Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-01-06

girli Herr was bride elect ON the very
verge of . runaway waking her lover
herself. urging haste In his movements.
and generally being as cool ~ cucum-
her.
That's right she sided coolly.
"AnuAs all ready. and the old lady
sleep- like William Tell; 10 hurry. dear. :"
brath~i fraction norc frrcly. AZ
all events. che was 10 have another fe-
male IN the cscapade. That would be
more respectable, PERHAPS, when the AZ
fair came to b. talkci of. but how hal
she persuaded that little milk and.wstcr
thing 90 brave her Argus and the pro
prietics nj such AN hour and for such .
purIs~ei
actually pinoh-i myself 20 scc II ]
WAS rcally awake The whole thing
ssmcl like an ugly dream, and ! could
-carccly reali1e that q single day could
have crowded into II the oyertun % all
my hops that hai almost grown to Ger.
iaintics: th. substitution ~ ~ unet.
r-ciei rival. ani. n.ora than all. the
unhear,i 20 fact of Anna Belton stepping
~ Ear ou, u her mo.icsiy a to make ms
n formal declaration ~ loyel
No, was wide awake. Tho whole
.erie- wa. only too rral. and there wa-
D.tiis blythe standing At our door in
the gray dAwning She was rally going
20 run away with her cousin. She had
In very fact driven me to desperation.
AMI she had actually persuaded the
White Nous to rvlalli0n.
I, was rally rrinArkAbls what won.
derfui sway she could cKeri over all who
came within her insucncc. And yet
there was no trvmor In her voice 10 show
the slightest agitation. By Gcorgc. she
ws guing a. clandcstine matrimony a.
slls would io her hryakfasti
Hes r-aiy. He's guing with IA. of
oour-e.- Mis- Blythe definitely said.
.You ioll him would sctilc that
An irrvprvssibls groan % ngc and
DESPAIR hurst frum me. They did no,
notice 10 A. Tom answered.
"Oh. yc- but yuu mus; b. careful 10
explain fully ~ ann ~ YOU can"
Leave him to me. was the short an.
swrr Now wake him
In one minute. he's all drcss'i." Tom
rvplici. chccrily. "Dut you ought 10
know tha, b. ,hinks--- H. siepp-d into
the hall and drvw the door gently behind
him.
lie was only gone q moment. \ sound
Of whispering anil half smother~i sob
came over the iransUm, light step
tript--l up the hall. and Tom rc-cnicrcd
with hts hands pr-scd over his face.
Then I know b. had told her how had
spoken. felt thrill ~ triumph tha,
abe hcAri hal borne tho news ~ calmly.
WAKE up. cd fellow"
Tom stool by my bedside. and saw IA
the moonlight somothing ~ the crpr-.
sion on his face II had worn the night b,'-
forr. IL died ou,. however. a. spoke.
Il am awake have no drussing to
DO sald. glooInily.
We wcru soon rva,ly. Walking stealth.
ily a. burglars. Jonc. ani rvachci the
foot ~ the brual stairway. Tn. hack
dor s,ooi wide open. and the MON
light. family reflected frOm the dark
pancls. shovel twU maiIe,l and NclIei
Ggur. awai,in: us
"Youn take D-t.- Tom whispered
hoarS~ly In my ear. O1co more be
pry~.cd both hanls againsi his face a. "
to rvprcss his feelings
Like An animated statue ! advanced
AMI offered my arm to the vcilci hgurc
nsarv-t me. For ! was rsolycii She
should never have one ray u triumph
over tue 20 brighten the blsckne~s ot the
wrong she was about 30 do her doiing
father.
Ino,lc,si the little hanI she rrsiel GA
my arm trvmblei slightly. She hal
some feeling. them II wa more than ]
hal suspected. bat | only grcw siOnier
and s,ouier. sst my face like fint
Tom approached her COMPANION very
quietly. drcw her arm through his with
mor- Difference than thought necessary
with such . wr.k. inans little bridss-
maid. AMI lei the way out q tho hall on
uplo.. Silcn, a. the grave We followed.
A. W. stepped out into the moonlight
1 fel, rather than saw the vcilel face by
me turn up to mine. shiVer~i from
bead % foot. bat that perhaps wa, part
" owing 10 th. bitter cold of the dawn,
and look~l straight ahead. Then once
more heard that bursting but rcprcsscd
sigh: one. mOrc the trrin0r ~ her frame
Was ~ painfully evident that | almost
waycfrd In my belief % her heartlcSs-
ne-s DID she at las, rrpontl Did she
really feel the heavy crime s'Ic w,s COM
mitting toward her father Or, great
heav.ni could thcrv - the har--t T-o~si-
bihiy that she had awakeneR Could she
feel that even now IL was not too late
tha, she had not utterly thrown away q
heart she could never replace, There
va. such delirium In the bare idea al.
most framed th. wild hope into words;
but pride ~ much A. honor came 20 my
rcscue. was pledged % Tom. and l
was silent
Softly and swiftly we followed the
other couple over the crisp, cracking
surface Of the snow: down the broal
lane. under Arching tres that sifiei
the moonlight through them In all
yer spangles: through snowclai hedge
rows standing like an army of spccters
nj pr--nt arms.
Herr we found tho sleigh. the impa-
tient horse- blowing out great cloids of
mist. and the more inpatient groom
blowing out greater clouds Of smose
from his black pipe.
"wcll. leftenant. ives pretty nigh
a.frezed.- was his salutation. "All
rrady. ar. and un's In fust rate trim; do
the nineteen miles In two hours sure!'
Tom answered never word. He
almost lifted the light form of his brides
maid into the back sat. and as he tucked
the buffalo around her with most un-
necessary care saw she had pressed her
handkerchief 10 her eyes and was sob
hing bitterly. Poor fragile childl I
thought. To feel thus for ths folly OF
another. and that other I cast one
glance. my firt, at the still figure on my
arm. Not q sign was there % any emo
ton. not single ray OF feeling. not .
spark ~ repentance.
"I'll drive" Tom aid 10 me shortly.