Year: 1877

THE JOURNEY. ., ....t


EVELYN sent for Mr.. Clifford to give her di.
rections concerning the route she was to take,
etc.. for she had travelled so little since her
residence in California, that she was quite at
loss to know how to proceed. There were
much fewer facilities for travel in those days
than in the present, and it was no easy or
agreeable undertaking for young unprotect'
ed woman to start on such an expedition as
this.


The lawyer would gladly have accompa-
MED her, so great an interest did he feel in
her welfare, but his business was too pressing
to admit of his neglecting it for period OF
several days.


II fear you are undertaking considerably
more than you are aware of, Mrs. Morville,"
said he after he had mapped out for her, as
clearly as he could, the exact way in which
she was to proceed. at concerns me more
than can express, to see you going Oh IN
this way without protector. 1t is most un'
fortunate that your father should have fallen
ill just at this time"


eyes, it is unfortunate" said Evelyn; "but
Mr.. Clifford, don't feel in the least afraid.
When one has such an object in view as mine,
I don't think one can stop to look at the OBJ
stscles in the way"


"Perhaps not" said Mr.. Clifford. "But the
obstacles have to be surmounted, nevertheless.
The season, too, is so unpropitious. If were
summer time you would get on so much bet
ter"


at will be summer time for me, if sue
ceed in gaining my object" said Evelyn.
"No outward discomfort can affect me then.
And must be successful, must not? Tell
me truly, do you not think that l shall?"


my dear young lady," said the lawyer,
very earnestly, "far be it from me to dampen
your hopes, or place fresh difficulties in your
way. But at the same time don't feel as
though I ought to encourage expectations
which may meet with a downfall and bring
you only more bitter and uubearable disap-
pointment and distress. Governor s. is a
peculiar man. He is one day of one mind,
and one day of another, and it depends very
much on the sort of mood you may find him
in, whether he will receive your petition IA
vorably or not. He has done some very re-
markable things during his administration !;
in some cases issuing pardons where they
were totally undeserved, and thereby doing
much mischief to the community, and again
acting with extreme severity when he might
we'll have been little more lenient in his
decisions. At least, such is the opinion /
have formed of him, and have heard others
express the same. Again, some persons speak
very highly of him, and consider his judg-
ments generally fair and equitable. So, you
see, the chances are equally for and against
you. I advise you, by all means, to obtain a
personal interview with him, if you can. If
that don't ensure your success, nothing else
will" he added, sotto voce, with glance of
admiration at her pensive face, which she was
far too much absorbed to notice.


Evelyn wrote farewell note to her hus.
band, which Mr.. Clifford promised to deliver,
and set off on her journey with undaunted
courage, Notwithstanding the secret misgiv-
ings she could not quite Danish from her heart.


Unused as she was to find herself without
companionship and away from home, she
felt very strange and solitary as she sat in her
corner of the stage-coach, in which she trav-
eled for the first day and half While day
light lasted it was not so bad, but when night
came it was hard for her to keep her bravery
up. Especially when they stopped, about
midnight, at roadside hotel, to change
horses, and a rough-looking man thrust bis
head in at the coach window and aared
the light of lantern in her face, asking her
some question which she did not understand
did sinking fear take possession of her; and
though he went off directly, and she was not
molested again, she felt very nervous and ap
prehensive as long as the darkness lasted, and
was thankful when that stage of her journey
was past. -.


As she neared her destination, the thought
of Julian and of the mission on which she
was bound, drove everything else from hel
mind. She needed not the inquisitive looks
of her fellow travellers, annoying as she had
found them at first, nor regarded any of the
discomforts which attended her progress. She
was burning with impatience to arrive at bel
goal, and revolved in her mind the best mode
of presenting herself to the Governor ano
the manner in which she would proffer hel
plea. ,.'". !. 4.'.......s.


At last to her intense thaDkfulness, th'
roofs and spires Of the town of S. rose il
sight, Mr.. Clifford had given her the Cover