Mower County transcript., 1914-01-07

Fportmanteau and placed It outside the
house. and all next day I will Inform
her father that she is Ill and cannot
|be disturbed By this means you
reach marlborough without trouble
and get married. and then take the
train to New York From New York,
yon will travel to San Francisco, and
there you stay, no matter how poor,
how starving. till the opportunity ar
Erives to go to that place where yons
have a friend very rich. queer man
whom once you served and who will.
take you back In employment. =
''Jahn Mort. said Matt to himself.
She says It must be now or not at
AL. for she cannot be so brave twice.
She says desperate people have to take.
desperate chances. She asks you No
answer yes Or no. |"
Matt made q hasty calculation. He
had almost a hundred dollars. This.
with Chris $50, would easily get them
to California, with something to spare.
He told Flexner that his answer was
Yes and put into the word q warmth
that he hoped she would carry to her
mistress. She was to say that he had
$97 and would carry out his instruc-
tons imp ity;; was also to say that
she was the pluckiest girl ii the world.
At half past 8 Matt and Dagsancourt
were az the gates Of Falr Oaks.
There was q sound OF voices, 6f feet
running. Of muffled exclamations IN
the dark. A slight figure murmured
pantingly oh. Matt IS IT. you? 2, and
clung to him. In an instant they were
speeding through the deep defle again,
engulfed IN the night.
Matt's recollec ction of his elopement
was both strangely blurred and
strangely vivid. He was tired to ex-
haustion, and SO was Chris. Nothing
could keep them long awake, not even
the ecstasy Of being together. Yet that
dawn was the most imperisha bic mem
ory Of his life as he looked down at
her, nestled beside him, with the
heavy lashes fringing her cheeks. She
opened her sleepy eyes and nestled
closer-and closer still when he whis-
pered it was their wedding day.
They say responsibility gravitates to
the shoulders fit to bear it. In this
case the shoulders were Daggan-
courts, snd his was the directing spir-
1t. He had charged himself with the
whole business and had thought out a
plan of campaign in which the others
were merely to do what they were bid.
They did so meekly, bewildered and
happy at this fresh instance of the
first being last and the last first.
The ring was bought, the license OBJ
tanned, and a benignant fossil recited
the marriage ceremony in stuffy
parlor. Victor slipped ten dollar
note in his not unwilling hand, and
the couple left the stuffy parlor-mar-
ried.
At Claremont they caught the New
York express, and Daggancourt, who
had taken the. tickets, hurried them
through Pullman to the compart-
ment he had reserved =y
> a g
How do we stand, Victor?" Matt
asked. Two for the license, ten for
Mr.. What-dye-call- l-him. and. oh. yes
the ring-that's five more seventeen
and the auto, / insist upon paying for
that-and the tickets. For heavens
sake, be quick about it or they'll start
the train!'' 5=
.'Marse Broughton, you aren't as
well fixed as you ought to be" said
Daggancourt, "and-and so think
Wen just let it stand over if you don't
mind"
"Stand over? I should say not!
Here, take thirty five and call it
squarev'
1T can never be that between you
and me, SIR returned Victor, with a
droop of the lower lip that made him
look the embodiment of guilt. I'm
powerful fond Of you, Marse Brough-
ton, and-and it would be great IA
vor if you would just accept item
porary. Like you might from white
man." he added stammeringly, ''only
temporary, till you sort Of get set
tied, and
''I'll take it" Matt said brokenly,
''and Iwon't pretend it isn't a gift,