The morning news., 1897-03-14

chlldhood passed with them-then of his
first appearance at Folgate with his wild
owed mother-his uncles welcome-the
beauties of his new home, the kindness
of everybody to him. And as he thought
OF poor old Blake, his uncle's faithful fac
totum, who had signed the telegram, and
who had often screened his youthful deli
quencies, he felt the tears silently trick
ling down his cheeks as an unconscious
attestation of how deeply he had been
moved.
Suddenly recollecting, however, the i'm
port of the message, he called the man.
servant of his chambers, and whilst this
imperturbable old party packed his port
manteau, he hurriedly swallowed some
breakfast, wrote some necessary notes to
account for his absence, and started off by
the 1910 express to the home of his youth
He took a second-class single ticket to
Carnforth, the nearest station to the
Towers, having previously dispatched a
telegram to Blake. saying he was coming
and to send the dogcart to meet him on his
arrival He had just time to catch the
| train, and entered a compartment which
he was fortunate enough to find empty
and thus he was left to muse over his past
life ard its earlier associations in connec-
ton with the object of his present jour-
ney.
Finding himself alone, he threw himself
at full length upon the seat and indulged
1t was one of those carriages divided
into three compartments by means Of par
titions half way to the roof, and Ralph
occupied the middle one without having
previously noticed whether the others
were occupied or not.
He had not, however, proceeded far on
his journey before he was made aware of
some one being in the compartment next
to his, in the direction in which the train
was going by sundry noises which had
not hitherto assailed his ear. Presently
he heard sweet but excited voice exclaim
in slightly foreign accent: please don't
stare at me so; it is rude, and no gentle
man would do So"
The only answer to this remark was
kind of cultural noise, between a cough
and a groan.
Again the sweet voice, as If in despera-
ton, How rude you are. Oh, please don't.
| Do put down that horrid pistol, or I'll
summon the guard"
'Will you, - you, will you?" said her
| tormentor, who was evidently about to
| seize hold of her, when her screams for
| help brought Ralph to his feet in moment
| and vaulting readily over the partition
| which divided them, he saw that the poor
| girl had tainted whilst her assailant
| stood over her with a revolver in his hand
To disarm him was but the work of a
moment, as the tremulous, drink-sodden
| ruffian was no match for the wiry, sin
ewy form of Ralph, who caught him by
| the throat and asked him authoritatively
what he meant by his conduct in assail-
ing in such a cowardly manner an un-
| protected lady?
$50 Ike her-so like her." was all Ralph
could get out of him; so quietly pock-
citing the revolver, and giving the fellow
| such a shake as almost sent him through
| the window of the carriage, he threw
! him on the seat, and without more ado
sAH hi al h rferfc
with the idea of keeping the wretch quiet
until they reached the next station.
Having thus secured the abject scoun-
| drel, who now alternately groaned and
cried for mercy, Ralph directed his at
! tention to the poor girl, who was still
lying unconscious in one corner of the
carriage.
He was much struck by the beauty of
| her face, which looked like that of a
| sleeping angel, for her low, broad fore
head, ner exquisitely-shaped nose and
| sweet little mouth seemed indeed angelic
| in their loveliness, whilst the pallor of
| her brow, cheeks and lips made her all
the more interesting. Her hair and eye
lashes were of deep chestnut color, the
former being simply coiled at the back
| of her head, and the latter thick and
| long Her figure was petite. but perfect
in its symmetry and development, and
her little gloved hand showed breeding
| and refinement.
She was neatly but not ,expensively
dressed in mourning, and Ralph, as he
| gazed at her and thought he had never
| seen any one so lovely, wondered who
and what she was, and how fate had
| brought her to be assailed, like a lovely
| flower in the hand of a maniac by the
| drink-maddened wretch, who now lay be-
| fore him.
Presently, as he watched her, her eye
| lids began to CULVER and slight flush
on each cheek foretold the approach of
returning consciousness. Ralph tenderly
| took one of her hands in his own, and as
| he did so 1t closed convulsively on his
| and she awoke with a start and asked
where she was and what had happened.
Suddenly recollection seemed to awak-
| en- within her, and she sobbed hysteric-
ally Ralph's presence, however, until
! now seemingly unknown to her appear
ed to strengthen, as his kind voice sooth-
ed and comforted her. Little by little
| she regained composure and perfect con-
sciousness, and quickly took In all her
| surroundings She was profuse in her
| thanks to Ralph. who was now so over
| come by the novelty of the situation that
| he could only bow and utter common
| places. which seemed to add to his en-
| barrassment.
How often Is It thus with true heroes
men who have distinguished themselves
| by bravery in action under fire without a
thought Of self Yet these will tremble
like schoolboys afraid Of Gaming when
they come before their sovereign TO be
decorated for the deeds OF daring they
have done in defense of queen and coun-
| try.
Ralph now directed his attention TO the
PROSTATE wretch lying before him, who
seemed cowed and exhausted he begged
| for something 10 drink, and besought
Ralph TO take a bottle which he would
| find In his pocket. and let him have some,
when he promised to briefly tell his his
tory.
Prompted by pity, Ralph did as he was
requested. and after a copious draught
| the helpless roue proceeded as follows:
"I know that ! have not long to live
and that when you have handed me over
! TO the authorities. they will shut me up in
the madhouse. from which / have just es-
capped: but / thank God you have saved
me from adding murder to the long cata-
logue OF my sins. My downward career
began about twenty years ago. when /
| had become head OF an old established
and respectable firm OF lawyers In Mad
rid owing TO the then recent death OF the
senior partner. Amongst our most infu-
| entail clients was a young lady possessed