Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-05-10

4UIs D1CLhOE0 buOOh Ivy hd4AO SO4~
daily, yet l fancied that he betrayed
signs Of embarrassment or uneasiness
He seemed glad to meet me on my own
account, and yet to feel constrained by
my presence. Had he any reason for
wishing to conceal from me the fact that
he had q daughter? It now occurred to
me for"the first time that in her CONVEX
satiomwith me Miss Birchmore had never
alluded to her mother. Perhaps her
mother was dead-had died in her child's
Infancy. Perhaps the silence concern
ing her arose from some other and less
av0wable cause; there might be some
matrimonial disgrace or tragedy at the
bottom Of the fathers and daughters re
serve The idea had certain plausible
ity, and yet found it unsatisfactory.
The true explanation of the mystery
might not be worse than this, but fan
cied it must be diferent-it must be
something more unusual and strange.
''This is an unexpected pleasure" said
l, for the sake of saying something, as
we descended the steps down the river
Bmbankment to the ferryboat.
1.-THE world is not so large place as
people pretend, replied Mr.. Birchmore.
"Have you been long in Dresden%
ga week or so. I've been doing the
neighborhood and was told that Saxon
Switzerland must not be left out Of the
list. came near going by the boat
Here suddenly recollected that if Mr..
Birchmore had gone by boat, as his
daughter said he had, his presence in
Schandau before US was wholly inexpli-
cable) "How did you manage to get
here so quickly" | exclaimed; "the
steamer can't be due for three hours
YETI
He looked at me in apparent perplex-
fty, and Miss BirchInore, too, seemed
taken aback rather than sharing my own
establishment. There was a pause of a
few moments; then she said, in low,
hurried tone:
"You know, papa, got word that from
some misunderstanding you had taken
the steamer instead of the train"
"Ah, to DO sure" he rejoined, with
short laugh, 81 see the difficulty. You
must look upon me, suppose, as sort
of magician, able to transport myself
about the country on some new tele-
graphic principle. Well, I'm afraid I
can't lay claim to any such supernatural
power. 1 shall lose credit by the expla-
nation, but you shall have it neverthe-
less"
'rNo, no; give us room for the exer-
else Of our imagination" cried l, laugh
ing. The fact was felt as if my query
had been in some way unfortunate.
| There was certain effort in Mr.. Birch
more's manner and want of sponta-
neity in his laugh, and the awkwardness
seemed shared to some extent by his
daughter. In my ignorance of the true
lay of the land was continually max
ing some irritating blunder, and the
more tried to make myself Agreeable
Il the worse was my success.
Mr.. Birchmore, notwithstanding that
I deprecated it, chose to make his ex-
planation. 'Kate was right" said he
''My first intention was to go by train.
Afterward decided on the boat, and
left the hotel with the purpose of get
ting our passage that way and sending
Kate word to meet me at the landing.
But the boat turned out to be so crowded
that changed my mind again. 1t was
then 80 late that hadn't time to reach
the Central railway station. My only
chance of catching the train was to
jump into a droslzy at the steamboat
II anu uIlN0 DIS LILO hubSCAOI
never drove before for the lower sta
ton, which was half a mile nearer. ]
got there barely in time, and Kate, it
seems, was waiting at the Central all the
whilev
Sand of course" added Miss Birch
moro eagerly, 1.-The people at the hotel
fancied that he had gone by the boat
and sent me word. Oh, yes, under
II 49, ,6 oil -dAr1f Mr. noino-
borough"
"I don't take it kindly of your father
to strip away the illusions from life sc
pitilessly," returned l in a humorous
tone; 81 should have been much happier
in believing that he had flown through
the air on the Arabian kings wishing
carpet" This sally suficed to raise the
smile Of which we all seemed so greatly
In want, and so we got into the ferry
boat in a comparatively easy frame o.
mind.
The valet to whom l have already al
luded sat on thwart near the bows il
such position that had full view o.
him. A more unconciliating object
have seldom beheld. His body and arm
were long, but his legs were short ant
bowed outward. His features wer,
harsh, forbidding and strongly marked
but there was an expression of powe,
stamped upon them which fascinated
my gaze in spite Of the ugliness which
would otherwise have made me glad Il
look away. It was not the power of in
tellect, for, although there was plent,
of saturnine kind of intelligence in tn,
countenance, it was not to be supposed
that fellow in his position of life woult
be remarkable for brains. No; thi
power was Of another kind. do no
know how to describe it, but believ,
some people would get out Of the diff
Guilty BY calling il magnetic.
-WAssEsrE was II produced q YER