The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-03
her venatiOn, and added, And 50 can't

her vexation, and added, And so can't
sccept your kind suggestion"
ION the contrary" / returned, more
eagerly still, "it Is the greater reason why
shouldn't desert you, especially as your
predicament 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 II
you will afford me the happiness Of seeing
you made comfortable can no doubt very
soon get your mount put right"
Miss Gwynne hesitated, and / 1attered
myself that she seemed in no way ayerse
to my company. Certainly was making
q very favorable impression upon her.
"Oh, but II 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 Q
SMILE whatever would he say to me II I
allowed perfect stranger to spend money
upon mef"
"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 damagesf"
Really, don't see what else I can do
under the circumstances, was the answer,
with little sigh MS Of regret. Then, with
q light laugh and In a mock menacing
tone, she added; "Oh but won't make II
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.
knew was, even already, madly in love
with pretty Miss Gwynne.
Fired Brandon--quite at your service"
"Well, Mr.. Brandon, there's q turning
half o 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 /
am proving"
"On the contrary, quite pleasant In
terruption to my journey, gallantly ven
tured, and I really thought that Miss
Gwynne was the most charming and un-
conventional girl had ever met. In fact,
epresently reached the inn she had spo-
ken Of all too soon to suit my newly awak-
ened emotions.
found, on inquiry, that could reach
st. Albans 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,
was by this time utterly oblivious Of his
existence.
Looking in upon Miss Gwynne before
leaving the house, found her already en-
joyiDg an appetizing repast a sight which
momentarily gave me some qualms Of
conscience concerning the dinner had
promised my ohum should be ready for
him by the time he reached the George.
Pardon me, Miss Gwynne" said I. II
haven't had a chance to settle with the
landlord yet, and he may look for pay
ment before I can return. Except for o
few coppers, this note as 1t happens, Ia
the smallest amount have about me- SO
pray accept 1t as the loan which you say
you will insist upon your brother, Major
Gwynne, returning"
delicately placed R5 note upon the
table, and then, blushing furiously at the
rather curious look accorded me, which I
recalled to mind soon afterward, hastened
from the room.
Having procured what wanted in So.
Albans was back well under the two
hours. OF Miss Gwynne, however, could
see no trace
"Oh, 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
mo-"
"whatI'' fairly gasped, "gone of on
my machine-said I was her brother and
left me to settle npP Why, what on earth
are you rnving about manf"
"Ain't raving at all, " snapped the land
lord, eying me suspiciously. "But-but
Il hope it's all right. She"-
"Hope it's all rightl' interrupted fu-
riously. "It's all wrong II she said was
her brother, and gone off with my almost
new 20 guinea mount, and my IS note
tool oh, yes, 1t is all right for her no
doubt, and 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 very nosel'
1 could hardly repress groan as / saw
how neatly had been deceived, for felt
very hard hit both in pocket and vanity,
moreover, was no doubt commensurate
with the knowledge of what n thorough
fool 1 should appear to everybody.
"Woll, it's your own fault, sir,n the
landlord retorted gruffly. "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
amt girl at all, but chap dressed up as
such, 80 as to swindle gents easier. had
my doubt when she left, but now I'm
sure Ten to one you've been done by a
young fellow called Dan Ford-a clever BIZ
cycle thief, much wanted by the police In
these parts. He's better known as Dolly
Ford, because he makes such good look.
ing girl when he dresses up. You amt
tho first gent as he's swindled in Just this
same way. I dare say he'd no sooner got out
of sight Of this place than he assumed his
true character, and by this time your bicy-
Gle has put him miles out of reach, and
maybe it's already soldp
To learn that had been ignobly duped
by common bicycle thief maddened me
still more, but the only consolation 1 had
was in wishing all sorts Of dreadful things
toward the pseudo Major Gwynne's sister.
London Tit Bits.
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