Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-09-16
M%N\/\%~\/\\NNN%

sir, but there's a gentleman ere with
cut end, sir, an Mrs. Tressidel
thought perhaps you wouldn't mind
attendin to it, sir. -
"a gentleman with cut head" DR..
Thorne repeated as he watched the
gray haired old waiter draw up the
blind. "What's he doing with a cut
head?'
''The"e's been wreck durin the
night, sir, off the point; schooner
she's gone to pieces but they saved the
crew, This gent was the only passen-
ger, an they brought i'm on ere.
Didn't you ear it blow, sir?'
"Why, no, " the doctor answered. 81
dropped off to sleep at once, and I
never woke until you knocked. Is the
gentleman badly hurt?"
"N-o, / shouldn t say g is; at. any
rate. e made capital breakfast, an
'e's smokn is cigar in the parlor now,
sir. b seems one of the ard sort, sir.
Why, e drunk as much brandy when
they brought i'm in as would ave
killed many one"
"Well, tell him I'll be down in a
few minutes, DR.. Thorne said as he
| prepared to rise, and with a word Of
assent the old waiter withdrew.
The window overlooked the sea, and
the masses of seaweed and heaps of
wreckage with which the beach was
strewn testified to the violence of the
storm.
Having completed his toilet, he at
once descended to the sitting room.
The door was partly ajar, and he en-
tered without knocking, only to stagger
back with loud cry as his eyes rested
on the man who was sitting smoking
by the fire, This man, broad shout
dered young fellow, with a handsome,
reckless face, dropped his cigar in as
constituent
"The d-ev-i-ll" he calculated slow
ly then with grim laugh; "Come in,
man. I'm not a ghost. though perhaps
you think it. -
Thorne, his face as gray as the
morning sky dropped into the nearest
chair, He seemed to be aging rapidly
"Here, have pull at the brandy"
the other said roughly. 81 dare say it
does give chap the funk when he sees
man he thought had gone to Davy
Jones and the one man in the world he
wanted there. Ell? Cad, it a rum go,
is this I suppose you'd given me up
long ago, eh?'
"Ye-es. Thorne stammered, wiping
his brow. News reached us that the
Kangaroo had gone down with all hands
on board.
"Ah, well, all hands didn't go
down." the other replied, with mali
cious grin that the bandage round his
temples rendered hideous, "though it
was a near shave. got hold of spar
and dashed myself to it. Then l was
chucked up ON desert island, regu-
lar Robinson Crusoe. lived there six
months, principally on shellfish and
sea birds eggs. Then this Spanish chap
picked me up, and last night was ship
wrecked second time. However, L m
none the worse for my adventures, with
the exception of crack on the skull.
A falling spar did that. That's my tale
in nutshell. Now let's hear about
Loo? You re not spliced to her yet,
hope.
"No, no."
"But You are going to be, I'll lay
dollar
"We-e are engaged" Thorne said
in low voice
"Gad! | knew it," And he laughed
boisterously.
"You see, " the other went on in an
explanatory tone, 81 thought you were
dead, and she cared fer me before you
took-before she met you. But of
course our engagement is at an end
now.
81 should think SO indeed. -
eyes, shall leave here at once You
will explain perhaps
"With pleasure. She is staying down
here, ehI'
eyes; they have cottage
"Good I'll try and loddle over when
I've had my head seen to. It'll be a
surprise for EN-.
"Wonldn't it be better if you gave
them ii little warning?' Thorne sug-
gestcd 1.-THE shock might prove
linen perhaps you q ike
mo, no; | couldn't"
His companion laughed and then
submitted himself to the other S skillful
hands. In few minutes Thorne had
dressed the cut. and he at once went
up stairs to pack. When he reached his
room, however, he sank into chair,
with that hopeless look in his eyes
which only comes to a nan when he
loses the woman he loves
His story was little out of common
This was the second time he had Eeen
engaged to the girl Le should SO soon
have led to the altar He had made her
acquaintance during a visit to the
country three years previously She
was the daughter of a country parson-
a pretty, shy girl who had spent every
day of her lS years in the seclnsion of
o sleepy hamlet In day he learned to
love her, Int several months passed &C.
fore he dared speak of his love Even
then he had taken her by surprise. She
had yielded to his passion, however,
and they had plighted their troth in the
rectory garden. She was only child,
and he was a man-12 years her senior
and rendered grave beyond his years by
a Len. struggle against adverse circum-
stances.
After that she had gone to London to
visit some friends They were fashion
able folk, and they had laughed also at