Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-05-19

real sleep-nay. but five l could think
my way through this difficulty With
deibcration laid my heavy head
against the cushioned chair and closed
my eyes despite the force of the springs
that held them open springs that
pressed nyrSsautly so that the orbits
of the eyes were sore. | saw many vi
sious the Cd days at Sayytlle; Ger
trudc. seventeen years old, upon ten
Ms Cr!d shaking down the masses OF
her hair diSorGeryd In the game, the
picture of youth; the first time | ever
saw her But this has nothing to do
with the letter. l must think Of that
Mailed about half past 10 Of the even
ing 1t had not yet started on its way
to Boston. Only one mail day at Say
vile. | wrote a letter to Gertrude once
and beat it to Sayville by full days
time. If take the fast express at 10
o'clock this morning | may be there in
time In that case I'll find some way
to intercept the letter. I'll bribe a serv-
ant. SO that's all settled and off nv
mind, and | may sit here in this chair
and dream of things that aren't true.
All that is good is dream.
1t is n comfort to ride in q railroad
train The engineer knows his way,
and the conductor, for a consideration,
will put an absent minded passenger
off at the proper station. If he hap
pens to forget to render this service
why should the absent minded pasSen-
ger make trouble? Rather let him be
comforted 10y the thought that some
one else has lost his memory. However,
Boston is terminal, so there is no risk.
In Boston it IS raining to a degree
that Noah never saw the like of. The
roof of the cab in which | cross the
city roars with the flood that is de-
scending upon ii.
Beyond Boston "he train seems like a
the rain still falls. We are late ut
Portland, later yet at the junction where
| must change to the little branch road.
a man with a lantern leads me to a
little inn that looms in an ocean of rain.
He takes it for granted that | want to
kO W D'bs ipp'A'lS il' nav III ~ S'NA
a man who did not have that natural
inclination at such an hour of the
morning.
Next day the weather had cleared.
The sun shone brightly, but the whole
HAS He BEEN TO THE MAIL" DEMANDED.
region seemed to be Il lake. had many
i,-iy,. oh ir,.S S.t1 1rt-
ed confidently on time. 1t ran about
ten miles and then stopped while the
track ahead was tested and repaired.
A few miles farther along the same
process was repeated, and go we crept
down to Belfast, arriving too late for
the boat across the bay.
Mails reach Sayville about > o'clock
In the afternoon, coming down by stage
along the east bank of the PenObscot.
By the best calculation that | could
make my letter had been in the very
train that had taken me to the juno
ton. 1t would probably fail TO make
connections at Bangor because of the
storm and would not 90 down to Say
Vile until next day, but if l should
wait for tomOrrow's boat | might be
too late to intercept the letter, the mar
gin of time being very narrow. There
fore it was advisable for me to hire my
own transportation across the bay.
1t was = o'clock when we drifted into
Sayville harbor.
While | was walking up the main
street of the town | encountered Hi
ram Banks, who was Mr.. Hooper's
handy man.
Rather early for summer visitors,
amt it," he inquired. How'd ye
come? Sailboat, eh? You must "a
ben in a hurry Coin up to the house,
! suppose. knew Mr.. Hooper d writ
ten to ye He's sick. Just took; quite
bad. I'm goin' for the Doctor
Has he been to the mailT' | de-
manded.
Just come from there" he replied.
when he was took"
SO my letter had come despite my
hopes, and ii had Frustrated the old
man Well, | might have expected as
much. What was TO be dOnef My
mind refused to take hold of the prob
lem, but some instinct directed my
body. | went to the telegraph office
and sent this message to Gertrude:
Matter OF Il. n. +. necessitates your
coming here at once"
Then | went to the Hooper house.
The old gentleman was quite Ill, and
the doctor advised me not to try to see
him | waited till evening, when he
was considerably improved, and then
| went to his room. His first words
let me know that he had not received
my letter, but in the meantime | had
had telegram from Gertrude saying
that she had started. | had not the
resolution to tell Mr.. Hooper this, Ger
trude must explain her own coming.
As to mine, had no trouble, alleging
his letter as the excuse for it.
| went down to the Belfast boat to
meet Gertrude next day My soul
feared the sight of her.
The boat did not bring her, and |
hurried back TO the house. Banks was
standing on the steps
"She came by the stage" said he. q
meant to tell ye twas likely"
"The stageT | gasped.
1T gets in an hour earlier Thurs
days" said he Don't ye remember"