Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-11-04
A. HAPPY MISTAKE.

aside his afternoon paper and wheeled about
in his chair. seeking an avenue of escape
from the sense of sutfocation that was op-
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 a minute OF two.
Itwas early in July. Denslow had Just
returned from two years stay in Paris
starting there branch business for his
father.
'Your aunt is at the seaside,'' the latter
had told him when he met him at the sta
ton. ''She is not well and has gone down
there with her maid. She is very anxious
to see you, and l promised that l would
suggest to you to run down and stay a 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 he owed her both
affection and respect, and SO he had set off
by the 80 train the next afternoon.
'The Blytheways can hold over for 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-
NIT even to himself. If he had known Ag-
mes longer he might have asked permission
to correspond; as it was he felt that their
intimacy was only just beginning when
his absence came to break it off,
''She may be out of town next week." he
was telling himself now, and at 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 a man
who sat in the adjoining chair, and who
was talking with her. Denslow was COM
PEELED to step aside at 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 just
in front of him remark to companion,
'Of course they're bride and groom, Sa-
die"
The speaker was looking straight at
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
| to reach the end of the train. He was not
going to turn back simply because he found
| a 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 at the extreme end
OF the train. He stood there, leaning
| against the doorway, watching the peb-
| bles among the track ballast fly up and
scurry along after the speeding train for a
| few feet, then fall down into 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 future-a future, too,
| in which now there seemed to be no des-
| tination.
''Of course they're bride and groom ~
| He found himself almost unconsciously
| echoing the words he had overheard that
| woman say What business was it of hers
| whether those two were newly wed or not:
| Denslow felt that he was growing unrea-
sonably angry with her who had opened
his eyes to a fact he should have been glad
to learn.
| It might have been awkward II he had
| gone to call at the Blysheways', just as OF
old. Very likely Agnes had forgotten him.
| Time had moved swiftly for her, with all
| the distractions of society, while for him
| in a new atmosphere and with new friends
to make he had had vast opportunities to
| think over the past and to look forward
into the future.
| Till this minute Denslow had not real
| lied what a very important factor in his
future Agnes Blytheway had been. What
| if this were his own wedding journey:
What if 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 in
| 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
interloper, 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 tc
| be a man of about thirty-five, 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 first to leave the
train when it ran into the station. Hef 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
| him when he reached the hotel.
Il am afraid you will find it very stupid
here, though, Hugh" she added, after her
| greeting. There's nobody about but in
valid old ladies and mutually absorbed
brides and grooms."
| Denslow's response was declaration
| That he had come down expressly to see his
| aunt, and that no other attractions were
| necessary. The old lady smiled and looked
up at the tall, handsome fellow with pride
IL her eyes. He had always been gallant
even as little chap. She hoped he would
find wife worthy of him some day.
| The next afternoon Mrs. Roslyn declared
| she felt well enough to go out in her bath
chair for an airing on the front walk
Denslow offered to push 1t for her, but she
said that she had regular attendant
hired by the week. and Hugh might walk
along by her side.
we'll go down to the old schooner, u
she said, when they had started. at is as
| good as a play to hear the tone in which
the attendant explains things. See, there
| are the masts yonder."
The hurry burly of the summer season
at the famous coast resort had not yet
commenced. There were quite number
Of people out, but they were not of the ex
| eursion class.
The stranded ship was reached in due
course. Mrs Roslyn left her chair ant
gave her arm to her nephew. The you'll
who delivered the lecture was even drollel
| than Denslow had expected to find him.
| 'Now, Hugh" said his aunt, after they
| had been through the after cabin, ''I'll sill
here, and 1 want you to go down into the
| forecastle where the sailors sleep. They tel
me it is worse than a prison"
| In his present state of mind Qepslow die
| not feel an interest in ANYTHING, but after