The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-09-01

You must know that I
would rather have danced with you
than with any other girl on earth.
Nothing but sheer ill-luck could have
put me in the position of seeming in
different to. my greatest blessings.
Will you let me feel can count on
happier evening at Admiralty House
than was able to spend at the Town,
Hall?" AS Ursula read the letter her
heart melted from its attitude Of dfgni-s
fed resentment and hurt feeling. Per-
haps she only wanted an excuse to
take more congenial attitude, and to
forgive. She scribbled a little: note
and sent 1t off in haste. II will keep
the dances you ask for. You know /
like you to have them" That was all.
What more could be said to lover
whose lips were sealed by her own de-
sire till her father landed in England?
But it would be enough, surely-he
must understand that she accepted the
olive branch.
And that very night the train from
LondOn-the last slow train that
crawled into Portsmouth after early
people were all in bed and asleep
brought with two passengers in a
third-class carriage, whom their fel-
low passengers might have taken an
interest in if they had not been so anx-
ious to get their full allowance of
slumber by the way. One was for
eign-looking man, with a venerable
gray beard. His landlady, in the low
er streets of Mile End, was used to-
catching glimpses of him without that
beard as he crept in and out OF his
rooms; but it was good manners In
those parts not to remark upon these
changes of appearance, or to notice
them, when ones own turn to assume
different appearance might come
next. The Portsmouth police were
nasty sharp fellows, and never gave q
poor fellow chance when he got into
bit Of trouble that most likely wasn't
his own fault, after all.
AS for the other, he was swathed to
thick in coats and mufhers, though
the night was mild enough, that one
could not have said what he was alike.
He seemed uneasy and sulky, and to
regard his companion with a settled
animosity that suggested desire on
his part to cut the companfonship
short. Once, indeed, when the train
stopped at one of the many places OF
call between Guildford and Fratton, he
rose suddenly to his feet and dashed
at the door, as if he would have hurled
himself out of the carriage into the
dark night outside. The elderly man
did not stir Or intercept him with a
movement; he only said a word or
two under his breath, without rising
from his seat. The younger man
turned upon him with an oath, but
sank back again helplessly into, the
seat he had just quilted, with ,fero.
cious scowl. His rage did not seem
to affect the other beyond the point Of
amusement. The corner of his heard
above his mouth curled with Gym
ical smile, and he lit another pipe.
They got out of the, carriage at
Portsmouth Town station, and went
off together through the dim night.
They reached the rooms where the
elder man lodged in squalld discom-
fort, and he opened the door. with a
latchkey and put the other in at the
door with polite but determined
hand. The younger once more turned
and sswore at him below his breath;
but again, as in the train, he obeyed
the quiet. resistless will that was
stronger than his own hundred
times. He stumbled up the dark
stairs and into the room the elder man
motfoned to him.. 1t was a miserable
little bed room, with tray of meager
food and drink on the bare table. He
threw himself down morosely upon the
bed, and the elder man stole from the
room. He listened on the dark land
ing and heard the sudden rush to the
door as his steps died away. There
was dash against the dirty panels, a
violent shaking Of the handle, to which
he stood listening with a pleasant
smile. But the bolts he had shot noise
lessly held fast. -.
Il thought they would stand even
his fist, and it's strong one," he re-
marked to himself, as he took his way
down the STAIR "These savages are
like wild beasts when one traps them:
but like the wild beast, again, they
can be tamed.'' . r
ITO Be continued.) .