The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-05-25
RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1884.

dark to be particular as far as steed
and vehicle went Murphy was stand
ing on the curb and looked straight at
him-but Wharton passed him by, and
if he had known it the young man
than Murphy was, who, to excuse his
patron, muttered: ats dom dark" ad-
dressing the remark to his horse. The
beast, looking as though he had been
in storage for some time without sutfi-
cient protection against moths, wagged
one ear, and his master was satisfied
that he understood. Thus Wharton
was granted absolution for his one err
ror during the happy hour.
Whartons thoughts ran ahead into
coming days, and he anticipated fate.
They-he and Elise-would of course
be married at Trinity chapel, on a
Thursday, too, so they could take the
Saturday steamer abroad. There were
two things which Wharton had often
vowed he would do on his wedding
tour. One was to spend a fortnight on
the Nile and dream away the days;
the other was to visit the Black Forest,
or Hartz mountains, he wasn't sure
which, and breathe in some of the old
romance of Undines and Kobolds The
German legends appealed strongly to
the young man, and he wished to spend
his days of romance in the land of fa-
BILE. He hadn't consulted Elise about
this-he really had not had time, for
he had kissed her for the first time
only that day-but he had wild idea
that what he liked she would also care
for, as he knew her tastes would be
his. He laughed lightly out of sheer
happiness and wondered what society
would say. Not that he cared for the
gossip of society, but he thought he
knew the ways of the world and felt
that Elise would be generally pitied,
in which, however, he was wrong, for
the verdict rendered by those who
knew and understood was entirely diff
erent. How the world would talk, any
way!
He was crossing Broadway, and
stopped to let cab pass, when he heard
a cry of warning, cry that was taken
up by dozen people. There was the
ringing of bell, then glare, glaze of
light, and everything was distorted
/ after which darkness came.
A crowd gathered at the crossing.
The motorman on the car vehemently
disclaimed all responsibility for the ac-
cident as the police led him off. The
crowd pressed about the still figure,
asking the most foolish questions, which
no one was able to answer. A couple
of policemen kept waving their hands
in order to keep the people back; two
men pressed through the crowd and
spoke to the police-one was doctor,
who bent over the form, and the other
reporter, who took out his notebook
and wanted to know all about it.
The street cars were lined up on either
side-the crowd kept increasing. and
afar off was heard the clang of the am
bulance bell. Then it came clattering
up. The important surgeon jumped
down, looked at the victim, spoke to
the volunteer doctor; then the still un-
conscious figure was lifted and placed
on the cushions The bell changed and
the excitement was over.
Come now, move on" suggested the
policemen, and the crowd obeyed.
| Everyone read the account in the
morning paper, thanks to the reporter.
There were several accounts of it in
the different sheets, but they all agreed
! that the young man was fatally in
jured. He had not recovered conscious.
ness when the papers had gone to
press, and there was no hope for his
recovery; all the doctors had said so.
1t was a prominent case, and the pa
pers gave it the full benefit of space
but not one mentioned the fact of his
engagement, for the world was not
aware of that Everything else, how
ever, that could be told was repeated
| in type, and Frederick Wharton was
made out to be very fine fellow-be.
cause he belonged to five clubs and had
"a good income, colonial governor for
an ancestor, and no particular enemies.
The papers failed to state. nevertheless.
why he was fine fellow.
Mr.. Lawton saw the account before
Elise came down to breakfast, and he
hurried around the corner to make use
of the telephone
Elise had not read the papers when
her father returned, and it became his
duty to break the news.
"Eh-my dear" began Mr.. Lawton,
don't be alarmed; but Fred met with
an accident last night He-he-now
do be calm-he was knocked down by
a car and taken to the hospital have
just communicated with the surgeon by
telephone. He says Fred is conscious,
and will be able to see you later in the
day. l explained how matters stood,
and how Fred's family were all abroad.
SO you can go down later"
Miss Lawton listened with white, set
face. 1t was very shocking to have q
real tragedy thrust upon her in this
way, but she would not faint.
"Have you got paper?" she asked,
very calm, very white.
She took the paper handed to her by
her father and rose from the table.
81 do not care for any more break.
fast" she said. 81 have eaten some.
thing" and she went to her room, lock.
ing the door behind her.
No one ever fully understood Elise
Lawton. She was charming girl to
take in to dinner, to sit out dance
with, or to meet at tea. She always
said something you could remembers,
and never lost her head over popular
fads. She was strong-minded enough to
stay away from the Thanksgiving
football match, because she said il
would tire her and was not half so ex.
citing as bull-tight she saw down in
| Andalusia She confessed tn rathar