The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-12-31

part. They waited and there was delay.
Gradually others joined them on the plat
form; knot Of ladies at the upper end,
two or three men lolling against posts and
gazing down the street, and pale young
man bearing green bag, pacing to and
fro. A fashion. plate on the news stand
displaying the latest eccentricity from Paris
caught the Madame's eyes and diverted
them from her charge. Clara sprang
lightly upon the step next to the track and
stood looking toward the curve around
which the belated train must come. A
picturesque and pleasing figure she made
! in clear, bold outline. Was it made un
consciously, or had the presence and fur
tive glances Of that pale young man an in
spring influence? Certainly Clara had
| noticed him and had wondered where she
had seen him before, and had felt yexed
because she could not decide. Certainly
she was aware that advantages demanded
a point of vantage. But-alas! ever since
! the days of Eve pride hath wrought the
same consequence. The flooring was icy;
Clara's dainty feet slipped. She fell, and
hung in a most awkward, hel pless position,
with one foot caught between the rail and
the guard beam. And along the track
there came a premonitory rumble, and
around the curve shot the belated train /!
Clara screamed, as only the perfected
product of fashionable boarding school
can scream The ladies at the further
end re-echoed the alarm The Madame
dropped her parcels, and with upraised
palms, invoked Providence in acute Gal
licisms. The men against the posts threw
away their cigars and swore and sprang
forward; but the pale young man with the
green bag swinging from his arm was far
ahead Of their purpose In an instant he
was down beside the girl, had loosened her
| poor little foot from its absurd gear, for once
sensible in its absurdity, had raised her in
his arms and set her back in safety, and
had leaped to the platform himself from
under the very guard of the engine-just
in time Just in time-but the green
bag was ground into tatters on the rail,
and the arm from which it swung hung
limp and motionless.
There was confusion and hurry. Those
not intent on gaining the train or the street
were surrounding the girl, and the Mad
ame-especially the Madame-she chat
tered so vehemently. The pale young
man, ah, how pale, indeed ! turned and
doubled and escaped general notice He
was furtively making his way toward the
egress, when hating, blushing, dis
heveled vision of loneliness confronted him.
She seized his arm, and he WINGED and
stood still.
"Oh, how gallant! how noble'' Clara
cried ''How can l thank you? Won't
you tell me who you are %
1T doesn't signify" he stammered.
''Any one would have done it. Pardon
me, if [ hurry. An important engage
ment-''
''Mademoiselle ! Mees Manley y
screamed the Madame, fairly clawing the
air in her excitement ''Com' to-to once
to ze-ze dressing room Ze foot bare
Naked All, Ceil!'
The train had gone on the station, was
well-nigh deserted. There was no one look
ing, except the Madame. Impulsive, impetu
GUS Clara felt desperate, She darted for
ward. She caught the pale young mans
face between her hands, and lightly touch
ed his mouth with her lips.
''There y she cried, and limped away,
her little foot twinkling like snow flake.
Straight to the upper platform she hasten
ed She gathered some fragments strewn
around, and tucked them away in that
most uncertain local habitation, her pocket.
Then she joined her breathless preceptress,
and submitted herself unto her ministra-
tions 1t was late that evening before the
Madame became sufficiently breathful to
express her sentiment regarding this ad-
venture; when she did, her words began
with "affreuse,' and ended with "Mon
Dieu
But two days time removed all weight
from the Madame opinion, for Clara then
joined her parents in their magnificent new
home by the Park. She was received
with all that indiscriminating alteration into
which distance and absence may exagger-
ate natural love for an only child, and Of
all the rare, beautiful, and perhaps the
most strange They, the Manley's were
rather appalled, by the splendor into which
they had transported themselves, but were
resolved not to consider it sufficiently to be
dazzled by it. They shared common
reliance in the man who had prepared it
for them, and encouraged each other by
its utterance.
''Reuben Oatfeld will attend to it, my
DEAR said old Elijah hundred times,
''Reuben will arrange
''What fine man y Catherine always
replied "A most excellent lawyer, a
perfect gentleman, and just in his prime,
should say, my dear
Il hate fine men y Clara interrupted
one day, quite unnecessarily, ESPECIALLY
those just in their prime. They always
imagine that three whisps plastered on
their forehead are substitute for hair.
''Clara p said the matron, reproach-
fully ''Your father friend and mine
Think of all he has done for us, of his
ability, his character. How satisfied l
should feel if your future husband would
be such man
"Oh,' responded the girl, unconcern-
edly. II suppose | ought to tell you.
I'm engaged. .
What that?'' asked Elijah sharply.
'sMy dear childr' exclaimed Catherine
Engaged? impossible! Why, to whom?''
II don't know. It's that pale young
man that saved my life the other day, you
know. [ kissed him, as [ told you, and
you wouldn't have your daughter kiss any
one except her fance, would you?
don know his name, but have the means
of finding out, think, and Clara went
straightway to her room and studied over
sundry bits of paper, and wondered where
she could find out anything about the case
of 'ETeteltas VS.. Byers