The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-10-11

] got pain In my side. Then began
TO get mad when I thought how he had
run away to save himself, and left me,
as he supposed, to be eaten by fero-
cious bear; and made up my mind /
would never have anything to say to-
him again, aud almost wished papa
would break his back. Then the STORM
came on, and was moro frightened
BY II than by the bear, for II was real
I had only gone little way, trying to
retrace my steps to the Royal, when
black night seemed to shut suddenly
down, and was afraid to move for
fear Of falling down the mountain, cd
stood still and waited"
"And shrieked."
~ suppose so--when the lightning
came. Any girl would in such fx. I
don't know how long stood there. but
about week should Judge by my
feelings, when you came up and
threatened to bite me-"
II didn't said I was not going
to-"
"Ohl Well, understood you the
other way"
After long time the rain ceased, I
mounted her on the horse again, and
we succeeded eventually in reaching
the Royal, but only after the mosE
abominable walk ever had. The
road, under the thin, slippery mud,
was full of stones and ruts, and II ID
rs easy to sprain your ankle in such d
place as to draw your breath, so we
had to go slowly.
We arrived at the hotel little be.
fore midnight, and found a torchlight
procession Of searchers about setting
out to scour the forest for missing
Miss Jennie Cranshaw-the girl had
found. Naturally they gave her q sort
of magnifed prodigal-son reception,
and came in for a very fair share of
congratulations and popular approval.
Her fathcr-a sturdy, ru bicund, posi-
tive old fellow-was quite enthusiastic
in his gratitude to me. Jennie, to my
great surprise, told frankly the story
of her wicked elopement. thought
her rash, at the time, but see now that
it was a shrewd play. Your own ver-
sion Of a story about your personal afs
fairs is likely to suit you much better
than one somebody else sets afost,
and then, what chance It gave her
to balance accounts with Clarence, and
give quietus to any possible scandal
connecting his name with hersl
Owing to the lateness Of the hour
and the evil plight Of the road de-.
termined to stay at the Royal that
night. just as ] was going to my
room l remembered the special de-
livery letter" Saying "Good night,
Mr.. Cranshaw," reminded me Of It, for
''B. B. Cranshaw" was its address.
He thanked me heartily for bringing
it, us 1t was important; and before sep
arating for the night we exchanged
few Joking words about the strange
condolences Of the affair.
Though neither Of us Thought SO at
the time, the chain of queer coinci-
dences was by no means ended. As he
told me the next morning, the letter
was from his lawyer, whom he had
commissioned to investigate the de-
STABILITY of investment In q certain
business which advertised for capital
required by its expansion The agents.
report was altogether favorable. He
found the business solid, the opportu-
nifty for investment exceptionally
good, and the character he gave to the
advertiser, Mr.. Richard Renfrew, was
higher than my modesty will permit
me to repeat, for-l am Richard Rem
frew. That was a formal Introduction,
practically, which at once made my
standing good with Mr.. Cranshaw, and
l am happy to dispose of this branch
of my story by saying that our busi-
ness relations were readily established
on mutually satisfactory basis.
After breakfast the Cranshaws and
myself were chatting on the porch
while l waited for my horse to be
brought around, when ''buck board"
bly, tattered, draggled, limp and woe
begone-looking little fellow alighted
from 1t.
''Clarence!" cried Jennie.
"Good gwaciousl'' stammered tho
wreck, staring up at her in amaze
ment.
''Clarence" echoed score OF voices
from the porch and the open windows
of the dining-room. In minute there
were at least fifty ladies and gentle
men inspecting him, laughing and
chafangly calling:
where's your bear?"
why didn't you bring your bear
along2"
'How did you escape the bear?"
The volley of ridicule dazed him. He
doffed his hat, stared blankly at the
scofang faces and gasped, huslkily:
II wun for help, y lnaw, because
had no ahms; and got lost in the
hawid woods. wandered all night,
in the most awful misery-'pon my
soul did-until morning, when I
found this-ah-man who brought me
here on this atwocious vehicle"
You must be proud of the thing
you wanted to marry" said Mr.. Gran
shaw to his daughter, with a sardonic
grin. "Why don't you call it up and
comfort it?"
"Oh! papa! l think you are awful
mean! You know never want to see
the wretched creature again"
"Say! you!" the old fellow shouted