The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-08
SAVED BY A MYSTERY.
ny JULIAN u%AwrHoRE
Copyright. lsOS'l
CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER !.
Theincldsnt / am 10 relate belongs TO
a class entirely inexpliCable by any law
known 10 US, and therefore rightly to bo
assigned to the realm oil accident or co..
incidence. Yet experience Of similar
occurrences Is so far from being uncom'
mon, aud the accident and coincidence
theories are so ludicfously inadequate
to account for many otthom, that our
wise men-or wiSsacreI-Rre beginning
TO 20 somewhat cautious in diminishing
them thus, and now mutter darkly
about obscure cerebral phenomena not
as vet completely reduced to scientific
classification. That solemn mot as
YET" makes me smile; it is tho hcels Of
science disappearing over the back yard
fence oil nature, scared into imbecility
by the sound Of the voice OF approach
ing spiritual revelation. Here is an OK
ample OF the phenomonA in question, ut
frat hand; and | desire you to make
careful note Of the data Of the problem,
aud then solve It II you eau. hold no
brief from either side, though l NAV
have my own private opinion on such
matters.
The heroine Of tho tale is n young
lady born in New York, and whose
name for present purposes shall be lmi'
ogeu. She is'nineteen years old, senSi'
bic, healthy and pretty. A~discrepancy
Of thirty years in our ages aud some
other circumstances have prevented my
sentiments toward her from proceeding
beyond tho boundaries Of confidential
friendship; but so far they are salts
factory TO us both. / was one OF the
very fret to be admitted to tho startl'
ing revelation OF her Partially Tor MI:
| Thomas Sedley, IT., the progress oil
which | had been abssrvinR with lntor'
eat and sympathy for at least n month
before they themselves discovered it.
When, a little later, she confded i TO
INC, / exclaimed dramatically: mo!
You can't mean III Tom SodlOyP Good
heayensl how could l have been 80
blindH" But the beloved little creature
never suspected me; and then congra-
ulated her.
Though essential to tho story, and in
himself an excellent young fellow, late.
~ settled hero 10 see how soon he cru
make q fortune in early vegetables for
the New York winter market, Tom docs
not make much OF a perdonBl appear.
ance hero; so | will only remark that he
Ia a Manufacturing young chap. steady
In his habits, sound in his morals, and
Of solid, though not dazzling intelii:
genco. he can afford to lose q good deal
OF money on that farm, and yet DO able
10 keep aEood wife in comfort. Ho Is
an Englishman by birth, an American
BY adoption, and 4 Jamaican by por.
sonaI prediction. And now to busi.
nesa
Imogen has been residing hero for a
year pasL, because hor father had Il
strokeo paralysis, and the doctor recon-
mendOd this climate. lhoy took q
house near where | live; aud | wish !
had space to givoI q picture OF tho old
gentleman, whose aHliction has not i'm.
paired the brillIanCs OF ono Of tho moot
| original and powerful minds It has ever
been my fortune 10 come In contact
with. He is constantly emitting start
ling bot unexpected truth in tho most
exhlliarating and Inimitablo phra'ool'
logy: he iS a Widower, and lmogon is
| his only child. / doubt whether hn
likoS Tom quito as we'll as | do; but 1t
IL possible, oil tho other hand, that he
may like Imogon even a littlo bottor
than |, With this briOf introduction,
] teIegate him with roget TO tho back
ground.
A month ago, at Z o'clock In tho
morning, l was leaning on my gate,
looking IN and down the road, aud toll.
ing myself, for the throO hundrodth
time at least, that this was tho most do
leClablo climate aud tho most exquisite
scenery In tho world. Anon, hoard
tho sound OF horis's hooisi aud down
along the winding nVcnue Of broad.
leAyOd, dowy plantains, plulny ban-
booI and misunderstanding palms, came
riding In her white liuOn blouse aud
habit tho charming figure Of the bloom-
ing young ImogOn. Sho waB on u can
tor, and only smiled and waved hOr
whip at mo In greeting NJ sliO passed.. l
know worry well whOfO BhO was going,
and why abs looked m happy. Toms
estate was ton milos oil; there was II
certain iout.cornOtS at about hall that
distance, O]yCrahAdoWod by tho bOughs
oian enormous he troC, with n green
carpet Of pimonto.Rtass underneath,
aud q general Guggoailon oil %lovofnak'
Ing and romance. From thoro they
could ridO round by another way 10 II
lovely prospect Of tho ocean and talk
philosophy aud that sort Of thing by
tho time second breakfast was ready
thuy would turn up NJ lmogOn's house,
ThOy did this thrice u wCrr -Monlny,
Thursday and Saturday. This was Eat
urday.
Imogon pnnsod' out Of SiRht, aud TO.
mninol smoking nv cigar, III pleasing
meditation. llnDpY youth Glorious
ora Of love aud hupel Golden Npn oil
lilo and liberty With Rpntimcnlal
inspiration | turned away FROM tho
cato aud was about 10 snunlar back IN
my chair on tho yntnndn, whom | was.
arrested by a rapid ]gRllOpinR nolsO up
tho road whittier lmogen had lately
vanished. In u moment, 10 nv sur
prise, tho girl toappourOd, urging hor
horse Ia foil spool, aud with oyrty algn
Of agitation aud alarm In hor iacb aud
posture. llof aspect could hardly have
moro In contrast With tho confident
felicity Of n low minutes before, hho
pulled up, pnln and painting, VI my gate
'uaL VnuF hoFag aud como with mo /"