Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-06-28

Fortune favored her; the children gave
up the pursuit, and Missy, having climbed
over the fence, ran down a back street,
IA laugboble little figure as ever APP
pearcd in unaccgstomcd clothes four
sizes too large FOR her; but in the gather
Ing dusk she passed unseen. Her aim
was to overtake the stage in which Paul
Herry was expected and by some means
TO hide herself therein. Once away
from Tallahassee, Missy felt sure Of her
route, for with her all roads led TO
Tampa.
BY dint of wandering she came at last
to the postotficc, in front Of which the
stage had just stopped. The sight Of it
thrilled her with exultation. She felt
herself at last on the way to rejoin her
brother. There could be no hindrance
now, she felt sure, 10 her journey. She
dashed across the street and reached the
stage coach unobserved, for all the by
ISLANDERS were gathered around the post
Office, cxpectant OF the mail. A quartet
OF young lads were dragging another
lad from the coach with hilarious greet
ing ms Missy climbed up by the hind
wheel on the opposite side and established
| herself on top.
There a terrible sense Of isolation pos
| Scssed her. She stretched herself out,
face downward, and TO keep from wall
! ing aloud, stuffed the skirt Of her nan.
| keen blouse in her mouth, loathing her
cowardicc. But her purpose gave way
at last. After all, she was only pretend
ing to be boy; how could she, a poor,
! quaking little girl, ever hope to find Brer
Nicholas unaided and alone?
In despair and self contempt she began
to climb down with perilous haste; the
driver cracked his whip, the coach gave
lurch, Missy lost her hold and fell, with
wild scream, between the wheels.
The horses were checked instantly, and
there was rush to the spot whence that
frantic cry proceeded. Paul Henry, who
had started to walk home accompanied
by his young friends, turned back to Join
the little crowd assembled around Missy,
lying unconscious in the sand.
No one recognized the child, and a
locker on had just hazarded the coniect-
urc that the outlandish little creature
must have arrived on the stage, unknown
to the driver, when Larkin came upon
the scene.
"Lemmo seer' he shrieked Fur de
love o heben, mawsters, dat chile /,
Mawse Jasper Thorne's darter, little Miss
Winifred Thorne."
There was q murmur of incredulity,
but Iarkin insisted, apologetically.
"Tubbe sho, hit doan look lax hit, but
hits so. Hukkom she's in sch rig; che
been playin' succuss. Lawd! Lawd Is
she killed, mawsters?"
They lifted Missy from the ground
and carried her into a neighboring drug
store, where sho recovered consciousness.
'Fm Winifred Thornc." she said, and
essayed to move, but tainted again.
amy bones brukI" Larkin asked anx-
iously of the doctor bending over her.
The doctor thought not but there was
probably serious injury somewhere; and
Larkin was ordered to return and inform
Mrs Herry.
Paul Herry had hardly told his grand
mother what lie knew of the accident
when Missy was brought in on litter,
where she lay, deadly pale, with her eyes
closed, and moaning piteously.
Miss Elvira came and looked at her
'Oh, Winifred," she lamented, "what
will your father sayy'
'Hush!" Mrs. Herry warned her; but
Missy heard and opened her eyes.
Il was-tryin' to find-Brer Nicholas"
she painted.
Poor childl' Mrs. Herry sighed, with
tears falling over her cheeks like rain.
Miss Eivra staggered back to the sofa
IN the parlor and wept and wrung her
hands.
"Some ono must go for the colonel"
Mrs. Herry said.
One of Pauls young friends, who had
helped to bear the litter, offered TO ride
to Thorne Hill, and some time past mid
night Col. Thorne alighted at Mrs. Her
ry' gate.
He had ridden hard and he had ridden
alone, for he would not allow the breath
less messenger who brought the tidings
of Missy's fall to return with him; nor
was 1t so much the instinct of hospitality
that made him insist upon the young
fellow remaining the night at Thorne as
the desire to escape all witness of the
anguish he could not hide. He had or
dcred Griifen Jim TO make ready the
double buggy and follow Immediately
with Glory Ann, but he himself rode out
in the night as furiously rs his son had
ridden away just one year before. The
colonel remembered this and groaned
aloud; he remembered, too, with shud-
der his declaration that he would never
again cross Mrs. Herry's threshold save
in case of some calamity; and the calam.
ity had come, but not 10 Mrs. Herrv.
The lights We're still burning in the
parlor and in the hall, and there was
light also in one of the rooms upstairs.
The colonel, as he dismounted, scanned
the windows Of that room with a fevercd
effort to read there some sign Of his
child's condition, before he strobe up the
path.
His violent ride had not subdued his
excitement, though to the physician who
met him at the door he presented tho
tmponetrable, distant demeanor that had
always characterized him; the only sign
Of feeling he showed was his utter in
ability to frame in words the questions
that burned in his eyes
Il am of the opinion that the injuries
will not necessarily prove fatal" the |
doctor said, and paused.
The colonel bowed.
"But lamcness may be the result"
An angry flush darkened the coloners !
face, hut he heard all the doctor said in
silence, and then, turning abruptly away,
went upstairs.
At the door of the room where Missy
lay Mrs. Herry met him.
"What is the matter" lie demanded.
Has not DIR, Lane told your" Mrs.
Herry said. giancing at the child on the
bed
"Onc doctorr' exclaimed the colonel,