El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-11

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a cut 'ead, sir. an Mrs. Tressider
thought perhaps you wouldn't mind
attendin to it, sir. B"
"a gentleman with a cut head, - DR.
Thorne repeated as he watched the
gray haired old waiter draw up the
blind. whats he doing with a cut
headi''
There's been a 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, sir9"
"Why. no. - the doctor answered. 81
dropped off to sleep at once, and 1
never woke until you knocked Is the
gentleman badly hurt p
NO shouldn't say e is; at any
rate, e made a capital breakfast, an
'e's smokin is cigar in the parlor now,
sir e seems one of the ard sort, sir.
Why, e drunk as much brandy when
they brought i'm in as would ave
killed many a one"
"Wen. 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. a broad shout
dered young fellow, with a handsome.
reckless face, dropped his cigar in as
constituent.
1.-The d-e-v-i-lI" he calculated slow
ly; then with a grim laugh; E'Come in,
man. I'm not 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. II dare say it
does give chap the funk when he sees
a man he thought had gone to Davy
Jones and the one man in the world he
wanted there, Ell? Cad, it's rum go,
is this L suppose you'd given me up
long ago. chr
''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 a mali
cious grin that the bandage round his
temples rendered hideous, t'though it
was a near shave. 1 got hold of a spar
and dashed myself to it. Then I was
chucked up on desert island, a. regu
lar Robinson Crusoe. I lived there six
months, principally on shellfsh and
sea birds eggs. Then this Spanish chap
picked me up, and last night was ship
wrecked a second time. However, I'm
none the worse for my adventures, with
the exception of a 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, I
hope"
mo, no."
But you are going to be, I'll lay
dollar
'We-e are engaged" Thorne said
in low voice.
''Gadl l knew it." And he laughed
boisterously.
''You see," the other went ON in an
explanatory tone, 81 thought you were
dead, and she cared for me before you
took-before she met you. But of
course our engagement is at an end
now.
81 should think so indeed
"Yes. L shall leave here at once. You
will explain perhaps
with pleasure She is staying down
here, chr"
eyes; they have cottage
''Goodl I'll try and toddle over when
I've had my head seen tc. It'll be a
surprise for EN-"
tWouldn't it be better if you gave
them a little warningf" Thorne sug-
gested. 1.-The shock might prove''-
''Then perhaps yoa'd like
mo. no; couldn't
His companion laughed and then
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 a chair,
with that hopeless look in his eyes
which only comes to a man when he
loses the woman he loves.
His story was little out of common.
This was the second time he had been
engaged to the girl he should SO soon
have led to the altar. He had made her
acquaintance during visit to the
country three years previously. She
was the daughter of country parson-
a pretty, shy girl who had spent every
day of her IS years in the seclusion Of
~ Il. h.