Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-09-06
! SOME THIEVES AND
! A LOVE AFFAIR.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

seat and hurting her into an undigni
fed heap on the pavement. The man il
the automobile stopped his machine
with a jerk, sprang from his seat anc
ran to her. He leaned over her for {
moment, white with fear and excite
ment. Then, picking her up in his
arms. he held her against his breas
and looked searchingly into her face
In a moment she opened her eyes anC
laughed in little awkward gasp. He
saw that she was not hurt, only little
stunned, perhaps from the shock of the
fall, and he felt greatly relieved. Blu
she was pale, and she held her hanC
over her heart as if the beating of il
hurt her.
Others had gathered around in the
meantime, so he carried her into the
house which stood directly opposite the
place of The accident. They were
strangers to him and to her, but they
opened their door Hospitality and the
servants made the startled girl com
Portable, and the physician whom they
called in gave her a sleeping draught
| to quiet her nerves and all seemed well
When Miss Deering eventually
opened her eyes and sat up in the
strange room and looked about her in
a cooler frame of mind, and found that
her rescuer had disappeared before she
could even thank him. She felt uneasy
and unhappy. She had not done her
duty in the unfortunate episode, and
had created a street scene, and had not
even expressed her gratitude to the
man who had been so thoughtful and
| kind.
AS she recalled his face now, sud
den, peculiar tumult filled her breast
Something in those eyes, some feeting
expression of the lips was strangely
familiar to her. When her hostess
finally accompanied her home she even
confessed the mysterious man had not
left his name, that he had remained
only until he knew that Eleanor was
not injured, and then had left as il
greatly chagrined with himself because
of the accident.
For months afterward his face haunt
| ed Eleanor. She watched the passing
crowds, searching the countenance OF
each pedestrian for a chance glimpse
of that dear head, grown sweet and
idealistic to her because of persistent
thought. Every avenue, every thor
oughfare was sacred because she
fancied that some time she would
encounter him again. AT last, just
once, she passed him in the street. She
looked at him searchingly. He was tall,
his figure was fine and strong. There
was calm dignity about him that
pleased her. She noticed a tinge OF
gray in the hair at his temples, but
he carried himself with the buoyant
swing of youth and vigor. When she
had bowed to him he returned her look
inquiringly, wondering where he had
seen or met before. He CROPPED in
his mind for some vague recollection
which annoyed him for time and then
dismissed the matter unsolved.
Miss Deering was an intellectual and
progressive young woman. She had
been called intelligent, even clever, and
though she resented being classed with
brainy women, nevertheless she con-
tinued to do those th.Egs which went
far to dub and brand her as bluestock-
ing. Her latest fad, into which she was
putting her whole soul and energy, was
the writing of a novel, the purpose of
which was to extol and beautify the
lives of a little colony of Hungarians
who had insinuated themselves into the
Ghetto and had lived there apart from
the world, seemingly untouched by the
degradation and poverty which sur
rounded them.
Her visits to that colony were fire.
quent. She dined with those members
whom she knew; she entertained them
with music; she talked politics and the
mother country; she applauded their
own patriotism; she sympathized with
them; she inSinuated herself into their
hearts and became temporarily one of
them. On one of her little jaunts into
the district she was calling upon a
family who lived in a sub-basement.
During her sojourn there in the evening
she overheard accidentally the name of
well-known man through a thin par
tition of an adjoining room.
John Welton-John Welton," they
kept repeating between snatches of
hurried blasphemous talk. "Welton-
moEey-three Observation-Disclosures
-drunk-friends-" these were the
detached words which she caught, and
they seemed to thunder in her ears like
knell of destined evil to an unknown
human being. Suddenly the talk
seemed to cease, and she could hear no
more, but that name had scared itself
into her brain. 1t was familiar one to
her. She had heard ii often before, and
she remembered that the John Welton
whom she had heard about was a club
man, and that once she had been ac-
quainted with his sister.
She inquired of her humble Ghetto
hostess who her neighbors were, but
the latter declined all information in
half-frightened way, and she said
that they were strangers, whom it
was best not to know. Eleanor
watched the alley way that led to
their rooms, and in time her vigil
lance was rewarded by the appear
ance of bunch of young toughs,
silent now and apprehensive, eyipg
the neighborhood as they emerged
with flashing, penetrating Nglances.
Their manner seemed significant of
evil.
When Eleanor went home that
night she retired to her room early,
and lay awake for hours with the