Year: 1874

had decided differently! Ellinor, on her
part, felt kindly toward him; she thought he
had behaved very we'll, and was infinitely
pleased at his refraining from indulglng in
any sentimental expressions of regret, which,
ito say the least, would not have given her any
more exalted opinion of his sincerity than she
already possessed.


In spite of this mutual softening of feeling,
however, they went on their way, for some
time, in silence. A man must, under all cir
cumstances, feel little awkward when he
has just met with rejection, and more es'
pecially when the lady at whose hands he has
received it is cear.sighted enough to perceive
that his offer has not been made purely from
love, no matter how kindly she lets him know
that she does perceive it. Moreover, Sydney
was thinking, with considerable discomfort,
of the unpleasant necessity which was before
him of informing Mr.. Russell of this disar'
rangcment of his plans, and of the conse'
quences to himself which must follow. Halt
an hour before, he had looked forward to the
possibility-though very bare possibility he
knew it was-of Ellnor's accepting him,
with dread; now he could not help thinking,
if she had accepted him how much annoyance
it would have saved him Revolving these
thoughts he drove on without speaking until
they came within sight of the railroad track,
which they had to cross on their way.


LISTEN" said Ellinor, suddenly. "What
noise is that?"


Sydney listened.


"Only the train coming in-how late it is
this evening! 1t must have been delayed"


"Prince will never stand it," cried Ellinor
with an anxious look. "Oh l wish we had
gone round by the other road y


"You need have no fear-I can manage
him very WE'LL" said Sydney. We can cross
the track before it comes-it sounds ut some
distance yet"


"But he has an unconquerable aversion to
the cars-especially to the whistle"


"They won't blow directly; we can get out
fthe way by driving fast. 1t would do no
good to stop now"


Ellinor was not treasured but she did not
like to appear foolish by proposing to turn
back and get out of the way, as she would
much have preferred to do. She had once
had experience of the difficulty Of managing
Prince under similar circumstances, and had
no wish to see the experiment repeoted.


The railroad track at this point lay for some
distance between two steep embankments, ex-
cept where it directly crossed the road, so
that it was impossible to judge, otherwise than
by the sound, Of the distance off Of the ap-
preaching train. 1t did not truly seem to be
very near, and as Prince, ominously backing
his ears, started forward at redoubled speed,
Ellinor could only shut her eyes and clasp
her hands, trying to still the tumultnous throb
of apprehension that nearly took away her
breath. A moment more, and the track was
crossed-that danger was averted, but before
she could feel thankful for their escape from
an undoubted risk, the dreaded whistle, shrill
and piercing, rent the air with its discordant
shrek as the locomotive thundered past in
their rear Another instant, and the fright
ened horse, spurning all efforts at control,
was plunging madly forward at a speed no
mortal power could check.


"Hold fast, and don't be frightened" said
Sydney. The first injunction she could and
did obey the last she could not reasonably
be expected to comply with. She did not
scream, however, or otherwise betray her
alarm, except by a very blanched face, as she
clung tightly to the rail of the buggy; she
knew that they were in danger, and her lips
trembled with an unspoken prayer that it
might be averted. The suspense did not last
long. A fallen log lay across the road in
their track Sydney could not see it, in the
blind speed at which they we're going; nor, if
he had, would he have been able to avoid it.
Prince, however, had no intention of crossing
it; but he made so sudden swerve that the
buggy was overturned, and Ellinor found her.
self lying on heap of soft sand and leaves,
providentially unhurt, as she presently discov-
cred when she was sufficiently recovered from
the shock to lift her herself up. This contre-
temps did not check Princes career; he rush
ed on, dragging the buggy after him, and with
it Sydney, who was unable to extricate him.
self, for distance of several yards, until fl
nally he was thrown with violence against a
tree, where he lay without consciousness or
motion.


When Ellinor, after the lapse of few mo-
ments, was able to rise and hurry on in the
wake of the buggy, she was shocked, as she
came to bend in the road, to discover her
companion pale and apparently lifeless, with
the blood slowly trickling from cut in his
forehead. What was she to do? She was
powerless to aid him, except by staunching,
as we'll as she could, his wound with her hand
kerchief; she knew she was not far from
home, but she could not leave him alone in
the road while she went to summon assistance


While she was anxiously considering what
course to pursue, the welcome sound of voices
struck on her ear, and directly wagon, drawn
by oxen, and driven by a stout countryman,
came into view. Her heart gave bound Of
relief and thankfulness at the prospect of help
thus opened to her.


"Hallo!" cried the man, as he came within
haiing distance. "What's wrong? Had all
accident, Miss"


"This gentleman has" said Ellinor. "The
horse ran away, and we were both thrown out
of the buggy"


GLOSS run away, oh ? What skcered him 2"