The Marshall republican., 1909-01-08

The evening before the last dae OF
our stay we all spent together IN the
music room. We were very Jolly, and
yet underneath II all l think the girls
we're q little saddened by our ap'
preaching departure, and wiifrse and
I felt q certain regret that the end
OF our delightful visit haa come,
though Of course I hAe fully deter.
mined to propose to Agatha Sixth on
the morrow, wss rather surprised,
therefore, when Vincent Suddenly
complained u hsadachs ana, sxcusinH
Ainself, wsat ~ to his rosn. whsa
went sP to ny " rsom I raBsca
% his deer. hst he made No easwsr
AaA concluded tkat he nuea be
anlssp. The AsIt nsrnins. mssh 10
ny astsnishneat, he ala net sAsstsr
In Aad ost Of NJ room O. he was as'
sustemsd to 90 OF Q msrAiAs, Bat
40 It was late I did nst step " iAvss
tiEats. But when tea s'oleak cAAs,
AID still no Vincent, l Wsnt w 10 his
room, for | thought hs should be w
aAd doing on this, his hat day at Cas-
tie WyckhofI, whom he was to leave
for London on the Ans tlelR that att
ernoon. say "he" ass we" for l
felt more confident 81 ny success
with Agatha Sixth that day than had
done the evening before and although
l had not yet had the opportunity to
put the great question, | felt that 1t
wa very possible that In the Euise OF
accepted lover l might not have to
take the s:1S that afternoon.
whsa reached Vtacent's room
knocked twice, and, resolving no an
swer, catered, ana ~ somewhat
alarmed 70 md that he was not there
though his bod had been slept In
Anxious, without knowing why, l tore
downstairs ana called for Mrs. Armi
stead. Thst good lady met me at tn,
foot OF the stairs In answer to my sum
mons, with an air 40 anxious as m!
own.
"Have you see Lord VlncentF"
asked her,
"Have you seen my secretary" sh'
replied, without answering my ques
tiuu. "She's not IN her Toom. thousl
her bed has been slept In, But sh'
hasn't had her breakfast. and ! can
find her anywhere"
"You don't mean itl" I calculated
aad . ,~slckening fear turned me colo
perhaps this has something to d
with IT," said Mrs, Armistead. "
found II on the front hall table undel
meath the mail bag"
D Her anxiety was apparently sincere
/ and yet somehow It rang false to M
4 With impatient insssu seized IN
folded paper the drew from her ret
4 Gale. II read as follows:
Dear old Arch; Sorry TO deceiV
Z res 10, bst i've gone and done it-ths
!. rash. foolish thinE ysu told me not
do; az least, hy the time you get tn
Z note the dssd will be done And l I
dreaded yov rsproashss that neV'
!. 30 much as asked you to be the be-
man, But I couldn't help II, Arch, hoi
y est couldn't, Not to save my sou
l She shouldn't have had eyes like sta
a ana hair like autumn leaves, As for u
' money. hang the stumy old millions,
y sny' Every pound OF II In 80 mar
glass heads to me In comparison
what I have this day gained, l VII
you Joy of them and OF the Honornh
Agatha, Dear old hoy, forgive me
D you can; and II you want to do me o'
10 last favor come down To the state
N In time to meet the eleVen-seNente
for London and hear my last in1un
" lions, VINCENT
10 when did you md thiS?" l gasp'
nut | didn't walt to hear her rep
at for q glance at the hall clock told ;
u that Il was Ave minutes of eleven. Ia
headed | rushed around to the stab
and fortunately found Christopher j.
putting the mare into the doScA
ny Get In" ! yelled, "and drive like sir
As "Sin, sir? Where, slr?" asked Chr
- TOPPER,
lie "The stationi" l cried, jumping
% beside him; and we flew down I
winding drive at n pace that ! wo'
let not think OF attempting In cold bio
sa' Through Mrs, Armistead's criml'
vt delay In handing me the note ma
valuable minutes had been wasted,
thought l should still be In time y
haps to save Vincent from carry.
ne out the last fatal step Of his incredt
20 folly. II might not be too late to p
them, for in spite OF what he had :
sW In his note | could not believe that
%, worst had actually happened, IA
N approached the last strip of woods
10 fore we reached the station l eau
sry sight OF q pun OF white smoke dc
nit tho track, A moment later when
o. drew up at the platform, the 81
locomotive Numbered into the stat
and there, at the other end OF the y
form, l saw them, There was
n cent. clad In the things he had "
on tho train when we had nrst O
ii through the relds OF Wye, and Y
him was q remarkably pretty Elrl
beautiful wavy red hair In a
tailor suit and q smart black hat
course Il was the secretary.
Waved at them irantieally and
waved In rstura, and | could .
cent amiling happily at ms ~
entered one OF the carriages, 4
eaRe up with their carriage Via,