The Press., 1896-02-20
DID l DO RIGHT?
ByF. W. ROBINSON.

| TCopyright, 1895, by American Press Associa- l ton.
 Iwouder if it would have happened very differently-or how it would have happened anyhow-if I had not inter- fered? If had neglected that which it was my obvious duty to attend to; if I had let things "slide;'' if I had shut my eyes and seen nothing, it might have paid me better-I should not have been in young Whites estimation for ever afterward ''an intermeddling old fool''
 Iwonder even now whether it was for the best Still it was clearly my duty, and did it. did not feel any the better for it afterward. never re- preached myself for taking the step that I did take and had the satisfac+ion of my own conscience to uphold me. But, still, cannot help wondering how young Whites love affair would have banned out without me.
 There was nothing to be done but stop it. Young White was in my charge, and his parents, relatives and friends-and her parents, relatives and friends-had right to be informed and warned of what was going on in Inkle- borough under my very nose and, may add, under the aquiline nose of Miss Le- titia Craig-Alpine, the principal of High House Seminary For Young Ladies, where the object of young Whites de- vouring passion was being educated at high pressure and with all the ''extras. When it came to discovering this, clumsily stitched up in the left inner lining of young Whites Sunday waist coat (near the heart, poor boy D, where it was discovered by its cracking and by Sarah Buds, my housekeeper, whose vigilant eye had detected button gone and was making good the omission when this was found beneath her hand, what else was to be done but take active steps to stop it all at once?
 My DEAREST RoBERTo-I shall be so dread. | fully unhappy until see you next Saturday afternoon. Old Scroggy is going to see her | sister, and Miss TadcaStle, hateful thing has | sprained her ankle-badly, 1 am glad to say and Sally will be in charge of us. Dear Sally, | whom we can both trust, and whom we will | both take care of when she grows old and we have house oS our own, won't we, dear?) I 1 can bear this slavery no lOnger-this black | board and bread and jam existence-and we | love each other and can trust each other for f ever and ever. Yes, the die is cast, and | will fly from this detestable tyranny and begin life together as you suggest in new and for eign land, where your French uncle is, who | will shelter tls and take care of us for few weeks until we able to get married. Peo- | pie marry very early abroad, l have heard l mamma say, and you are so clever everybody | says that we are sure to prosper in the world, | with your kind rich uncle to help till we | do So on Saturday next-at 4 in the after | noon, you have arranged so nlcely-I will | be at the railway station under the clock, l waiting for you and looking out longingly for | you, my dearest one. Don't forget! We will travel third class to Dashford Junction-that will not excite suspicion and will save us a deal of money. With fondest love and kisses | yours, till death and longer, EUGENE. P. S.-Burn this lest old Bunions get hold of l it. Fluff our kitten, has been stolen, so cannot bring him with me on Saturday. am so sorry about it. Poor little lovel How | wonder where it has got toI don't think | your pa my pa and ma will be very angry when we are married, and it can't be | helped. Do you? Saturday. o'clock
 Here followed various significant and symbolic crosses. Poor little Eugenie- forward and precocious little Eugenie- it was an unlucky hour for two fond young lovers wild schemes that put your missive into the hands of "old Bunions. :" was "old Bunions' doubt less. Young White must have told her that had some, which was very wrong and disrespectful of him, but bore him no i'll will for that Indeed I had always liked young White. He was so manly a boy, so ghtfOrWard, so affectioHate, such a favorite with the school, especially among the smaller fry, to whom he was always gentle an uncommon trait ill the big boy. Rob- ert White was 16 years of age, and was tall enough for 19. There was a sus- picion of mustache over his upper lip. He was one of the cleverest boys in the school, and I should have been the last to suspect him of any amOrOus tenden- cies. That letter in the inner lining of his WaistcOat fairly took my breath away. Not only love letter, but an ar engagement for an elopement-a plan cut and dried to 'cut away''-a wild and unwarrantable step which might end i'll complete disaster if we were not very careful over the whole business
 Saturday was the day arranged for this uncere1nonious proceeding, and to- day was Thursday. l must take counsel with Miss Craig Alpine at once, and &C., tive measures must be taken to baf1e those young conspirators. And if it could all be done quietly and thus save scan- dal in our respective schools, and with ou1 Robert White or Eugenie being any the wiser, so 4much the better.
 suggested this to Miss Craig Alpine, between 12 and on the Thursday, and Miss Craig Alpine could not agree with me. Itwas not often we agreed together upon any subject, for did not like Miss Craig-Alpine and thought that she was rather a severe schoolmistress, take her for all in all. l do not think I have any reason to alter my opinion even now, despite my testimony here that she was