Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-06-19


was widely reai. but ! had not reck-
oned upon my letter attracting such at
tention a. il did. The second night
after ! had written it men and women
of all conditions, but chiefly OF the
working class, were inquiring their way
through the village, or finding their
way along all the roads and lanes 10
"the Nightingale Clcugh." the small
weekly papers OF course copied the let
ter and on Saturday and during the
following week parties came from long
distances in buses and vans TO hear the
nightingale sing. l went first one
night, and then another, and another
to see the crowd thus drawn together.
1t was a strange and touching spec
tacle: the men and women, the lad
and lassies standing under the trees
down TO the very edge OF the discolored
little lake, and the mischievous bows
among the branches-sll hushed while
the summer twilight deepened into
dark about them, waiting patiently for
the unseen little bird 10 break forth
like voice from heaven into rapturOus
song. And when at length, after few
timid notes it poured out its full heart,
heard many low sob mingiing with
the strains OF the srtless music.
Whether the nightingale took alarm
ar this invasion OF its solitude, or
whether some mischievous persons
frightened it, it is certain that by the
end OF the week il was heard no more.
and the people went away disappointed
and noisy. One OF these evenings
was returning with the crowd. when an
old fellow wa ,ked alongside OF me, look
ing at me hard, and at length speaking.
''Thou'rt parson as wrote tn letter
eh?'
l answered I was.
"Ah. An thou'rt TO London-eh?
A git place that-wi" gardens, I've
heard say, iull o a kinds o birdF and
beasts"
/ said I supposed he meant the Zoo
I logical Gardens.
! "Ah. Happen that's them. I'm
rare and fond o. brids and beasts; I
mum 90 to London some day, and see
them gyardens. Happen l may come
across thee; l hear thou'rt leaving
Timperley."
sin very few weeks" l said.
''Weel, now, like thee; and nun
come and hear thee praich afore thou
goes. Ee, mon, a something here
tho; he produced an old pocket
book, and from one OF the compart-
ments ne took square OF paste board
which he gave ,ne-"happen that may
come in handy when thou goes back tC
London. l found il in Lacroix's Lane
yond more n year ago. and says I I
nun keep this till 90 10 London, but
do not think I'll ever ride in first
class cariage-so thoud st better tax
il, mon"
''What is it?'' I asked.
"To be sure, said he, "'thoo conn
see. It's first class ticket.
thanked him, and pu. it in my
pocket.
We we're then upon the cottage in
which l had seen Frank Steinnard
sitting at the piano. Sounds OF music
and singing were again proceeding iron
it, and l was not surprised to see tina
many Of those who had been disap'
pointed by the nightingale stood listen
ing in silence TO the girl.
When l reached my lodgings I tOok
out the old fellow singular little pres
ent 1t was the return half OF a frs
class railway ticket from London Bridg,
to Croydon. Il was tOierably clean: i
must have been thrown away or dropped
soon after it was issued, and picked VI
soon after it was thrown away. A sus
picion which mad begun TO creep upoI
me when first looked at il shot "
with startling suddenness when turned
it over and read the date stamped OIL
its edge-"AIar Is So"
This ticket had been found by the oil,
man in Lacroix Lane: had the persoI
who had lost or dropped it there beeI
the same as the person who had bough
it in London? Ii he had, had he beer
a resident in Timperley? In a word
had the person been Mr.. Lacroix? l
was impossible to say, until after sucl
lululf "a 1 edN llLklt tIldlllt VI btlu
able TO make; for though visitors I
Timperley seldom passed along the La
croix Lane they sometimes did.
!; might, however, discover from Louis
whether her father had had any conneC
tion with Croydon.
, met her next day at Jacques's cot
, tsge Il had almost given up my visit
: 10 Timperley HalD Alter again answ
. ering in the negative her constan
/ question as to news from Freeman,
began my attempt to get at this poin
concerning the ticket. 1 wished t
avoid raising in her undue suspicion.
Do you still wish" l asked, ''to g
to London YOURSELF"
, 81 do, said she; ''but take you
! advice, and wait.
, "If you went" continued, "wher
would you'stay? Have you any friend
in London2't -j,
81 hoped,!?', said she, shyly, "yo
/ would tell me somewhere to 60"
: ''You haze, then said I, "n
iriends gDeef p1eHdon, or anywher
! round? 1t is not necessary, you know
that you should live in London to 10