Saint Mary's beacon., 1900-05-31

ing np into bic face iEh look OF
admiration and ioY. xhe had prom
ised to be his wife.
The vessel had e1Isred the Pa
tapsco river and Va aearine Fort
McHenry before Ca1<ain Leonard
entirely recovered bm the deep
meditation in whieI he had been
engaged. Shortly sf|er tho vessel
reached Locust Pcinlland with the
distant rumble OF tsn|ic ii the busy
streets of the Monnnental City
singing in their head the passen-
gers had Ct disam u sAnd were
on their way to their various desti-
nations.
Captain Leonard together with
several others had gone directly to
the railroad station, where they
waited for the train that would con-
vey them to their homes. He had
telegraphed the authorities at Wash
ington of his arrival aud was now
going to Geneva, New York, where
Mrs. Stanley and her daughter we're
staying. His parents being dead,
and not possessing any other near
relatives, he was free to follow the
dictates of his heart.
Early in the evening when he had
finished the books he had been read
ing and was looking about the car,
his eyes fell on q newspaper lying
on the seat in front Of him. Pick
ing it up he discovered that it was
one Of the New York daily papers
and was then two years old. Hard
lV had his glance fallen on the
front page than he noticed an ar
ticle headed.
Steamship Rocona from London
to New York, lost in mid ocean
with all on board"
AS he read this heading he start
ed suddenly and his face turned
deadly pale. Thinking he was i'll,
the conductor who was passing and
had noticed his agitation, said:
"Anything wrong. Are you
Captain Leonard glanced up as
he replied
"Nothing serious. ! have just
learned that had Q very narrow
escape from a watery grave. Here
is an article published in New York
two days ago stating that the
steamer in which / had intended
sailing from London was lost at sea
with all on board"
Suppose You must have changed
your mind at the last moment"
said the conductor.
"No, l was detained at the hotel
and reached the pier just as she
left. the next evening took pas
sage in a steamer bound for Balti-
more and reached that city this
morning"
The conductor congratulated him
on his escape and remarked as he
moved away, sthat it was undoubt-
edly close shave"
1t was nearly nine O'Clock when
he alighted from the train at GEN.
eva, and being directed to the house
occupied BY his friends he bent his
footsteps in that direction. Reach
ing the gate in the low picket fence,
he turned in and raised the huge
knocker on the door. In a few
minutes q servant appeared and on
being asked il Mrs. Stanley and
her daughter we're in, she replied :
"No sir. Mrs. Stanley and Miss
Agnes are down in the summer
house by the lake. You can see it
from here, SIR"
Looking towards the lake which
lay stretched out in front of the
house, Captain Leonard saw the
retreat mentioned, and after thank.
ing the glrl for her information,
proceeded in that direction. In a
few moments he could easily dis
tinguish two figures seated beneath
the rustic roof and as their faces
we're turned from him and his foot
steps deadened by the thick grass,
he was able to gain entrance before
they were aware Of his presence.
He had wondered il the news Of
the disaster had reached them in
this small place, but now his head
gave q bound as low sobbing voice
reached his ear.
"0h mother We would have been
so happy. and now I shall never see
him again.
An instant later and he stood be-