Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-11-24

form at the station of D. He
was man 26 years Of age. upon whom
Nature had certainly lavished an undue
amount of good looks, but whose face
was marred ut present by look of
contempt for everything upon which
his glance might chance to fall. And
1t was scarcely to be wondered at, for
In just nine hours, as time was told by
the large, slowly ticking clock in the
waiting room at the depot, Duke Carl
ton was to be married. And here he
was forty miles from his destination,
and had just been told by the station
agent that the trains had changed time,
his train having left II precisely TWEEN
ty minutes before his arrival, and there
would not be another before 3 that
evening. Eight-the hour set for his
marriage with sweet Lula HoughtOn.
What would she, could she, think :?
What position to put her in Already
he imagined the crowded church, the
sea Of eager faces, the waiting bride,
and no Duke. He must reach the city
of E. In time for the ceremony; but
how?
Presently he walked back to the little
ticket office where the agent was la
boriously writing.
'DO you know If there Is any sort Of
conveyance around here that I could
get to take me to the next village? l
would pay we'll for one, as 1t is inlpera-
tive that should reach E before
night"
The agent calmly finished the SEN
tence he was writing, pushed the cap
he was wearing on the back Of his head
still farther back, and having thought
fully chewed the end of his pen for
about half minute, replied:
81 dunno. You might be able to git
old Harmon's horse and buggy If faint
let. He keeps the tavern bout stones
throw from here, an sometimes lets
his horse; but he wants tarnation
price. You can try him, though; that's
his chimney you see jest over the yeller
house there" And he rose lazily and
pointed vaguely down the street, where
q number of small houses We're visible,
among which the yellow one stood out
distinctly, having been recently built
and just received It's coat Of printing.
Duke walked rapidly from the depot
and FASTENED in the direction of the
tavern" keeping the chimney In view
as gaurd against mistake, and soon
found himself before a dirty, ill-kept,
Unlocking place, from which an odor
of boiled cabbage and onions was now
issuing. To his loud and twice-repeat-
ed knocking the door was finally open
ed by an untidy specimen of woman
kind from which he would at any other
time have recoiled in disgust; but his
necessity was urgent, so, stepping for
ward, he raised his hat and courteously
asked if he might see the proprietor.
After a prolonged stare, as If men,
tally digesting the word. she answered
with half grunt:
we amt no secrets. What du you
want?'
Duke smiled In spite of his perplex-
ity before he replied:
Il merely came to see If could en-
gage some one to take me over to the
village east of here. l must reach E
tonight; believe l can get a carriage
there"
There amt no horse to hum" she
said, but Abe would take you over in
the mornin'. Do you want lodgin' fur
the night?' she added, an eager look
taking the place of the previous vacant
stare.
"No, thank you" said Duke: "if l
cannot find vehicle of some descrip-
ton, suppose | must walk, for | must
certainly get there tonight. Can you
tell me about how far II is to the next
village, and which is the nearest way
to go?"
Its four mile and half by the rail
road, an nigh onto seven If you take
the road" was the surly answer, as she
saw that there was not even remote