Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-15
could l have seen that face7

could have seen that face?
She whispered something to her friend
l did not overhear; a fragment of con-
versation that had been interrupted by
entering the car, probably. Then she
was silent a moment, and afterward
(still addressing her friend she made a
second remark, and heard these words
quite plainly:
Uneasy about Ethel-frequently-
the evening""
The words made no impression on me
at the moment, but they occurred to me
a short time afterwards. l think the
words impressed themselves upon my
mind at the instant of my 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.
Could the child indeed be Ethel upon
whose account anxiety was expressed?
In that possibility was it my duty to
interfere?
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"
felt that must speak then. 1t oc-
CURED to me that if I had daughter
who had formed a secret attachment to
a man like the one had seen last night
l should look upon the information as
an act of great kindness might be
wrong. must use great caution, then
there could be no harm resulting from
word of mine.
pardon me-" said, sis your daugh-
ter young lady of about sixteen years,
and does she sometimes wear" Here
1 described the dress Of the young girl
The lady looked at me a moment in
blank astonishment; and, being appar-
emily satisfied with her scrutiny, she
answered: Eyes"
She will leave London from the
Southeastern station?"
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 I needed.
my daughter remarked last evening
that she would like to visit her aunt to-
morrow, and that, with my permission,
she would leave by the morning train.
The invitation had been standing some
time. was to have accompanied my
daughter. Unfortunately, 1 am called
to Canterbury upon business this after
noon"
81 think I shall induce you to post
pone your Journey" remarked. "Wil
you mind answering me one more ques-
tion2 Has the young lady any male
friend? mean, is there any young gen.
tleman she meets by an appointment,
having your permission to do SOP"
Certainly not" said the lady, indig-
nantly. MY daughter is much too.
young to accept any attentions from gen.
tlemen."
Then 1 described to her the meeting
had witnessed with the languid and
gorgeously gotten up Adonis. spoke
Of his manner toward the young lady
and Of the appointment he had made
with her.
"You are mistaken" said the matron,
frigidly. 1.-THE young lady was not
Ethel"
had partly expected this, and yet
was morally certain that previous to
our conversation the lady had said to
her friend: 81 am growing quite uneasy
about Ethel. Do you know she fire.
quently leaves home upon all manner Of
excuses in the EVENING"
And she Ind admitted to me that this
same Ethel would leave town alone 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
and make no further remark what
ever, but was so convinced that the
young lady had no intention of visiting
her aunt, but that she did intend to elope
with the cavalier Of yesterday that 1 sac
rifced the point of etiquette and re-
turned to the attack.
Suffice it to say that induced my
travelling companion to postpone her
journey until the next day (but to leave
her home as at atpresent arranged and re-
main at her friends house,; further, I
obtained her promise to be at the South
eastern station at the hour fixed for her
daughters departure, and l promisedto
arrange for some place where she could
see without herself being seen
l succeeded in doing this, and, OF
course, the reader knows the sequel
The languid Adonis, in the extraordi-
nary costume, was standing on the
platform Presently the young lady
Joined him and he took charge Of the
little baggage she carried with her
She burst into tears, but he quickly re-
assured her. After a time he would
hare handel her INTO the train. but the
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