Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-27
PART III,

often interrupted Jacks tete-a-tetes with
his lady love are over at last
Their little house is complete, and want
ing only inhabitants. The route for their
wedding tour is mapped out, and there re-
mains but one thing for Jack to provide,
that little gold circlet, which Cis has more
pride in than in any other of her adornments
They are alone in the drawing-room, or
"parlour" as the landlady designates it.
Not even its glaring, many-colored carpet,
not the shaded vase of wax flowers which
occupies the center of that table which so
provoked Jacks scepticism, can dim the
romance of the situation to these two young
hearts.
Incongruous surroundings, vile taste of
every description, are all unnoticed by
| them. They are standing in the big bow
window, but only looking at one another.
She, in her soft white dress,
with her fair hair clustering in
little rings over her temples, and casting
pearly shadows on her white brow, seems to
want only nimbus around her head to be
| the embodiment of seraph.
He is looking down on the slender hand
which lies on his own great brown palm.
'eWhat trumpery little bit of a thing it
ISL he says fondly. "No wonder the jew
eler fellow had no ring small enough; let us
try now which of these elegant little arti-
! cles will fit, /" taking from his pocket bunch
of brass rings such as jewellers use as guides
for size.
The very smallest woman's size is right.
Jack detaches it from the bunch, and places
it separately in his waistcoat pocket
| cpl be off then, and get the
real thing" he says, though ap-
parently in no hurry to take himself off.
"'Tis to be very broad one, is it? Those
are my orders?"
| 'Yes,'' she answers, 81 want it as broad
as it can be made; so that everyone can see
| it. People will never believe I'm grown
up: they will not believe I'm a married
woman, perhaps, unless my ring is dis
tinctly visible"
She watches him from the window as he
leaves the house, thinking gratefully of her
| happy future; admiring his broad shoulders
and manly figure, the careless grace OF his
walk, and the bright look he throws back at
her before he turns the corner.
81 don't believe there's another man to
hold a candle to him in England!' she
says to herself, with shy pride. $50
good, so handsome, and so strong
and powerful 1 should never be
afraid to go anywhere, or do anything with
Jack; he fears nothing and nobody. How
came he ever to fancy girl like me? so
timid and weak and silly as 1 am! Jack de-
serves a clever woman who is strong minded
and more equal to himself, but oh! do
| thank God that he has chosen mep'
She is in too restless state of happiness
| in thinking upon the change in her life, so
soon to come to her, to settle to any occupa-
tion, so she seeks her sister and wiles away
| the time in her company.
| Presently she stations herself again at the
| window to watch for Jacks return.
| "See, Flor she exclaims suddenly.
"What crowd of people there is lower
down! There must be some fight or quar-
rell see couple of policemen among
| them"
Flo comes hastily to the window, and, as
she looks, an indefnable fear that the crowd
is in some way connected with themselves
forces itself upon her mind.
"Don't stand there, Cis," she says.
| 'Come away, dear, it may be an accident. 1
would Mt look if 1 were you"
| ''Let me look" replies the girl, impa-
| tiently thrusting away her sister. Her
own eyes have caught reflection of Flo's
alarm, and she strains her sight in trying
\ to pierce the crowd, which is advancing
slowly toward the terrace in which they are
| lodging.
As the moving mass halts for a minute, q
| figure emerges from its center, gentleman,
who stops and speaks to a Outstanding
nursemaid She points in the direction of
the house they occupy, and the man walks
| quickly on, enters the little piece of front
garden and ascends the steps, Cis turns
| white as the dress she wears.
"Who-what does he want?" she gasps,
sit must be constable! Flo, he doesn't
want us, does hep" piteouslv.
"Stay here, Cisp' says Flo authorita-
| lively, cit is most likely nothing to do with
\ u.s. He wants some information, perhaps.
1 am going to him, DEAR
But the girl is not to be kept back She
forces her way into the passage and hears q
voice inquire for Mrs Borrowdaile.
''There has been an accident, says the
gentleman. "Ir. Darlington is hurt; he
| has had fall then, seeing the fear and
distress on both their faces, he continues:
"Am right in supposing that he is a
relative of yours? Banks, the jeweler, di-
rected us here"
| eyes, yesP' answers Flo, hurriedly, che
/ is, at least, staying with me-" glancing sig
nifcantly at Ois, who stands in the door
\ way, supporting herself against the Intel.
1 ''Is he badly hurt, can he walk?''
| "He is not conscious now," replies the
| doctor, who partly guesses what the facts of
| the case may be. ''He must be taken at
once to his room, if you please.
| Jack has no room of his own at Mrs. Bor-
rowdaile's, for, though nominally staying
with them he sleeps at the "Rose," close
by, but by Flo's orders, the men, who have
| by now arrived bearing his inanimate body,
carry him to the first room they reach, on
the landing
There, ON the bed, spread out in all its
freshness lies the bridal dress, with wreath
and veil, ready to adorn little Cis. 1t is
ruthlessly gathered up by the girl herself,
and thrown on one side, and poor Jack, who
had left the house in all the strength of his
manhood but an hour back, is laid there in
| its stead.
| Cis is calm and fearless as she watches the
bearers place their heavy burden down,
gazes on those closed eyes, so full of love
when last she met them, and sees, with an
agony past expression, the helpless body,
which falls across the bed limp and power
less, till they straighten the young limbs,
and place pillow beneath his shapely
| head.
There is no sign of pain on his features;
no mark of wound save, hidden from sight
under the clustering hair, deep indented
blow on the right temple.
! The women believed him stunned Cis
kneels by his side, moistening his lips