The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-23
A HAPPY MISTAKE.

EcAiSl III tHSiE AfdtucSs 1GilblOW tuI6W
aside his afternoon paper and wheeled about
In his chair, seeking an avenue of escape
from the sense of suffocation that was OBJ
pressing him.
He rose and began walking through the
carriages. 1t had occurred to him that
possibly the swift movement of the train
would suck some of the air back on the
last platform, enough, at any rate, to cool
him off for minute or two.
1t was early in July. Denslow had just
returned from a two years stay in Paris
starting there branch business for his
father
"Iour aunt is at the seaside" the latter
had told him when he met him Mt the sta
ton. "She is not well and has gone down
there with her maid. She is very anxious
TO see you, and / promised that l would
suggest to you to run down and stay few
days before you settle down here"
Mrs. Roslyn had taken the mothers
place to Hugh Denslow when he was six.
The young man felt that lie owed her both
affection and respect, and so he had set Off
by the 1:5O train the next afternoon.
1.-THE Blytheways can hold over for n few
days." he told himself.
The winter before he had gone abroad he
had met Agnes Blytheway at dance. She
had invited him to CALL and he had enjoyed
the visits at her home exceedingly. The
interruption of his friendship caused by
his departure for Paris. was source of
deeper regret to him than he cared to ad-
init even to himself. If he had known Ag-
mes longer he might have asked permission
to correspond; rs it was he felt that their
his absence came to break it off
'She may be out of town next week." he
was telling himself now, and ut that very
instant he caught sight of her in the rear
coach which she had just entered
She was facing him. but did not see him.
Her eyes were fixed on the face of n man
who sat in the adjoining chair, and who
was talking with her. Denslow was com
PEELED to step aside ut this point for an in
slant. a small child was walking down
the carriage toward him, its nurse close
behind it. AS Denslow waited for the two
to pass he overheard woman's voice lust
in front Of him remark to n companion.
or course they're bride and groom, Sal
die"
The speaker was looking straight Mt
Agnes. He had not realized till that mo-
ment how much he cared for Agnes Blythe
way. And here she was, married, and he
was in the same train in which she was
taking her bridal trip!
But when the nurse and child had passed
him he kept straight on. He had started
" tetCu VIC Gnu Oh the tram. lie was not
going toturn back simply because he found
girl whom he had known two years be.
fore was on her honeymoon. If she looked
up he would stop and speak to her. She
could not imagine that she had occupied
very deep place in his heart. She did
not look up, however. Her companion had
just called her attention to something out
of the window. Denslow passed on and
reached the little gate ut the extreme end
of the train. He stood there, leaning
against tue doorway, watching the peb-
bles among the track ballast fly I'D and
scurry along after the speeding train for II
Jew feet, then fall down into Il fresh resting
place.
There was slight breeze here. Denslow
took off his travelling cap and let it lift the
hair from his damp forehead, while he
tried to dissociate the mad rush of the
train from the swiftness with which his
own thoughts seemed inclined to launch
themselves into the fnturc-a future too
In which now there seemed to be no des-
Llnation.
''Of course they're bride and groom"
He found himself almost unconsriously
echoing the words he had overheard that
woman say What business was it of hers
whether those two We're newly wed or not,
Denslow felt that he was growing unrca-
souahly angry with her who had op.n.,l
his eyes to ii fact he should have been clad
to learn
1t might have been awkward II he had
gone to call mt the Bly.heways'. Just rs of
old Very likely Agnes had forgotten him.
I'mc had moved swiftly for her. with all
the distractions of society. Will. for him
In new atmosphere and with new friends
TO make he had had vast opportunities 10
think over the past and to look forward
Into the future
Till this minute Denslow bad not real.
lied what very important factor in his
future Agnes Blytheway had been. What
II this were his own wedding Journeys
What II he had just stepped to the rear end
OF the carriage to see if it was not cooler.
and were now going to return to get the
porter to bring camp chairs. so that he and
she might sit there together?
But he found he dared not think on i'm
this strain. 1t would be better even, he de-
cided. that he should not remain in the
same carriage. To be sure none of the
passengers could see him; there was only
the pantry connected with the buffet be-
hind him. Nevertheless he felt like an
1nterloper, and replacing his cap he turned
into the side passage and began to retrace
his steps. He could see plainly the face of
Agnes companion now. He appeared to
be II man of about thirty-fve, and Denslow
did not remember ever to have met him
He hurried on into his own seat and tried
TO pass the rest of the trip in sleep-an at
tempt at which he made a conspicuous
failure.
He was among the very irst to leave the
train when it ran into the station He felt
now that he wanted, above all things, to
avoid meeting face to face her who had
been Miss Blytheway.
HIS aunt was rapturously glad to see
MIN when he reached the hotel
Il am afraid you will find it very stupid
here. though, Hugh.n she ndded. inter- her