The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-10

know they have to be so queer. that
IT doesn't seem to matter whether they
are or not; one doesn't care much. you
know y
Well, they would not let US alone,
SO we had some breakfast-the usual
thing, l suppose, for Isremember being
asked whether / would take cream in
1ny coffee and declining it, then WON
dering Why the stuff tasted wrong and
wasn't the right color: and something
about being asked if the steak suited
me. and that answered dreamily that
r 1t did not. at which people looked Of
Tended. Little could be expected of
one sitting down in family fashion
with blushing girl, who kept her eyes
fastened questioningly upon him when
ever she thought herself observed, and
who faltered out little womanly prof
fers of delicacies that led him to pile
his plate with homogeneous eatables.
A carriage was got for us by some
one, and l paid out more money. al
most nv last Then we were directed
to down town law office; arrived in
decently early, and were received by
1an1tOr much out of temper from an
encounter with the furnace, and / was
sinbbed by him and frovned upon;
and when the lawyer came, 1 left my
companion in the reception room, and
went into the inner office with him,
wishing devoutly that | might have
sought my brother-in-law advice as
to the kind of help to employ in my
delicate business, yet not daring to ven-
ture near him, as l valued my liberty
Too utterly jaded to use my ordinary
tact, did not decently prepare the poor
man. While L pelted him with my
wild statements, he sat far forward
upon. the edge of his Office chair, with
one eye upon the window beside him.
making ready, 1 felt, for that moment
when my lunacy should break loose and
he must leap for his life. But, though
clumsy to the verge of brutality, I was
firm with him, and nothing he could
say shook my confidence in my rea-
son, or the reality of what had hap
pened. So gradually he left off his
feverish attention to the window and
began to really heed me. But when l
reached that strange morning wedding
he sprang to his feet and
snatched the papers pertaining to the
ceremony from me much as one would
seize loaded revolver from the hands
of child.
Our names he took down, and then
my companion must be brought in and
questioned. and when he had cross
examined her until the toe of my boot
fairly tingled, he bundled US both out
of the office. telling us when to call
again. all the time nuttering to him
sustained a severe shock
Once more in the carriage. what was
/ to do? We could not ride all day.
Should / take my companion straight
way and place her in my sisters care?
Not for all the world until the mystery
surrounding her could be cleared up,
What then? Timidly / turned and
looked at her. but nothing was TO be got
from that, save the disconcerting per-
ception that she. too, felt the awkward
ness of our situation, was crushed be-
meath it, and covered away from me,
her head turned aside and her whole
attitude one of complete prostration-
"Well," said l, briskly. as my eyes
noted this, I'VE will drive to a hotel.
had forgotten something / ran and
conferred with the driver as to some
quiet retreat, the name of which he
gave with a leer, so that climbed back
beside my companion, filed with
vengeful lodgings. which were aug
mented when / detected my bride in the
act of studying me from beneath her
lashes, and saw that. far from comfort
ing her, the survey of my person
seemed to fill her mind with renewed
CONSERVATION. 5f5s-.e -
Miss Brandon!eI cried softly. a |
whole world of respect and Compassion
ringing in my voice. And then / re-
HlelHDeTeQ lndl Sne was no longer MISS
Brandon. and she remembered it. too, !
and the good work was all undone. Up |
rushed the scarlet to my face, and to |
hers, too, poor girl. and with a childish /
motion. she pressed one hand across
her face to conceal it from me.
Its going to, be a chilly day."
gasped with an attempt at unconscious /
ness she could not second. and so we
sat in a silence. awful to her. I knew,
while my heart thumped away at my
side like a hammer.
No sooner had the carriage stopped |
than she was upon her feet with down.
bent head, and / had scarcely time to
get the door open and be ready to re-
ceive her before she slipped down.
avoiding my extended arms, and stood
beside me like bird ready for flight.
Goodbye" she murmured, feverish-
~. ''Yons don't need to come in W.
me. l can take care of myself nor
with a little catch in her voice. She
would have been gone, but, forgetting
" mere l was, l caught her hand and
made her raise her eyes to mine. "Oh,
forgive me- she faltered, you have
been so kind, but
But l shall not obey you now
finished for her, firmly, and then I
dropped her hand, for / saw that the
driver was fairly feasting his vulgar
on our little scene I saw
something else, too, with sudden sick