers in the
Temple. in one Of his rare bursts Of con
hdence, as we sat at the open window
smoking, how he had once seen a girl
whom he could have loved with all his
heart, but poverty, dread Of refusal and
moral EOHaIGlCE 1ldu hGEJJ MN DSLlJlAo
81 have got 1t - I said suddenly, after
sitting there for quite an hour, and
jumping up looked at my watch and
the leaf Of a timetable; Yes, L could
Just do it-catch the train up. But
could I get by the rectOry unseen?
tried and found another way across
to the lane by which / came; and max
ing all the haste I could, 1 just T#nted
up to the little station as the up-traIu
crawled in.
Two hours later I was in Ralph's
room, where he was porting over a dry
brief.
''HuIlo!' he said, looking up. 81
thought you we're off fishing"
EYES," 1 said, putting on the gross
deceiver, 81 did run down to the place
you told me of. "
''Indeedl'' he said, looking interested,
but sinking back. half closing his eyes,
with sad smile upon his lip, which
seemed to say, ''Ah! if that could have
been"
eyes, I continued, ''the trout are on
wonderfully. May-flies in abundance. I
hadn't the heart, though, to fish alone,
and so came back to fetch you without
wetting a line. Come, let's start by the
first train in the morning. You make
His eyes sparkled as he grasped my
hand.
''This is kind of you, old fellow. I
should enjoy it above all things and,
yes, I could spare a day. But no, no,
he said sadly, 81 won't CO."
''Nonsense!' cried, ''yOu shall. "
''NO,' he said, ''that place is associat-
ed with something very depressing to
nv mind I can't 90 -
''My dear Ralph, said, 81 have
come back on purpose to fetch you, and
go you must. "
My persistence prevailed, and, tremb-
ling for the success of my plan to such
an extent lay awake all night for fear
should miss the train. I rose and took
my bath at 4; got Ralph off; and we ran
down by the same train as 1 had gone
by on the previous morning, my friend
growing more silent and depressed as we
reached the station and walked towards
the rectOry.
cit is Just three years since I was
down here, " he said sadly as we ap-
preached the cOpse. elbow sWeetly the
birds sing"
I man@uvered that he should go first,
having for excuse the narrowness of the
dewsprent path; and as I hoped, so it
fell about, for letting him get a few yards
in advance, hung back as Ralph turned
the corner by the stiIe, when there was
a wild cry, a sharp ejaculation, and saw
poor Laura literally leap to his breast
/ and nestle there, exclaiming, cat last!
at last"
''NIy poor girl he cgied in faltering
tones, astOunded, delighted, and ending
by clasping her tightly to him, as she
exclaimed jOyOusly:
''It has been so long, but I knew you
would come at last.
''Here, quick! quick" cried Ralph,
''She has tainted.
1t was quite true; and between us we
carried the poor girl to the rectOry, from
whence the gardener went gallOping off
on the rector's cob for the doctor, three
miles away.
But Laura wanted no doctor; and a
short time after I left her lying on the
sofa, holding Ralph's hand tightly in
both of hers as he knelt by her side,
telling her again and again how he had
always loved her but had never dared to
hOpe-wOrds that made her eyes bright
en- and her heart palpitate with ,Oy.
''And this is why you didn't come
back yesterday, said the old gentleman,
with his voice shaking, as he chung to
my hand.
''And we-we-we kept the ducks til
they were quite spoiled. % said the old
lady. ''Oh, dearl oh, dearl I don't know
what I'm saying, only God bless you for
! thisI God bless you for this!" and she
threw her arms round my neck and
/ kissed me as if I had been her son.
I ran away at last, I felt so ready to
( act like q child; and the basket Of trout
I I killed that day was a marvel.
1t was getting dark when 1 strOlled
back, heavily laden to the rectory, to
hear that the doctor had been and gone
/ away.
Smiling, sir, smiling, said the old
rector to me, as I remembered that I
had thought she wanted none.
/ u Z