Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-07-19

eagerly still, ait is the greater reason why
l shouldn't desert you, especially as your
prediCamcnt is entirely due to my careless
ness You don't know how annoyed | am
at having rendered your machine useless,
and under the circumstances feel in hon
or bound to repair the mischief and if
you will afford me the happiness of seeing
you made comfortable l can no doubt very
soon get your mount put right"
Miss Gwynne hcsitatcd, and l lattered
myself that she seemed in no way averse
to my company. Certainly l was making
a very favorable impression upon her
"Oh, but if l allow you to spend any
thing upon me, it must only be as a loan.
No, please don't interrupt-that must be
distinctly understood. My brother must
and will be only too happy to settle with
you. Besides, " the girl continued, with a
smile, whatever would he say to me if
allowed perfect stranger to spend money
upon meY'
"He'd say it served me right for my
carelessness. But you will allow me, then,
to see you made comfortable somewhere
while try to repair damagcs?"
Really | don't see what else | can DO
under the circumstances, - was the answer,
with little sigh as of regret Then, with
| n light laugh and in a mock menacing
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 en-
barrassment one half shy side glance at
me- and my heart was no longer my own
l know | was even al1Vady, madly in love
with pretty Miss Gwynhe
Fred Brandon-qute at your service.
"Wcll, Mr.. Brandon, there's turning
half a mile down the road which will take
us to just the place we want. Then you
will be able to run on to st. Adams 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 II very troublesome companion as
am proving
ION the contrary, quite a pleasant in
terruption to my journey" CALAMITY ven
tured, and l really thought that Miss
Gwynnc was the most charming and un-
conventional girl | had ever met In fact,
we presently reached the inn she had spo-
ken of all too soon to suit my newly awak
encd emotions.
l found, on inquiry, that l could reach
St. Adams quicker by taking some short
cuts across the fields than by riding round
the road, and so | determined to leave my
machine at the inn AS for poor Harry, l
was by this time utterly Oblivious of his
existence
Looking in upon Miss Gwynne before
leaving the house, found her already en-
joying an appetizing repast, a sight which
momcntarily gave me some qualms of
conscience concerning the dinner l had
promised my chum should be ready for
him by the time he reached the George.
Pardon me, Miss Gwynne, " said L. IL
haven't had IA chance to settle with the
landlord yet, and he may look for pay
mcnt before | can return. Except for a
few coppers, this note as it happens, is
the smallest amount l have about me, so
pray accept it as the loan which you say
you will insist upon your brother, Major
Gwynnc, returning
deicatcly placed 80 note upon the
table, and then, blushing furiously at the
rather curious look accorded me, which l
recalled to mind soon afterward, | FASTENED
from the room.
Having procured what l wanted in St
Adams, l was back well under the two
hours. OF Miss Gwynne, however, could
see no trace.
ooh, 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 youd arranged to
come back for hers and to settle up with
me. 4"
What" l fairly gasped, "gone off on
my machine-said l was her brother and
left me to settle up? Why, what on earth
are you raving about, man.
"Ain't raving at all, " snapped the land
lord, eying me suspiciously. "But-but
I hope it's all right. She
Hope it all rightp' interrupted flu
riously. Its all wrong if she said l was
her brother, and gone off with my almost
new 20 guinea mount, and my IS note
tool Oh, yes, it is all right for her no
doubt, and a very clever swindler that girl
must be. That machine she's left behind
isn't worth the price of old iron. And you
let her slip away under your worry nose"
l could hardly repress IL groan us / saw
how neatly 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 thorough
| fool l should appear to everybody.
"Well, it's your own fault, sir, the
landlord retorted gruflly IF you let the
girl soft soap you down like she seems to
have done, you We got no one but yourself
to blame. And it's my belief that she
amt girl at all, but chap dressed up as
! such, so as to swindle gents easier. had
my doubt when She left, but now Pm
sure Ten to one you've been done by "A
young fellow called Dan Ford-a clever BIZ