The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-08

i loht no vino W AZ
| started to run back 70 tho house, | had
an idea that Imogen'A father had had
another stroke Of paralysis but II at
once struck me- that that was impossi-
BILE, since ahs could not have seen him
between tho time she passed me and
now. In my preoccupRtion l almost
ran under the legs Of my horse, which
was coming down the path with my
groom on hia back, on his way to the
neighboring town with my mai. Here
was q stroke OF luck to begin with
"Down with you, Charles" said |.
sect tho mule and go on with her. l
want Mocha myself"
Charles, nimble but bewildered, dis,
mounted, add held the bride while l
swung myself into his place, was not
| attiFad IN my usual equestrian costume,
though l had fortunately discarded my
pajamas earlier than usual this morn
ing; but this was no time for trihlng.
Charles made u drive 10 open the gate,
"a rops-Wo must have u ropeP eE-
claimed lmogen, whose mare was dane
ing about in the road, inspired with tho
~eonlagion Of nor mistress mysterious
excitement,
We had been cutting down trees the
day before, and had used a longish bit
OF rope to pull them down with after
the AK had done Its work, Hanging
on tho peg by tho door Of tina coach.
house, Charles" said ]; but that intel
ligeut African was already half way up
tho drive, He had q profound euthu-
siasm for Misa lmogeu, and seemed to
comprehend her wishes by intuition.
He was back with tho rope neatly
coiled before l had time TO ask what on
earth ahe wanted II for; and in another
moment We were oil. 70 my further
perplexity, VIC took tho direction oppo.
site to the one she had sOt oil on. But
she evidently knew what she was about,
or thought she did, and L bridled my
curiosity, and awaited her leisure for
IN explanation. Tho stirrups wore too
short, but at the pace We were going
there was NJ opportunity to change
them.
GLOW far is It, my dOar2" I inquired
at length, IN the easy tone OF the self.
poised man OF the world, whose COM
posura is not TO DO ruilled by such q
bagaLelle as being s%nRlched oil on II
mission OF life and death between Two
whids oil a cigar.
Ny words did not seem TO reach her
ut lrst. Sue did not turn her face to
me whom she finally answered with q
shake Of tho head; "0h, miles aud
miles; | don't know how far; / was
never there before"
| tried TO digest this reply, but could
make nothing Of it Presently l ven
tured again: ave are taking the best
route, l suppose. I'm familiar with
some short cuts through these woods,
aud II / knew u Destination"
~ know tho way" she interrupted
mo; ~ can't tell how | know it; it is IN
my mind; l saw it all aud | can make no
mistake, Oh, Tom-rom"
"0h, it's Tom-Iom, Is III" said to:
myself. "Well. l might have OWNED
that before. OF course. 1t could only
DO Tom. But what can DO tho trouble
wish Tom? And how can abe know Of
his being in any trouble? She couldn't
have seen him or heard from him be.
tween tho ttmo she passed me frat, and
her return. Then why-and- what
and where-? There is something pc.
culiar In this affair. Tho little girl
can't suddenly have gone crazy; she
Isn't that sort o igirl. No-but there is
something peculiar, Well, Il will come
out in due timo, Tom, ehT"
Imogon, meanwhile, riding Of my left
| hand, had bean going at q sharp canteri
sho now suddenly pulled up, and, as l
rode past her, turned 10 the right, and
went straight into tho forest. So, at
least, / at Grst thought; but when | fol.
lowed her l found there were traces OF
a path, but il had been 10 little used as
10 be we'll nigh invisible, knew the
woods hGreaboutH pretty well, for | am
fond Of exploring; but | knew nothing
Of this, aud | am sure lmogen did not,
for sho hated anything that iutoriersd
with rapid progress. AID uniformly
kept to the hlgh.roads. Yet here she
was forcing her way through the under
brush and over the uneyen ground rs
II che werc familiar with the route from
hor infancy upwards. Peculiar, do
cidudlyl
Tho nature oithe footing, not to mon.
ton the branches aud vines that often
barred our way, made a slower pace
necessary, and | seized tho opportunity,
frat to iongthen my stirrups, aud next
Tor Hn explanation.
"Int US understand each other, lmo-
gon," | said, with an authoritative ser.
iousuoss such as 1 Judge beat adopted to
tho oxigencisl Of tho occasion. III We
arc to achieve our miasiOn, you must
tell mo everything. Intelligent coop
Grafton would othorWiIe DO impossible.
Where arc VIC bound, aud what is 1t we
havc to dor Lot me know all you know
yourself"
Conversation on horseback, in n thick
tropic forest, isR difficult art, unImport.
ant words Rrs jollod out Of you as II
they Wero tbs elimination Of your
theme, aud tho really important
phrases arc apt to be impaired In their
effect by tho ilRpping Of d bunch OF
leaves over tho mouth OF tho speaker, or
tho banging Of n branch on tho listen.
er's car. In the present case, too, lmo.
gen herself Waa far from being logically
cOhoront In her atatemeOts; and upon
the whole | shall not attempt to repro.
duco our dialogue precisely as it occur.
rod. Bnt tho giSt Of 1t shall DO given
faithfully.
"You know that place just beyond
your gate" said shc, "whoro You get
tho Wow OF tho Blue mountaina2 %oll,
| stopped to look nj that for Il moment,
for II was unusually ClcRr to-day, and l
wac just thinking how beautiful II was,
when all Mt once, was not seOing that
Wow at all, but place in tho heart Of
tho woods, aud q man riding along q
narroW path, down a slecp nlopo. 1t
was Tom. This was not u vision, you
know; | was rOally thOre, aud saw him.
And down nj tho foot Of tho Hlone. 1