Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-11

as was quite unknown to her, she oe-
cided at once that / was probably pa
tient escaped from supervision, ana oe-
termined to follow me at all costs ana
give the alarm. But 1t was not until
she saw me seize the carving-knife that
her apprehensions reached climax; ana
it was at that moment that l hrst
caught sight of her in the glass. After
ward, half dead with fright, she remain
ed by my side, having the strength OF
mind TO sustain a two-hours' tete-a-tete
with one whom she believed to be a
dangerous lunatic, in the hope that her
presence might avert catastrophe :
That she was DR.. Stelling's ward L
learned from Mrs. Stelling, who, knit
ting in hand, was entertaining me with
a cup Of tea and small talk the next al
ternoon, when all the noisy guests had
departed. had remained in my room
until late in the day, really feeling too
seedy to put in an appearance carrier
and had just accepted pressing lnVl-
tation from the Stellings that should
remain with them for few days and
be doctored up.
''You really look thoroughly out OF
sorts, Mr.. Carlton" said my kind hos
tess, cycling me patheticaily, land
now that all these gay young people
have cleared of, I shall have to nurse
you up before we allow you to leave
u.s."
assured the good lady that I should,
in very few hours, be as good as new
again, and wondered how l should ind
out, as l was burning to do, whether
my unknown acquaintance had also
''cleared off" with the rest.
Nobody is here now but Dulcie,
continued Mrs. Sterling, placidly count
ing stitches between every pause. "Dul-
Gle? Oh, yes! of course you wouldn't
know her. She is Dulcie Challis, my
niece, and the doctors ward, and she
sails in the Kangaroo on the 18TH, 10
Join her uncle and aunt in jamaica"
Iswas afraid to be too inquisitive, ana
decided to wait as patiently as l cauld
for the further development OF my III
tie romanla, but l sounded my hostess
cautiously as, TO the previous night
whether the visISnrs had enjoyed rest
in their extempore' sE 9ke-downs, etc,
and could CLEAN nothing that implied
anything like the adventure IN which l
had so strangely shared. | thSrntore
concluded that my fair friend had Kept
her counsel, as / religiously kept MINI
When | entered the breakfast room
the next morning my doubts and con-
lectures were dispelled. My heroine
and Dulcie turned out to be, as strong
ly suspected, one and the same. She
was already seated at the table, and
when SIZZLING introduced US crimson
flush spread itself slowly over her face.
She bowed and smiled, Of course, but l
noticed that she studiously avoided
meeting my eye, and, plying her en-
barrassment, l deliberately turned my
back upon her, though l could not re-
frain from studying her, for the second
time in my life, through the looking
glass.
She became pale now, and obviously
i'll at ease and constrained. The Doc
tor glanced curiosuly from one to the
other, and rallied his ward on her alb
sent-mindedness; and when, with mani
fest effort, she became bright and talka-
tive, watched my opportunity for in
sinuating myself into the converse
ton, which I daresay did clumsily
enough.
1t was wonderful, however, to notice
how soon all restraint died away. In
half an hour we were capital friends,
and the rest, think, I need not tell
you. The 18th came and went, and
Dulcie did not sail in the Kangaroo.
Stelling always declares that ne saw
on this occasion, for the only time in
his life, a genuine case OF love at first
sight. "You couldn't take your eyes off
her from the first, old fellow! Don't
tell me! 1 saw you plainly enough
peeping at her in the mirror. AS for
her." he continues, contidentially, "as
for her, I've known that girl all her life,
and tell you, sir, there was look on
her face when you entered the room
that have never seen there before"
Sterling is an observant, clever fel-
low, and 1 have no doubt whatever he
is perfectly rlght.-StrGnd Magazine.