The morning call., 1890-08-26
A RAINY ROMANCE.
BY JUSTIN H. MCCARTHY.
Author Of doom: An Atlantic Episode" Lily
Lass" etc.
CHAPTER I.

HI
~ tropical in Its ierccity and British only
In the logged way In which it stuck 10 its busi-
ness and descended peftinaciousy. IL might
never have Tained before and never be going to
rain again, so savagely, so mouotonously did tile
storm come down. great sheets OF water falling
upon the scorehed earth with kind OF roar as II
its duty was 10 soak aud soak until 1t pierced the
weather-beaten skin of the earth and silenced
the central fires.
Heavens! how dark it was, too, and the dark
ness added an additional grlmness, an additional
eerie terror to the drowned night 1t was no
Gle al DAT kness such as sailors speak OF, but a
blackness like that which ST. JUICE talks OF In
thai terrible immortal sentence OF his, about The
wandering stars. But there were no wandering
STARS TO- night, none visible at least. All was
blackness over the dIenched earth, all was black
ness in lie dripping skies. The nearest approach
10 planetary illumination came fIOm the Kicker
ing gas lamps that sent their waveriDg troubled
light little way into that sable horror oil the
apparent void beyond the strip Of pavement
and the twin sparkle OF the carriage lights.
Through all the noise Of The descending RAIN
through all the sigh and shrektng OF the vino,
one other sound was audible. Any practiced ear
knew what that sound was. Ii was tile moaning
of the sea, chafed and fretted by the DOWNFALL
water protesting against water as against i ieuu
OF kiDsmen. ,. 49,.
way of the station ana peeped out into the night.
How glad she was to think that she was eX-
pected, that her people knew she was coming
and had sent 4 carriage 10 meet her. There II
was, Just In 'front.' of her, few feet IN 'front.' OF
her but quie invisible in the blaeEness, It's
Whereabouts only ascertainable where the lamps
cleaned like enormous 1retlieS caught in the
rain and paralyzed into equilibrium by us
attacks. For II there was one thng more CERTAIN
than another it was that she would never nave
got a cab that night. That was what Inc porter
had told her as she got cut OF the tIaln, ana she
was very pleased indeed when she lounu tHal
her suggestion that carriage had been sent Tor
her proved TO be correct. Another minute now
and The porter would have collected her belong,
ines and she would be on her way 10 The hotel
and in the arms Of her own people.
she was very lucky, no doubt, and her luck
was accentuated by tie iil-luck OF another A
man was standing near her-standlng Just out
side the station and gazing iuetully into Tue
darkness. Al least she supposed he was gazing
ruefuly, for she could not see ms taeeucpu nd
scarcely have seen II IL the station lamps had
been brighter. and hadn't danced so wildly 10
The piping OF The wind, for his collar was turned
up 10 his ears aud lis hat was pulled forward
over bis eyes In his effort to keep as much OF The
Indictment elements as possible from his coun-
teuaDce. But she concluded with swift feminine
directness that his gaze must be rue!ul II II cor
responded, as the expression OF human races
usually does with the tones OF his voice. That
was ruelul in The extreme. IL was pleasant
voice. 1t seemed young voice, TOO; put us
pleasantness was dashed just now by very nat
do you mean ,5.g to tell NE that there's not
The ts porter answered him with dreary de-
cisiOn: -
lie added these words after pause, as IL as
rule hackney coaches piled Tor affections sake
and only took money nnoer rare ana eAcep-
tiOna conditions, like the present
mo use my waiting on tie chance OF one
turning up?"
The porter was empha,lcay hopeless as be.
fore.
Then, as If to excuse tile aWkwardness OF the
situation by reference TO It's unusualness, he
Never knew such a night as this in Folke-
stone before; no, neyeri not IN all my born
The mufled man did not seem TO derive much
consolation from The porters reflections.
"Weu,' he said, with groan OF good-humored
resignation, " suppose there's nothing Tor IL
but 10 walk 10 the Sea View. I'll leave my traps
here ana send somebody up for them from tue
Marie Antoinette listened 20 this dialogue with
great deal VI pity. What dismal prospect
Tor The poor man TO have to walk all Tie way 10
the Sea View IN downpour Ike that which
would soak him TO the skin before lie had gone
two yards. Andtt was nearly Two miles 10 Inc
hotel-the same hotel that sue was going TO SO
comfortably In the great, dark, roony carriage.
| What pity she couldn't offer 10 take him with
| her. But. OF course IL wouldn't do, both utter
strangers, she young woman, he a young man;
| she having 10 make the offer. For moment
| the whimsical idea flashed ncToss her mind mat
II wouldn't be bad plau 10 ask The porter to In.
