Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-07-04
The girl rose to her feet with CRY of

'Si'Licu NCiCe -ly 2ult VIII Ce &c
dreadfully anxious. Oh. must get back
tonight"
Il fear i: is impossible" said Car.
ru-he-s gravcly. 1T is not only fear.
ful snow storm even for Dartmoor. bu,
with this wind the snow will drift SC
abominably. 1t is drifting now"
Was it 10; little imprudent TO ven.
ture So far from home in such threaten.
ing weather." said Darrell. with hall
reproving smile.
Il did not mean 10 so very far" she
| answered. Il had gone to see Il poor
woman who lives on the edge Of the
moor; but stayed too late, and then the
snow came on worse than ever. And
then l lost my way. Oh, must have
walked for miles and miles" she sighed,
''for an SO tired
Poor little thing" said Darrell, with
much the same compassionate tenderness
he would have used to a child-and,
indeed. the girl looked little more.
Your people will be terribly anxious
about you, I'm afraid, but it is really Ut
serly out Of thequestion for you to get to
Tavistock tonight"
do you mean that must stay here?'
she said, looking up at him with eyes in
which there was more than a suspicion
of tears.
I'm afraid do" he answered kindly
And am equally afraid that we can
not make things as comfortable for you
as we should like to do. The fact is. we
are two helpless bachelors. with every
prospect of being doubly helpless, for the
old man who acts as our servant on the
few occasions when we come down here
went to Princetown this forenoon for
supplies, and has evidently found the
roads impossible. IS he has not re-
turned"
"Oh, what will Aunt Priscilla say?"
she murmured in a nervous, faltering
little voice. Then, after q pause, Il
ought to tell you who am, suppose.
My name is Leslie Heath. My aunt is
Miss Carlyon. She has taken The Grange
for three years."
"Carlyon," said Darrell quickly. II
knew a man Carlyon in the til lancers.
He was junior major ten years ago."
"Ah, that must; have been my uncle
Jim," she said, flushing brightly. HE
has been in India ever since I can.re-
member"
And is it possible that you arc Jim
Canyons niece?" he exclaimed, with a
pleased light in his gray eyes. Then
we may almost claim acquaintance, Miss
Heath, for he used to be a great chum of
mine out in Simla."
The girl looked at him with a puzzled
earnestness for a second or two. Then
she said gravely:
II think you must be Capt. Darrell,
are you not?'
eyes, {" he answered, looking surprised.
MY name is Darrell-Lancelot Darrell.
And this is my friend and alter ego, Gil
bert Carruthers."
II have SO often heard Aunt Priscilla
speak Of you," she said to Darrell, when
she had bestowed sweet little smile on
Carruthers. "Ycu once saved Uncle
Jin's life, did you not" she added. with
an awed infection in her voice.
"Oh, no. hardly that" he answered
hastily.
Here Carruthers, who had been feel
ing rather out of it, observed very sensi-
bly, that if Miss Heath sat much longer
in her wet clothes sho would most GER
tainly catch cold.
but what am l to do:" she said pit
eously.
Darrell pulled his mustache again
with a perplexed air.
"You see-er-that is-well, rs this is
bachelor establishment" began Car
ruthers. not very lucidly, "you know, of
course, we-er"- Then ho stopped
and stirred the fire violently, being, in
fact, not very sure what he intended to
say:
There was moments pause, and then
Miss Heath, being divided between a
sense OF the righteousness Of her situa-
ton and the consciousness that she was
feeling miserably cold and painfully en-
barrassed, suddenly. and to the utter
CONSERVATION OF her companions,
burst into storm of .1ystericai
sobs. She looked SO small, SO childish,
90 forlorn and yet SO lovable, as she sat
there in her dripping garments. that the
hearts Of both MN vert out to her with
curious protecting tenderness.
Miss Ees.ss.r exclaimed Carruthers,
after dismaySS; glance at Darrell "Oh.
BY Jove! poor little thing"
Darrell poured out little brandy, d.
luted it well and held it to her lips.
"Hush, hush," he whispered sooth-
ingly. "Drink this-it will do you
good"
When he had set down the glass again
he went out of the room. turning at the
door to say abruptly:
"Carruthcrs-come here for a minute;
I want you"
They turned into the little frelit
kitchen. and stood for a few minutes
staring at each other in silence. Then
Carruthers laughed little.
whats to be done?' he said. "It's
deuced awkward for the poor little
thing-deuced awkward all round, in
fact"
Its more than awkward" returned
Darrell seriously. 1.-THE poor child will
catch her death Of cold. She ought to
have off these wet things and be- got to
bed at once. But then He stopped
and frowned slightly.
"Well-er-there's my dressing gown.
don't you know" hazarded Carruthers
"For the matter Of that, there's
mine, was the rather curt reply. "And
I'll tell you what, Gilbert, can have a
shake down with you for tonight, and
Miss Heath can hare my room. It's
rather larger than yours. And wen
take some hot Goals from here and make
up fbaring fire."
IAN right Just light candle, will
you. while I look where that old idiot
has put the shovel"
Meanwhile the poor little visitor was
sitting disconsolately beside the sitting
room fire.
"What horrible predicament have /
got myself into? she muttered hys-
terically. II wish old Catty Linden had
been at the bottom of the sea before l
went to see her today. Oh, what shall /
doa can't stay here all night with
these two men. They must wish me far
enough. I'm sure, though they try not to
let me sec it. Unjust get home tonight:
and II don't what shall I do for dry
clothesg' And then for sheer WEAKNESS,
and cola. and modification. she began to
sob again. Poor little womanl she was
not quite eighteen. and very young at
that.
Some ten minutes later the door
opened, and Darrell came in alone,
Snow. Miss Heath" he said, seating
himself beside her, and speaking very
gently. but very firmly too, I'VE must
have no more tears"