The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-05-05

CIhsped the HecJldce around her throat.
Mr.. Birchmore shook my hand cor
dially. yet / fancied that be betrayed
Signs Of embarrassment or uneasiness
lie 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
ne had q daughter It now occurred to
me for the first time that in her CONVEX
satiOn with me Miss Birchinore 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
allowable cause: there might be some
matrimonial disgrace or tragedy at the
bottom Of the fathers and daughters 70
serve. The idea had a certain plausibil-
Ity. and yet | found It unsatisfactory.
The true explanation Of the mystery
might not be worse than this, but fan
Saed II must be diferent--it must be
something more unusual and strange.
This h an unexpected pleasure said
/. for the sake Of saying something, a.
we descended the steps down the river
ambanhment TO the ferTyboat.
The world h not 90 large place %
people pretend" replied Mr.. Birchmore.
Have you been long In DreadenT"
"A week or 90. I've been doing tho
neighborhood and was told that saxon
Switzerland must not be left out Of the
list came near going by the boat
Here suddenly Fecollected that II Mr..
BirchmOre had gone by boat, as his
daughter said be had. his presence in
Schandau before ua was wholly inexpli-
cable.J BLOW. did you manage to get
mere 90 quieklyT' ! exclaimed; "the
steamer can't b due for three hours
yetr
He looked ct me in apparent perplex-
lty and MiN Birchmore too. seemed
taken aback rather than sharing my own
aStonishment. There was q pause Of Q
few moments; then she said. in q low,
hurried tones
"You know, papa, 1got word that from
some misunderstanding you had taken
the steamer instead Of the train"
"Ah. to BE- sure" he rejoinod, with q
short laugh. II sec the dilIlculty. You
must look upon me, suppose. as Q sort
Of magician, able 10 transport myself
about the country on some new tele-
graphic principle. Well, I'm afraid /
can't lay claim 70 any such supernatural
power. shah lose credit by the expla-
nation. but you shah have Il neverthe-
less"
mo, no; give Us room for the exer-
else Of our imagination" cried |. laugh.
ing. The fact was felt as II my query
had been in some way unfortunate.
There was q certain effort in Mr.. Birch
more's manner and a 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 10 make myself agreeable
the worse was my success.
Mr.. Birchmore, Notwithstanding that
deprecated It. chose to make his ex.
PLANTATION. Kate was right" said be.
"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 socrowded
that changed my mind.again. Il wal
than 90 late that hadn't time TO reach