The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-05-02
A SHORT wOOING.


Well, they do-in the usual way.
A SHORT wooING.
"I am sorry" said Mr.. Cashel, 'for
I take a great interest in you, and
you would be the right man in the
right place; but the trustees of the
institution insist that the resident ply
sician must be married man. That
Is the only obstacle. I could say
you have it. otherwise and now if
you can marry by Saturday by a
o'clock it is all right"
"This is Thursday evening"" said
Bruce Bushrode, and I do not know
any young lady to whom I could tele
graph come on tomorrow and marry
me- Wouldn't it do if I took the
position and promised to marry as
soon as I could find wife-court
her, propose to her, and all that ?''
"No-no," said Mr.. Cashel, tax
ing the speech seriously, "uo-no, a
single man will never do, because of
the young lady teachers. But shall
do nothing until Saturday evening,
so you have little time STILL"
Bushrode went out into the night.
1t was already late, and cold and fog
gy besides.
ga man ought to be married by
my age" he said to himself, as he
strobe on. "There is no friend, no
companion like wife, though it has
never before seemed necessary to my
happiness to have one."
He began to think over the girls he
had known, but could not remember
one who was his ideal of what wife
should be.
"That little daughter of Mrs. Stan
Dard's, Rosalie, was nothing but a
school girl when ! left Thornbrae,
but 1 think she might have grown up
exaetly tte. girl ]. dream. Of. =
Visited Thornbrae and kept an eye ON
little Rosalie, and, as he thought, he
turned into a cross street of old-fash-
ioned houses lately converted into
business, and principally closed for
the night.
There was no one in sight as he
passed an ancient brick house, from
the balcony of which Auttered great
bill announcing that 1t was to let.
1t was a building that had formerly
been the home of some well-to- do
family, and a wistaria vine that had
once been elegantly draped over its
stone walls, still clung to broken wire
and rusty iron work. The shadow
of its foliage fell upon the space of
door-yard beneath the balcony, and
Just as Bushrode passed the gate a
cry proceeded from this spot. 1t
sounded to him like the scream of a
woman in terror. But as he looked
a lean, white cat emerged from the
shadow, forced herself through the
ratings and shot across the street.
''It was the cat," said Bushrode,
and would have passed on, but that
there came another sound from the
shadow long, shivering sigh, that
was certainly uttered by some human
being.
Bruce Bushrode had kept too much
of the good Samaritan principle that
prevailed at rural Thornbrae to pass
by without offering aid, if aid was
needed; besides, he was doctor and
had the instinct of the best of his pro-
fession. Therefore, he pulled the
rickety old iron gate open, entered
the door yard and peered into the
space behind the great roots OF the
vine.
Some human being lay there, and
as ne bent over it, uttered cry oi
terror and huddled itself closer to the
wall.
"Oh, let me stay here" it said.
"I don't do any harm, and I'll &c
away as soon as it Is light. DOM
make me go now, the streets frighter
me-"
It was woman's voice, but not al
all the sort of voice that might have
been expected from woman alone II
such place at that hour of the night
It was as clear as a child's and al
sweet as robins, and the intonatior
was refined.
Bushrode drew back little, ant
answered gently:
ST will do nothing that you do no
wish me to do, but will you not tel
me whether I can help your"
care you policeman 7" the voic
inquired.
"Oh, no. Bushrode replied. {"
am only DOCTOR"
"The policemen frighten me so,
came next. "I am afraid they'll pu
me in some sort of prison. One O
them said he would if he saw m
again. What a frightful place NeV
York is to be lost in"
care you lost?" asked Bushrode
eyes, SIR" the girl answered. "
came from the country this after
noon, and whether l have lost m
purse or had it stolen, do not know
but it is gone, could not buy ticke
back if 1 wanted TO, could not get
place to stay without money; an
night came on, and, oh, the horror
it" she paused, shivering.
eff she was acting she did 1t well,
Bushrode said to himself. Still Ne
York was full of people who lived b
their wits, and had all sorts of plar
and devices for entrapping stranger