The Monticellonian., 1895-07-19
"on the contrary re4,rnad vno


 my carelessness. You don't know how annoyed am at having rendered your machine useless, and under the cir eumstances, feel in honor bound to repair the mischief; and if you will af- ford me the happiness of seeing you made comfortable, can, no doubt, very soon get your mount put right"
 Miss Gwynne hesitated, and I flat tered myself that she seemed in no way averse to my company. Certainly I was yn2kia.s> A. sG.y ..!,s. Ss.,ps-.,s. sion upon her.
 "0h, out if l allow you to spend any thing upon me 1t must only be as loan No, please don't interrupt-that must be distinctly understood. My brother must, aud will. be only too happy to settle with you. Besides, !" the girl continued, with smile, whatever would he say to me if 1 al- lowed a perfect stranger to spend money upon me?"
 He'd say it served me right for my carelessness. But you will allow me, | then, to see you made comforta ble somewhere while l try to repair dam ages2"
 Really, don't see what else I can do, under the circumstances" was the answer, with little sigh, as of regret. Then, with a light laugh and in | mock-menaeing tone, she added: "Oh, but won't make it warm for Brother Dick when we meet A deal he cares about me. You see, he hasn't even troubled to run back to find out whether I've broken my neck or not and, between you and me, he hates the idea of lost ground. But let us be moving, Mr.-Mr.-"
 A little hesitation, some apparent embarrassment, one half-shy glance at me, and my heart was no longer my own. knew l was, even already, madly in love with pretty Miss Gwynne.
 Erred Brandon-quite at your service"
 Well Mir. Brandon, there's turn ing half mile down the road which will take us to just the place we want Then you will be able to run on to St. Albans, to get what you need for my machine. There's no place nearer, and I'm afraid you will be very glad when you have done with such very troublesome companion as l am prov ing"
 aOn the contrary, quite pleasant interruption to my journey" gallant ly ventured and really thought that Miss Gwynne was the most charming and unconventional girl had ever met. In fact, we presently reached the inn she had spoken of all too soon to suit my newly awakened emotions.
 found, on inquiry, that l could reach St Albans quicker by taking some short cuts across the fields than by iding round tic road ana so 1 de- termined to leave my machine at the inn As for poor Harry, was by this time utterly oblivious of his existence.
 Looking in upon Miss Gwynne be- fore leaving the house, 1 found her al ready enjoying an appetizing repast- n sight which momentarily gave me some qualns of conscience concerning the dinner I had promised my chum should be ready for him by the time he reached the George.
 Pardon me, Miss Gwynne," said l, "I haven't had chance 10 settle with the landlord yet, and he may look for payment before I can return. Except for few coppers, this note, as It hap pens, is the smallest amount l have about me; so pray accept it as the loan which you say you will insist upon your brother, Maj. Gwynne, return ing"
 I delicately placed fve-pound note upon the table, and then, blushing furiously at the rather curi- ous look accorded me-which recalled soon afterward-I hastened from the room.
 Having procured what l wanted in St. Albans, 1 was back we'll under the two hours Of Miss Gwynne, however, could see no trace.
 "0h, the lady went soon after you left, sir" said the landlord, in answer to my interrogations. "She said you'd know which way she'd gone, and she would take her brothers bicycle, as you'd arranged to come back for hers and to settle up with me"
 What" I fairly gasped, gone off on my machine-said was her brother?
  on earth are you raving about, man?'
 "Aint raving at all, snapped the landlord, eying me suspiciously. "But- butt hope it's all right. She
 Hope it's all rightl' interrupted, furiously. Its all wrong. If she said l was her brother-and gone off with my almost new twentyg guinea mount, and my tive-pound note, tool Oh, yes, it is all right for her, no doubt, and very clever swindler that girl must be. That machine she's left be- hind isn't worth the price of old iron. And you let her slip away under your very nose'
 could hardly repress a groan as l saw how neatly l had been deceived, for felt very hard hit both In pocket and vanity especially the latter. My modification, moreover, was no doubt commensurate with the knowledge of what a thorough fool l should appear to everybody.
 Well, it's your own fault, sir" the landlord retorted, grufly. If you let the girl soft-soap you down, like she seems to have done, you've got no one but yourself to blame. And it's my belief that she ain't no girl at all, but a chap dressed up as such, so as to swindle gents easier. I had my doubts when she left, but now Pm sure.
 Ten to one you've been done by a young fellow called Dan Ford, clever bicycle thief, much wanted by the po- lice in these parts. He's better known