Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-11-14
SAVED BY A MYSTERY.
BY JULIAN UAwTGoRNE.
downright 1895. by Bachelor Johnson
V''0p' and BachellerD
CUAPTERI.

CHAPTERL
The incident am to relate belongs
to a class entirely inexplicable by any
law known to us, and therefore rightly
to be assigned to the realm of acct
dent or coincidence. Yet experience
OF similar occurrences is so far from
being uncommon, and the accident and
coincidence theories are so ludicrously
inadequate 10 account for many OF
them, that our wise men--or wiseacrcs
are beginning TO be somewhat eau
tious in Diminishing them thus. and now
mutter darklv about obscure cerebral
phenomena not as yet completely re
duced to scientific classification. That
solemn mot as yet makes me smile;
it Ia the heels OF science disappearing
over the back yard fence of nature
scared into imheciity by the sound of
the voice of approaching spiritual rev
citation. Here is an example of the
phenomena in question, at first hand
and | desire YOU to make careful note
of the data of the problem, and then
solve il if you can. hold no brief from
either side. though may have my own
private opinion on such matters.
The heroine of the tale is young
lady born in New York, and whose
name for present purposes shall be Inn
ogon. She is nineteen years old, sem
sible, healthy and pretty. a discrep-
ancy of thirty years III our ages and
some other circumstances have pre-
vented my sentiments toward her from
proceeding beyond the boundaries Of
confidential friendship; but SO far they
are satisfactory TIC MS both. | was one
Of the very first 10 be admitted to the
startling revelation of her partiality
for Mr.. Thomas ;edley, Jr.. the prog
ress of which ! hal been observing with
interest and sympathy for at least a
month before they themselves discov-
cred it. When, little later, she con
fided it to me. L exclaimed dramatic
ally: NO, You can't mean it. Tom
| Sedley? Good heavens. how could
have been so blnd?" But the beloved
/ little creature never suspected me; and
! then | congratulated her.
Though essential 10 the story, and
/ in himself an excellent young fellow,
lately settled here to see how soon he
( can make fortune in carly vegetables
for the New York winter l. ssket, Tom
does not make much of personal APP
pcarance here; so | will only remark
that he is manufacturing young chap,
steady in his habits, sound in his NOR
ais, and of solid, though not dazzling,
intelligence. He can afford TO lose n
good deal of money on that farm, and
vet be able to keep good wife in COM
fort. He is an Engishman by birth,
an American by adoption, and Jamai-
can by personal prediction. And
now to business.
Imogen has been residing here for
a wear past, because her father had a
stroke of paralysis, and the doctor
recommended this climate. They took
house near where | live; and | wish
had space to give picture of the old
gentleman, whose atfictiOn has not i'm
paired the brilliance of one of the most
original and powerful minds it has ever
been my fortune to come in contact
with. He is constantly emitting start
ling but unexpected truth in the most
exhilurating and inimitable phraseol-
ogy; he is v-idower, and lmogen is
his only child / doubt whether he
likes Tom quite as well as do; but il
is possible, on the other hand, that he
may like lmogen even a little better
than |. With this brief introduction
| relegate him with regret to the back.
ground.
; a month ago, at seven o'clock in the
morning, | was leaning on my gate
looking up end down the road. and tell
ing myself, for the ,hrce kundredth
time at least, that this was he most de
lrctable cliIrote and the most exquisite
= scenery in the world. Anon, | heard
, the sound Of horses hoofs; and down
along the winding avenue of broad
, lcaved, dewy plantains, plumy bamboos
and slender-towering palms, came rid