Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-06-07
CHAPTER IL
AHAIT IN THE Road.


with the young man who sat beside the
pretty girl ON the rear seat 'You are
an artist What do you think of the
workmanship of this2"
He had taken from an inner pocket q
small leather case, which he now passed
to his companion. When the young man
had brought to light the contents, he
held in his hand q medallion, set in a
jeweled frame-a medallion upon the
convex surface of which was craven the
attractive features of handsome wom-
an. The work was SO delicate, the sitting
so rich, the effect of the whole so ex-
quisite that the artist involuntarily ut
tered cry of pleasure.
"Why this is really admirable, La
mari Who is it? Where did you get it?"
Tho man on the front seat answered
in q voice as cold and Unconditional as Il
voice could we'll be:
'Inasmuch as this is the woman
whom am to marry, thought toler-
ably fair counterfeit Of her face would
be interesting to my friends.
The pretty girl, who had been admir-
ing the dainty valuable, became, as he
spoke, somewhat pale
"Oh," she said in constrained, con-
ventional way, "this is Mrs. Forsythe?'
"Mrs. Forsythe, assented the man
ON the front seat.
"She is very pretty" said the girl in
the same tone.
AS she spoke she put the medallion
quickly into the hand Of the young man
who sat beside her and averted her head.
Another choice" exclaimed the
man on the front seat in brisker tone,
glancing at fork in the white road
which the feet horses were rapidly ap-
preaching. "Shall we take the inland
road direct or go by the roundabout sea
road? We shall see more life by the first
way, but we shall have better sleighing
and plenty of cold wind by the second.
Which shall it be?"
(Which shall it be, Ellen?" repeated
the young man to the pretty girl.
''It makes no difference to me-"
''Then let us have tho sea road and
the sleighing. We are in no hurry, and
little cold won't hurt us.
"Jacta est alea. The sea road it shall
be-"
The sleighing party was now within
eight miles of the city, the location Of
which was marked by a vague glow il
the wintry sky. Gradually the laughter
had ceased and words had become infre
quent. The bells on the horses jingleC
merrily as ever, and tho rapid hoof beats
on the hard crust came to the car through
the biting air in the same inspiritine
pulsations, but for all that it was colo
riding after sundown alsng The sea road
with the bitter breath from tho darken
ing ocean full in the face.
Every moment the fences and hedge
rows were becoming more indistinct,
and the dreary white landscape between
the observers and the fading streak il
the horizon, where the sun had lately
been, was rapidly losing all Significance
or intelligibility as prospect. Truly
DR.. Eustace Lamar had forgotten the
flight Of time in his enjoyment of the ex
hilarating sport, Or he had sadly miscal
culated the distance Not that there was
anything to be dreaded in the ordinary
conrse of events of ride in the pale
starlight or under the mellow rays Of the
moon. The road was a good one, ant
very soon it would be we'll lighted. Ant
if the three pleasure seekers were o trih,
cold they could console themselves will
the comforting reflection that there wa!
cheerful fire waiting for them in tht
agreeable sitting room Of the uppermos
fiat at 20 Ballavoine place. 1t was no
an elaborate affair, this abode of Julian
Maxey, the artist, but it was a pleasant
interesting and certainly on cold nigh
like this very comfortable and desira
BILE place in which to be.
Perhaps it was not owing altogether
to the cold that an unwonted silence hat
fallen upon the occupants Of the sleigh
Pretty Ellen Maxey, the artists sister
who sat beside her brother ON the reaI
seat, had dealt deathblow to the con
versation when she ceased to take par
in it. But she was not asleep and he
face, protected from view by abundan
wraps and the growing obscurity, hat
gradually settled into an expression u
once wistful, pathetic and resigned.
Maxey, whose power Of observation
was not wholly matter of eyesight
had become annoyed and solicitous, bu
he took pains not to betray this fact
! AS for philosophic, middle aged
handsome DR.. Lamar, the prime caus
of the whole trouble, he was supremel.
unconscious of any unhappiness on tn
part of his friends. He sat bolt uprigh
all by himself on the front seat, hi
hands busy with the reins and his at
tention apparently completely absorbe,
in scanning the road as far as he coul,
see in front of his swift team. The trutl
!, is that DR.. Lamar had blunderingly an
unwittingly touched upon topic ex
ceedingly disagreeable to his friends be
hind him when he mentioned his ap
preaching marriage with the wealth
Widow Forsythe.
If DR.. Lamar had only known hoy
fine and handsome he appeared in hi
pretty neighbor's eyes, it would have as
tonished him great deal, and he woul
!: have been henoeforth very much NOR
discreet in his remarks. II pretty Ellie
Maxey had imagined how we'll her kee
and penetrating brother had guessed he
secret, undoubtedly she would have dis
simulated great deal Of glee and mel
riment in despairing endeavor to hav
thrown him off the scent, for the hear
beats proudly in the breast Of girl lik
her, and this was such secret as sh
would wish might die with her.
They were all young. The doctor wa
. the eldest, and he had barely reaohe
10. He was brilliant young man VIII
had made something Of name in tn
medical world by recent remarkabl
publication, and whose practice was al