Year: 1866

much sooner. Dear little thing how
vexed and troubled she must be-and
George grew quite lachrymose over her
desolate condition.


But ii seemed ages to George before
they whirled up to the platform at Groton
and then he did not wait to practice any
courtesy. He leaped out impetuously,
knocking over an old lady with flower
pot and bird cage In her hand, demol-
ishing the pot and putting the birds into
Mysteries. The old lady was indignant,
and hit George rap with her umbrella
that spoiled forever the fair proportions
OF his bridal beaver, but he was too much
engaged in thought of his lost bride to
spare regret for his hat.


He flew through the astonished crowd,
mashing up crinoline here, and knock
ing over a boy there, until he reached
the clerk of the station. Yes, the clerk
believed there was one lady no had come
alone; she had gone to the Belvidore
House-she must be the one.


George waited to hear no more. He
hurried up the street to the place, where
the landlord assured him that no lady of
Katie's style had arrived perhaps she
Tad stcped at Margate, ten miles back.
George seized on the hope. There was no
train to Margate until the Gext morh,ng.
but the wretched husband could not wait
all night-he would walk.


He got directions about the roads; was
told that it was straight one-for the
most of the way through the woods
rather lonesome but pleasant, not stop
ping to swallow mouthful Excitement
had taken away his appetite. The fine
day had developed into cloudy evening
the night wsuld be darker than usual.
George fastened on, too much excited to
feel fatigue--too much agonized about
Katie to notice that he had split his ele-
CANT French CATERS out at the sides.


After three or four hours hard walking
he began to think that something must be
wrong He ought to be approaching the
suburbs of Margate. In fact, he ought to
have reached the village itself some time
before. He grew little doubtful about
his being on the right road, and began to
look about him. There was no road at
all, or rather, it was all road; for all
vestige of fences and wheel tracks had
vanished-there was forest, forest every
where.


The very character of the ground beneath
his feet changed at every step he took. 1t
grew softer and softer, until he sank ankle
deep in mud and, suddenly, before he
could turn about, he fell in almost to his
armpits He had stumbled into quar-.
mire swift horror came over him Peo.
pie had died before now in places like this
and it would be so dreadful to die thus
and Katie never know what had become
of him. He struggled with the strength
of desperation to free himself, but ht
might as we'll have taken it coolly. Ht
was held fast.


Thus slowly the hours wore away. The
night was ages long. The sun had never
taken so much time to rise in but prob
ably it realized that nothing conld be done
until it was up, and was not disposed tc
hurry.


AS soon as it was fairly light, George
began to scream at the top of bis voice
in the hope that some one who might b'
going somewhere might hear him. H'
amused himself in this way for an hour
and at the end of that time you couldn
have distinguished his voice from that o
a frog close at hand, who had been doing
his best to rival our hero.


At last, just as George was beginning
to despair, he heard a voice in the distanc
calling out


"Hallo. there is it you or frog ?"
ats me-" cried George. "and | shall b
dead in a few minutes Come quick
For am into the mud up to my YER.
, eyesI'


. Directly and old woman appeared.
sunbonnet on her head and basket Of
her arm. She was evidently hucklebcr
| rying.


"The land sake, you're in for it, ain
' yep


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