The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-02-02
A HAPPY ACCIDENT.

"But, Grace, you will forgive me, won't
your Tell me you didn't mean whit you
said just now" And there was some
thing in the pleading, passionate tone that
made the CIR, who was going up the
stairs, stop for moment and look down
into the eager, uptuTned face OF the young
man standing in the hall below.
81 don't think anything you could say
would make the matter better" she said
coldly, and without another glance or
word she went up the stairs.
Harry King stood for moment irreso-
lutte, his bronzed, handsome face lighted
up by the glare of the hanging lamp, and
then with set, hard look about his mouth
he put on his hat and went out into the
night.
And the cause of all this was a little in
cident that had happened the night before
"a mere trihe, as it seemed to Harry, but
something infinitely more to Grace Leslie.
Ever since the girl had been a timid fresh
man and Harry a sophomore in the great
University of NJ the two had known
each other and in these last months there
had crept into their friendship something
which was making it a very different
thing from the boy and girl acquaintance
of former times. Neither had ever spoken
of love, and if at times the days seemed
too short for all the gladness that life was
bringing him Harry King scarcely dared
to put in words the new hope that was
springing up in his heart.
And Grace! She, too, had found life
very happy thing in these last MONTHS and
somehow to the girls fancy the green hills
nh h. t,, 81,
fair each day and the great blue sky above
more beautiful in these autumn months.
But the day before our story opens Har-
ry had seen Grace on the campus and at
parting said:
"Don't go out tonight. Pm coming up
to try those songs"
And the girl had nodded assent with the
laughing words:,
"Well, don't forget III never forgive
you if you do"
AS she walked away, with her bright,
sweet face and slender, graceful form, she
seemed very fair to Harry's eyes, and in
voluntarily the words, Harry King, you
are lucky dog" came to his lips, and the
sanguine young man actually walked away
with a merry whistle on his lips, with
never thought, of course, of the coming
days when he would look upon himself
not as "lucky dog" but most wretch
ed mortal.
The evening came, but no Harry. Grace
had given up another engagement for the
sake of trying the songs with him, but the
hours wore away, and he did not come.
The next morning one of the small boys
at the house where Grace boarded, who re-
joiced in the rare, sweet name of Tommy,
came down to breakfast overlooking with
the news of the night before, which had
been Halloween.
"You oughter have seen the boys down
to Ipsi last night Tore up all the fences
in town. That King fellow was there, too"
with grin at Grace-"I saw him, and
my. didn't he have good time, thoughW
$50 he cares more for some fun with a
lot of rowdies than for me" said Grace.
And the proud look in the girls face BODIED
no good for the unfortunate lover.
Harry had tried to explain that he had
been carried away by the enthusiasm OF
the moment when the plan was first pro-
posed, but Grace would hear nothing. So
it happened that the young man went
home that night with little anger as well
as pain in his heart. But though he tried
lis DtSO W luC JuOuSh hO
called Grace hard, unforgiving and unrea-
sonable, yet in spite of himself very hum
BILE letter found its way to the girl some
weeks later, short and to the point:
DEAR GRAcE-Won't you forgive me2 I'm
perfectly miserable. HARRY KING.
There was softened look in the girls
face as she read, and the next morning
Tommy started off with most important
air and note tightly clasped in his club
by fingers. But owing to the chance of
meeting with some other small boys and
the game of marbles which at once ensued
Harry King never received it, and so he
knew nothing Of the one line the note con-
tained
Come up tonight. GRACE.
The weeks went on, and December had
come The snow had fallen heavily fol
several days, and Tommy rushed in one
afternoon with eyes big and round.
"Been coasting! Had some bully fun
toop'
So it happened that Grace found herself
that evening, together with a crowd OF
merry students, at the top of long hill.
The night was cold and clear-a perfect
one for coasting-and it was very joyous
crowd that started off on the great bob
down the icy track. Grace Leslie's heart
had given great bound as she saw Harry
Kings familiar form among those in front
of her, but she was none the less gay, and
no laugh rang out more joyous than hers,
though deep down in her heart there was
always the thought, "How can ever meet
him?'
They are almost down when a careless
pull on the ropes turned the sled from the
track, and in all instant it had struck a
great stone covered by the snow. There
was moments panic, and Grace, though
she never knew how it happened, found
herself in Harry Kings arms, with his
white, anxious face bending over her, and
heard his passionate words:
my darling, are you hurt?"
Grace did not answer, but her face was
very near to Harry's, and in the confusion
about them there was none to heed the
two in the snowbank, nor did the shining
stars above tell any tales. Every one, how
ever, noticed the girls silence for the rest
of the evening and wondered at it, but it
was too dark to see the happy look in the
brown eyes.-Chicago News.