El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-30
The Compensation
C6"T ELL this is a pleasurei To
w think of seeing you in this
A Short Story.

| town of BCurton each morning.
1t was Phyllis Trenton, Phyllis. who
! had refused his offers of marriage one
by one, but who had especially retained
his friendship.
And what are you doing here?" he
asked.
Motoring; simply that and nothing
more" she said archly.
'Alone?"
NO, indeed! The Antique is with
| me-asleep upstairs for the moment.
| We arrived at this sylvan retreat this
| morning. and 1 have been sketching,
| seen three cathedrals, Worrled my
| chauffeur's life out of him almost, be-
! cause I prefer the narrow lanes, ana
/ now am going to have dinner.
you will ask me to dine?"
q don't know that I ought; but any
company is better than none, and L
have reason to believe that Miss Grey
Will not reappear tonight. 1t is her
way"
1t was an hour later. Miss Trenton
had proved right in her representation
| and the elderly companion, Miss Grey,
did not materialiZe for the dinner,
which was quite good, although the
Rose inn, at Barminster, was a par
ticularly quiet little place. The girl
had changed into delicate gray cos
tune and as she faced Hilton ne
thought she looked more divinely beau
! tiful than ever.
He gave a deep sigh as the girl
turned lang ulOlE III neT CHAIR ~ sac
out at the twilight garden.
You get more lovely as the months
I am Obliged to you, sir, for the
1t is so strange seeing you here"
4 have taken up archaeology, you
see"
to do all the questioning What are
you doing here?"
I was in despair the last time you
said no." and 1 cast about for some
thing to do. and. at last, as 1 do not
have to earn an honest living, thought
1 would take up politics
so there is actually an election in
this place, and you are running Tor
parliament. Whatever will you say
when you get to the house,?
I don't know, 1 never thought of
that 1 have been jawing all manner
seems to go down. 1 shall leave the rest
to chance.
You should see the old fossil have
got against me-"
I should like to-, said the girl IN a
He is just the funniest thing out,
and he seems to think that because ne
has represented the constituency since
the days of Noah, il is. his own proper
~ and that nobody else has look IN
He called me an impairment puppy,
told me that I did not know anything
about politics, and all the time ne only
goes around casing about the fresh
air and the happy faced children in the
division, as if it were all due TO MINI
He must be drol old thing, Sald
Phyllis. And when is the elections!
Tomorrow morning. snail nave
to be in the town early ] wish now
that 1 had dropped the whole thing,
then perhaps you would let me come
along with you, and we could look at
the cathedrals and things
I prefer cathedrals to things. And
so the election is in the morning.
h1f { Z
IS. l shall meet old sir George Card
well face to face Regular old Bonn
bastes FuriOso, he IS"
1T sounds very, very interesting,
said the girl. 'tAnd now 1 am going
to leave you, sir Miss Grey is pat
tern of propriety.
She held out her hand and Mortimer
Hilton bent over it. Afterwards he
wrote a few letters and then retired TO
sleep, but the image of Phyllis Tren-
ton was there before him.
Morning arrived at last, and Hilton
rose but when he tried the door in
tending to gain the bath room ne found
it locked. He rang but to no effect,
he sat down on the bed. Are they all i
asleep" He rang again, but with the !
same negative result
The door was of oak and as solid as |
if il had been fashioned for a prison. |
He looked at his watch 1t showed the |
hour to be ten. He had slept late owing /
to Wakeful night And the nomlna-
ton was fixed for midday. If he did !
not turn up, his rival would be re- !
turned unopposed"
Here 1 am ten miles from Burton, /
and I cannot make anybody hear!
to lock this door? Why did 1 stop out |
here at Barminster?' He tried shaking
the door again He might as well have |
a block of granite. Had some /
awful disaster occurred to the people (
of the placer"
He dashed to the window. It was
barred, a relic of the old days. There
did not seem to be any chance. He
tugged at the bell again. 1t was very
old fashioned bell with tassel at
tachment, and plainly it had enough
of it, for at his last pull the rope came
away in his hand Mortimer Hilton sur
veyed the end. 1t had been cut!
There has been foul play" he NUT
tered as he sat down on the edge Of
Someone was moving down
the corridor.
who is there?' he Numbered out
He was electrified by the reply. 1t
was Phyllis Trenton who was outside
rs that you, MOrty?'
Yes, 1 am locked in, and I must get
to Bourton before u. Please go and /
tell the wretched landlady what has
happened"
The footsteps died away, but the girl
was soon back.
There is no one in the place, she said,
except an old woman, and she IS far, |
far deafer than any ordinary post 1
cannot make her hear a word"
Where is the landlady?"
She has gone to the town, [ believe,
to see you nominated, or something"
But here 1 am trapped and losing my
chancei"
TT is very sad, but I have not the
key, and l am going now. There Is
cathedral 1 have not seen"
Don't leave me- he implored. You
are so clever. Y GU might be able to
think of way out"
''Oh. I am not as clever as all that 1
can't imagine anything"
He was struck by sudden idea
Phyllis. you don't know anything
about this, do your"
Whatever should I know
of course not 1 am sorry 1 spoke, |
but it makes me feel mad"
why, it is midday" said the girl I
am going down stairs now to see if
anybody has returned"
1t doesn't matter now" said Hilton
1ismally to the air.
She was back again.
''Morty," she cried, 7 have found the
key. I twas in the dining room. There
S lunch ready, too" She unlocked the
door and Hilton darted out.
Il have lost he said.
They were in the dining room, and
the girl sat down opposite to him and |
poured him out glass of wine.
NrTr Ha ]