The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-01-29

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chaos In my mind and send me DOING
physically and mentally.
Upon entering the car was followed
ty two ladies'. who seated themselves
opposite to me and thus attracted my
attention.
One Of these ladies was past the mid
die age, widow, apparently. The
other was some years her junior, but
her face wore a patient air Of resigna-
ton and conposure which led me to
Judge that she had lost her husband SOW
cra1 years.
Her face seemed to be strangely famil-
Ter TO me. Yet, to the best of my knowl-
edge, VIC had never met before. Where
could have seen that face?
| She whispered something to her friend
did not overhear; fragment of con-
versstion that had been interrupted by
entering the car, probably. Then she
| was silent moment, and afterward
| (still addressing her friend) she made a
second remark, and heard these words
quite plainly:
| Uneasy about Ethel-frequently-in
the e1 ing"
The >.ords made no impression on me
at the moment, but they occurred TO mo
q short time afterwards think the
words impressed themselves upon my
mind at the instant Of ny recognition
Of the lady's features
There was strong resemblance be-
tween this lady and the young girl I had
scrutinized the evening previously.
This lady was her mother, possibly.
Gould the child indeed be Ethel upon
whose account anxiety was expressed9
In that possibility was II my duty TO
interfere9
The next words made me more GER
tain that Ethel and my heroine were
the same person
''She will leave for the country to-
morrow. hope the change will do her
good Her aunt has promised to take
charge of her for few weeks"
I felt that must speak then. It oc-
curred to me that If / had daughter
who had formed secret attachment to
man like the one had seen last night
should look upon the information as
an act Of great kindness. I might be
wrong. ! must use great caution, then
there could be no harm resulting from
word Of mine
Pardon me-" said, 'is your daugh-
Ter young lady Of about sixteen years,
and does she sometimes wear" Here
described the dress of the young girl
The lady looked at me moment in
blank astonishmentf and, being appar-
emily satisfied with her scrutiny, she
answered: "Yes"
.+She will leave London from tho
Southeastern stationT'
The lady answered Yes" again.
"Pardon me. have good reason for
asking these questions / continued.
"Was the date and time of her depart
ure fixed by yourself or by the young
lady?"
The person addressed evidently
thought me insane; but she answered
my question, and her answer gave me
the clew needed
my daughter remarked last evening
that she would like TO visit her aunt to-
morrow, and that, with my permission.
abe would leave by the morning train.
The invitation had been standing some
time. I was to have accompanied my
daughter. Unfortunately, am called
to Canterbury upon business this after
noon"
II think I shall induce you to post
pone your Journey" I remarked. ''Will
You mind answering me one more quos-
tionp Has the young Lady any male
fiiendP mean, Is there any young gen.
tleman she meets by an appointment,
having your permission TO do SOP"
Certainly not" said the lady, inAg-
nantly. ''My daughter Is much too
young to accept any attentions from gen.
tlemen."
Then described 10 her the meeting
had witnessed with the tanguid and
gorgeously gotten up Adonis. I spoke
f his manner toward the young Lady
and OF the appointments he had made
With hes.
"You ere mistaken" I" sa2d the matron.
trigidly. The young Lady was NOT
Ethel-A
Ihad partly expected this, and yet I
was morally certain that previous to
our conversation the lady had said to
her hien6 II am growing quite uneasy
ebott Ethel Do you know she fro
quently leaves home upon all manner Of
EXCUSES In the eveninQr
And she had admitted 10 mo that this
same Ethel would lesve town aione on
the Wednesday morning train from the
Southeastern station, and that my de-
scription Of her was the correct one.
Good breeding should have prompted
me to apologize for the interruption
nnd maize no further remark what
ever, but was 50 convinced that the
young lady had no intention of visiting
her aunt, bat that che did intend to elope
with the cavalier of yesterday that sac
rifoed the point of etiquette and re-
turned TO the attack.
Suffice 1t to say that induced my
travelling companion TO postpone her
journey, until the next day (but to leave
her home as at present arranged and re
main at her friends house); further, I