Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-07-15
up just out of the CLEANS of light from the

up just out of the CLEANS of light from the
cottage windows and Il mans voice called
out impatiently:
what is it,"
| The young doctor. holding the handker-
chief, had already leapt down from the
cart, and was running over the snow as
| fast as limbs stif'ened by cold and Il
cramped position could carry him. Even
as he ran. and the rapid movement dis
persed the fanciful reveries which novel
circumstances and his new and strange
perversity had induced. q superstitious
and dreamy idea took possession of him
that this triflng accident had some mean
ing for him, some bearing upon his future
life; and at the same time an entirely
mundane and eXplicable curiosity arose in
his mind concerning the companion of the
lady. His voice was young. therefore he
was not her husband; it was that of Il
gentleman, therefore he could not be the
coachman. The Yorkshireman was filled
with interest by the time he reached the
sleigh. 1t was the lady who held the
reins. sitting high on cushions ut the
right.
well. what do you want:' she asked.
lizard times, l suppose. and you've been
ont of work for weeks. and have a hun
CRY family, and want nights lodging.
Well. here you are. but you ought not to
stop people on the public road; it looks
| like an attempt at highway robbery with
out the romance of il.
She ended with q ripple Of most pleas
ant low-voiccd laughter as if it was quite
impossible for her happy nature to keep
up even the faintest semblance of annoy
ance with which her words had begun.
She was feeling in her purse. with her
head bent over it. by the time the yorn.:
Iorkshireman had reached her side and
had recovered breath enough to speak.
Just as he was raising his hat, and holding
out the handkerchief. the ponies started
off: and the few PAGES it Travelled before
being pulled up by a quick hand on the
/ reins. brought the sleigh within the light
from the cottage windows. which flashed
upon the face of the lady.
The Yorkshireman held his breath BY
some odd result of his sudden revelation
of her beauty to his dazed and dreamy
mood. it seemed to him that not flesh
| and blood handsome woman of the nine
teenth century. but the incarnatc ideal of
the Italian painters of the Renaissance
looked straight into his eyes with the
| frank and fearless gaze of n pictured god
dess. and flashed upon his dazzled sight
the rose and ivory tin,s of her skin. the
glcam of her blue eyes and of her pearl
teeth, the shining coils of her pale golden
hair. On her side the lady seemed to be
as much struck with the appearance of
the supposed tramp as he was with hers:
the pink color in her cheeks grew little
deeper. and she held out her hand for the
handkerchief with head bent as if in hum
bic apology. while her full blue eyes looked
! up III his face with deprecatory express
sion which would have washed away the
memory of Il hundred insults.
| Il beg your pardon. I'm so awfully
sorry. | made dreadful mistake she
! said. in low winning voice that had a
strangely moving Quality.
Not at all, madam" answered the
stranger. recovering his voice. but not all
his sc!f-control. You were quite right
The times are very hard. and l am in
search of nights lodging. though it is
true | had 70 intention of waylaying you
for the means to pay for it. You dropped
your handkerchief and l picked it up;
that is all
! "Oh. but it's not all. I'm so much
ashamed of myself" broke on, the lady.
who seemed to enjoy the adventure with
all the Zcst of Il young girl. You are
| a stranger here. see--for l know every
! face in the nei&hhorhood. Let NE offer
You the hospitality of my home--The
Crags-for the night. My husband, Lord
kildonan. will be delighted to welcome
you; poor man. he's used to making the
amende honorable for his wite's esca-
pades" SHE ended with another peal of the
bell-tonel laughter which seemed to be
a more natural expression of her happy.
sanguine temperament than the colder
niess.s;.m Of words.
The doctor noticed. even rs he excused
himself from accepting this headstrong
offer of hospitality. that her companion
appeared strangely sensible of the want of
dignity betrayed by this rash invitation to
a stranger; for he gathered up the reins.
which the lady had let fall. as if to remind
her that tie time was slipping by.
'.You must at least call upon us to-
morrow-ah, but I insist upon that" she
said, after hearing his answer. II can't
insult people ard forget ali about it in Il
moment like that; l must be allowed to
make amends my own way. II you are a
visitor to Conismere You have no idea
how much an old resident can help you to
make the very most of your stay
Before she could get any further with
her speech the ponies started off at a
smart pace. and the young Iorkshreman
was left standing in the middle of the
road. feeling like the hero of fairy tale
when the spell was broken and the en-
chantcd palace melted away. The cart
in which the old yillager had brought him
thus far on his journey now logged up.
and stopped for him to mount into ii again.
"Weli. what dost thinl. o t leddyT
asked the old man with interest,
why, she-she is very handsome" the
doctor answered stupidity; and he turned
to get up into the cart again.
AS he did so he caught sight of some
thing on the snow-covered ground at q
little distance from his feet. With a
quickened pulse. and yet with conscience
sting. he made two steps forward. and dis
covered that it was indeed, as sense
even keener than his bodily vision had told
him, the same little handkerchief that he
had restored to it's owner few moments
before. An odd coincidence, surely. that