The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-07-26


her memory, and she felt the tears burn
ing under her eyelids. Her reluctance TO
plunge became with every moment more
intense. 1t seemed as If she must loso
herself irretrievably--bo swallowed up
and oblitcrated. But there was no help /
for it. Itwas too late 10 turn back now,
even il she had actually considered /
the possibility. She had only TO turn her /
eyes tow ard tho future with all that it \
had in store for her TO feel again the |
passionate devotion in her heart flare up /
and all her joyous hopes rekindle The
mere fact Of being SO near the man of
her choice (for 1000 miles seemed a !
mere trife) made her pulses dance, and
conquering all weak reluctance she |
started forward, following the direction
which the interpreter of tho commits |
sionors Of immigration had pointed out
TO her. She was jostled and elbowed, |
pushed hither and thither, but managed !
to make her way through tho crowd Of
hotel runners, confidence men and other
shady characters who loitered about the
entrance TO Castle Garden. She present.
ly noticed, however, that she was being
followed 10y two fairly well dressed per
SONS Of extremely unpleasant aspect and
when one Of them approached her at
Bowling Green and offered her a situa
ton rs lady companion to very rich
old Lady she was so frightened that she
broke into a run. Her other pursuer
perceiving the discontinue Of the first
disappeared, but to her horror met her
% 1,l1nlrc
farther up and warned her against the
snares which beset tho feet Of lonely
young girls in this wicked metropolis.
From sheer helplessness, because she did
not know how to get rid of him, she al
lowed him to walk at her side and lis.
tened to his very pious discourse. But
she could no suppress an inward tremoI
and resolved to be ON her guard.
Shc had il the meanwhile counted the
number OF blocks from the Battery and
at the end Of 20 minutes turned the cor.
ner Of the street which, according TO her
directions. was to lead 10 the consul's
office It was, however, "a narrow and
rather gloomy looking street, lined with
immensely tall buildings and swarming
with people who, in their cageTness tC
get ahead often ran against each other
on the narrow sidewalks or pushed each
other into the gutter. Her companion
/ pausing when she paused, repeated some
/ pious phrases about the desperate Nam.
/ mon worship Of the lost souls who here
kept dancing about the golden calf and
/ begged her not 10 venture into so dan
/ gerous neighborhood If she would
/ take tho elevated railway mp town with
him, he would conduct her to a safe,
quiet and respectable place, where she
would be well cared for and earn plenty
of money As he fancied that .he had by
this time established himself III her CON
fidence, his manner grew more familiar,
and she caught suddenly a greedy lecI
on his face, which sent a chill Of horror
through her. She would have cried out
ii her fear Of making u commotion in
the street had not restrained her, and il
occurred also that her prosecutor, witt
his fluency in the language would have
greatly the advantage Of her With
trembling knees and a stunned sense OF
bewildermeat and distress, she stood a'
if rooted to the ground, not knowing
/. whittier to turn. just at that momen
she espied, few steps from her larg,
uniformed man, with helmet hat, anG
club in his hand.
please, sir, " she cried, rushing 70
ward him. can you not rid myself o
this manY He Will not leave me.
She scarcely knew how she managet
to produce so much coherent English
and she supplemented its fancied de
ficiency by appealing voice and gestures
"What man are you talking about
ma mp" queried the policeman looking
up and down the crowded street.,
Hulda turned quickly about, but t
? her amazement found no trace Of her pur
suer. He had vanished as utterly as j
the earth had opened and swallowe
him up.
j Guess your friend is bashful, Oh
served the officer, smiling. He don
. want TO be interduced
Hulda, on whom this pleasantly wa
lost, was too bewildered 10 attempt a
y answer.
"Where do you want TO 60, ma'ml
Z quoried the policeman.
"To tho Office Of the consul Of Nor
way and Sweden.
"Ill take you there.
u And seizing her, with benevolent pre-
tectorship, by tho arm, he conducted he
x two blocks down the street and pointe
y cut 10 her the building ia which th
= consulate was situated.
u There were a score or more Of MOI
= wegian sailors in the consul Office, an
3 Hulda had 70 sit down ON a bench an
q wait her turn She loOked--as could M
. bo avoided-a tri1e rumpled and wor
J, from the long voyage, and she shran
u from being confronted with a gentl
a man of her own nationality in a dowd
- toilet and a state Of untidiness whiC
q must inevitably prejudice him again
!, her She had to repress this sentimen
y however, in the presence Of dire nece
u sity. She had never dreamed how tir'
y She was until she attempted 10 rise al
was shown by a clerk into an inner {
= dce. Tho consul, who had evidently G
y p5ated a peasant maid, rose With the .
= most gallantry, when his practiced G
= detected through the shabby habilimer
= the expression aud the manner Of lad
- He was a tall, handsome and state
- man Of 80, with a certain diplomat
% distinction in his bearing. II was ye
- = delightful to Hulda, after her experien
y among csds and Doors, 10 feel hers
:, face to face with a agentlemaR who spo
hon. own lanOuaoo and could yithC