The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-09-27

| run away 10 save nlmSel1. ana lett me,
as he supposed, to be eaten by zero
cious bear; and | made up my micd
would never have anything to say to
him again. and l almost wished papa
would break his back. Then the storm
came on, and | was more frightened
| by it than by the bear, for it was real
| had only gone a little way, trying to
retrace my steps to the Royal, when
black night seemed to shut suddenly
down. and I was afraid to mcve for
fear of falling down the mountain, so
l stood still and waited"
And shrieked."
~ suppose so-when the lightning
came Any girl would in such fix.
don't know how long stood there, but
about a week l should judge by my
feelings, when you came up and
threatened to bite me"
Il didn't. l said l was not going
to-"
"Oh! Well, understood you the
other way"
After long time the rain ceased,
mounted her on the horse again, and
we succeeded eventually in reaching
the Royal, but only after the most
abominable walk | ever had Ihe
road, under the thin, slippery NH
was full of stones and ruts, an&-it talz-
as easy to sprain your ankle in such
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
| ,,,.An,rei,,, %
out to scour the forest for missing
| Miss Jennie Cranshaw-the girl had
found. Naturally they gave her a sort
of magnifed prodigal-son reception,
and | came in for a very fair share of
congratulations and popular approval.
| Her father-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 l thought
her rash. at the time, but see now that
| it was shrewd play. Your own YER
sion of story about your personal af-
fairs is likely to suit YOU much better
| than one somebody else sets afoat;
and thon, what chance it gave her
to balance accounts with Clarence, and
! give quietus to any possible scandal
connecting his name with hers
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 l was going to my
room l remembered the special de-
livery letter" Saying Good night,
Mr.. Cranshaw,' reminded me of it. for
"B. i. Cranshaw" was its address.
He thanked me heartily for bringing
it, as it was important; and before sep
arating for the night we exchanged a
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-
SRA bility of investment in a certain
business which advertised hospital
required by its expansion. The agents
report was altogether favorable. He
| found the business solid, the opportu-
nifty for investment ceptionally
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
am happy to dispose of this branch
of my story by saying that our bust
ness relations were readily established
on mutually satisfactory basis.
After bre allfast the Cranshaws and
myself were chatting on the porch
while l waited for my horse to be
brought around, when d buck board"
halted before the house, and misera-
bly, tattered, draggled, limp and Woe
! begone-looking little fellow alighted
from it.
"Clarence." cried Jennie.
Good gwacious!' stammered the
wreck, staring up at her in amaze
ment.
| Clarence" echoed a score of voices
from the porch and the open windows
of the dining-room. In a minute there
were at least fifty ladies and gentle
men inspecting him, laughing and
chafiingly calling;
where's your bear?"
why didn't you bring your bear
along?'
How did you escape the bear?"
The volley of ridicule dazed him. He
dotted his hat. stared blanlily at the
soothing faces and gasped, husllily:
II wun for help, y l1naw, because l
| had no aims; and l got lost in the
! hawid woods. | wandered all night,
in the most awful misery-'pon my
| soul | did-untii morning, when l
| found this-ah- who brought nee
here on this atwocious vehicle"
You must be proud of the thing
you wanted to marry" said Mr.. Gran
shaw to his daughter, with 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
savagely down at poor Clarence
what did you come back here for, any
way?"
"For-for-my clothes, Mr.. Gran
! shaw" he gasped.
Get EN-, then, and get out, quiclr
! rOared the self-elected dictator: and