The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-05
"A BELATED
OPPORTUNITY

| q 6atC Nhu cat puJicully wall
ing until she should make her appear
ance. The wind roared through the leaf
less trees, and Alonzo's rubber coat re
sounded with the beating Of the heay,
rain.
shouldn't wonder If she backed out
after all" he unused, stopping to let hi
hat brim discharge its pent up flood
"Ain't many women would start out ii
n storm like this just to go a-visitin, il
they had made all their arrangements
and wrote they was comm"
But all doubts as to Miss Jane Parme
lees strength Of will to carry out what
she had determined to do were presently
dispelled by the appearance OF that spin
ster at the door of her cottage with q
large glazed travelling bag in one hand
and an umbrella in the other.
| Everybody had long supposed that
Alonzo and Jane would get engaged and
married in due time, like other young
couples with a marked preference for
one another. But years passed, and for
some reason AlonzC failed to get to the
point"
Some said 1t was because the awk.
ward, bashful boy could not summon up
enough courage actually to pop the ques.
ton. Others declared it was because he
was jealous of young fellow from the
city who boarded with James aunt dur.
ing the summer and used occasionally to
see Jane home from church or take her
to Sunday school picnic. At any rate
time passed without any formal decara-
ton from Alonzo and in the meanwhile
James parents died, and she went to live
with her widowed aunt.
Then her aunt died also, and Jane was
left alone in the world. save for broth
err, who was miner in the far west.
Jane converted the little property that
had been left her into money and bought
n small cottage on the outskirts Of the
village, where she now lived in genuine
old maid fashion.
Alonzo, who was 43 years old, still lived
with his aged parents and cared for them.
For ten years lie had driven the stage be-
tween Gilead and Gilead Station, where
remote corner Of the township was in
tcrsected by railroad.
He had never been to see Jane Parme-
lee since she moved into her own cottage,
but they were still "'Lonzo" and "Jane'
to each other whenever they met, and
the memory of faded romance did not
seem to imbitter their present friend
ship. Jane, indeed, sometimes wondered
with choking sensation in her throat
why Alonzo Jackson had never asked
her to be his wife, but she had long since
got over the keen anguish of her girlhood
disappointment and schooled herself to
believe that, since God willed it 80, it
was "all for the best"
On this stormy March. day Jane Parme-
lee was going to Gilead Station to take
the train for Lancaster, where lived her
lifelong friend, Susan Rich, in pleasant
home whose welcome Jane had often
gratefully tasted. The day and train
having been set, Jane would as soon have
thought of betraying her friends conf
dencc as failing to arrive at the precise
hour named in her letter.
Jane was the only passenger that morn
ing. She sat on the middle seat under
her big umbrella, and Alonzo chatted in
termttently with her over his left shout
der as they logged along through the
storm. One would never have suspected
that these two sober, middle aged per-
sons had been lovers in the sweet days
gone by.
When they reached the covered bridge
over the river, it seemed as if all the
clouds of heaven had opened their sluice
gates together. A perfect torrent of rain
was falling.
"'Lonzo, can't you stop for few min
utes in the bridge till the worst of this
shower is over?" asked Jane. my new
bunnt is gettin awfully damp. The rain
drives right through this umbrel'."
his watch. eyes, guess so. We've got
20 minutes to spare, and it does rain
mddlin hard. My, but the river is high,
amt it? A little more, and it would be
over the floor boards of the bridge"
Alonzo drove to the middle of the |
gloomy covered bridge and stopped his
horses. Then he and Jane sat listening
to the thunder of the storm over their
heads.
"Thc bridge kind Of quivers, doesn't
it." said Jane.
"Yes, it does seem to joggle some" re-
piled Alonzo. 'The waters up to the
ioor beams and pushes kind of hard
against 'em. But don't bclievc'-
just then the steady vibration of the
bridge increased to a sort of convulsive
'hudder. The structure suddenly lurch-
I'd, gave grinding slide, grated off its
stone piers and went whirling down
tream with the current!
Jane uttered cry of terror and caught
lold of Alonzos arm. lie could feel her
whole body trcmblc. The sensation sent
strange thrill through him. His lc-
hargic nature at last was stirred.
"Therc, therc! he said soothngly
Don't Won be fraid Jonn Tbnre ain't |
ny real danger. The bridge amt ago
n to sink. Wen ground against the
hore somewhere, and then can drive
light out again."
But the bridge tossed and spun and
arecned, and the muddy water raced
long the floor. Jane began to sob like
frightened Child.
Come, come" said Alonzo, drawing
he reins hard as iron over the plunging
orses with his right hand, don't be
cared. Ill There!"
His left arm reached over the back of
lie seat and slid around Jane Parmeee's
aist, her head dropped on his shoulder,
err best bonnet needless of the drippings
the old felt hat. "There now, there
owl" murmured the strong man, ten
arly. "Oh, Jane, If somethin Of this
'rt had only happened 20 years agov
"les,' whispered Jane, all Of trem-
e still, but not with terror. "But it has
'Lonzo, and that's enough for
e"'-Buffalo News.
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