troduce the gentleman TO her; once he as intro
| duced lie would come into the category q. per-
sOnaI friends and surely there could be no Of
fence TO Ihe convcntiOnalties in o2ering a lift to
personal friend on dripping night ike THIS
| But on reflection she felt th:t this would not do
| And yet she dearly w1uted, In the corner OF Der
kind heart TO do something TO help tile abOu-to-
| be-saturated pilgrim.
| He porr fellow, now resigned 10 the inevita-
be las making bis arrangements for leaving
| his luggage behind him. Marie Antoinette STOOD
! and watched him; her great dark eyes, those
eyes which her mother always likeued 10 the
| eyes of the iallow deer, grew quite moist With
passion. Was 1t not really absurd, afler all,
she asked herself, to let lelloW-Delng run The
| risk of catching his death OF cold-and II was
| risk, for the young man coughed occasionally
| Jast because Of stupid conyentlonal1ty. Why
| should she care for conventionallty? 1t really
| seemed wicked, quito wicked, 10 let him drift oil
| in that way through that binding, roaring, mer-
! CHESS deuge to that very place TO which she was
Veil" said the young fellow to the porter.
| 'nI have seen some lively Taln-stOIms In my
time, but not 10 come up to this, not even at jug
| gefapOTe. which we used TO consider damp
| enough, goodness knows. However, here goes"
And then lie gave little cough again and ad-
vanced 10 the edge OF the platform Ike man
who is Just going 10 jump into stormy sea.
| Marie AnloiEeIte could stand IL no longer.
al should be beast" she said TO herself, and
she reueated The word beast viclously, as II TO
confirm her in her resolution, ''if were TO allow
such thing" ia,
| both hands, aud quitting her doorway walked
straight Up 10 where the ll'staned man was
stand ding.
spoke, but she gol the words out CALAMITY enough
| 81 beg yGur pardon" she said, but there is a
carriage waiting 10 take me to the Sea View. 1
|
there IS plenty OF room"
Here her voice traied very incoherently. The
| untitled man turned almost with a start aud faced
| her. Neither OF them could see The others face
for The pltchy darkness. Their voices seemed TO
come out OF space.
| 1T Is most kind OF you, really most kind in
| deed. II you would be so very good as TO allow
me TO sill on The box Of your carriage should be
| very grateful indeed. 1t isn't much OF q walk,
| but am little lame just now"
She Interrupted him eagerly.
"Oh no, couldn't think of letting you ride on
! the box on such night as this. You might
catch your death OF cold. Please come inside
We are both going 10 the same place. You had
! much better"
The man stood moment doubtfulIy trying
| bard and hOpelessly TO discover what the owner
| of the sweet girlish voice was like. Then his
head turned in the direction OF the road. where
| the shining wall OF rain seemed TO bar all pass
| age. Through the wall the yellow lights of the
| carriage glitlered Ike the eyes of some forest
beast. The man gave Sigh.
| "If you are quite sure that 1t will not put you
Marie Antonette interrupted him again, and
| this with more decision in her voice.
mo, no, Indeed IL WON'T you really must
| Gomez
She turned and walked toward the carriage.
BY this lime Marie AntoInette's porter had
| turned up with her belongings, and was dexter
| ously packing them away inside aud outside Of
the vehicle.
=" You had better bring your things, too" said
Marie Antoinetle TO The man. There will be
room for some inside, and there Is tarpaulin to
| cover those on top"
| Really feel ashamed OF being so much
| trouble" SAID the stranger, gratefully.
| =" lbs no trouble at ALL" Marie An,olnette an
! sWered, and then they were both silent while the
| slightly amazed porlers proceeded TO stow away
the different properties of their respective clients.
| Que porter opened the door OF the carriage.
| Marie AntUlnette got In and settled herself In
| lar corner. The man paused again as IL hesilat-
| ing.
% You are quite sure ?"
"Oh quite. Please get;in."
II he were trying 10 see her face or she courI-
ous TO see his, In each curiosity was bafi ed.
| The lamp shed no light that betrayed his face or
| hers.
There was a clnk OF silver in the hand OF the
porter, the stranger got into the carriage and
| slowed himself away in the opposite corner TO
| Marie Anionetie. Various hatbOxes, bundles
and rolls OF STICKS and umbrellas were huddled in
| between them. Then with lurch The carriage
| trundled of into the darkness.
1t was an odd drive. Everything was as black
| as VOLTS mouth; how The driver managed to
| steer was a marvel 10 Marie AntOinette. Notn-
| ing was to be heard but the horrible driving OF
| The rain. The raging OF the wind. and between
| gusts, the distant sobbng OF the sea. The muf-
| fled man In the corner tried to speak now ana