Year: 1877

force OF manner; and for most ex- |
cellent reason, | could have sobbed |
aloud, but that | was altogether too |
large for such an undignifed proceed
ing in public, to say nothing of the ab- |
surd tendency toward pink which my
unfortunate nose always manifested on
such occasions. .-.. |


'' In attempting to map out the des-
tiny of another, one is usually prepar-
ing oneself for ultimate defeat,'' an
swered the companion of this emphatic
stranger; and then there came a roar
ing in my ears that out-elamored the
rumbling of the train. The locomo-
tive, was persuaded, must have taken
to ssme mad pranks of steam and
power, for felt the car rise up under
me like the bowed back Of cat. and
then and my consciousness shot cut
into inetfable space; and moment
later, with an odd sense of having done
something mortifying and unusual,


became assured that the train was pur-


suing its swift, accustomed way with a


rush and roar, rafting of windows,


and a cracking of check-lines in their


tin rings, and there was another and
strange face, clear-cut and restful,
bending over me, and that q hand,
strong and beautiful, held glass OF


water rather too tightly against my


lips, that were still ugly with the blue


Of suspended circulation.


Perhaps it is necessary for the pur-


poses of my story that [ should dis


tinctly state at this exact period that


had for the first time in all my healthy


young life, tainted away; and it may


be equally necessary to say that | came
to. .-..


was once more an upright occu-


pant of the seat placed at my disposal
for small consideration by the oblig-


ing railroad company. The glass OF


water had been Withdrawn from my re-


luctant lips, with part of its contents


bestowed upon the front breadth of my


poplin gown, and part distributed over


my face, making an unhappy smudge


of the pearl powder and locomotive


dust previously adorning it.


The stranger knight was once more


seated beside that other man with the


broad, strong neck and handsome


shoulders in front of me, and | was


quite abandoned to my weakness and


ohagrin, with plenty of time for re-


Election between myself and the sta


ton to which was ticketed. .


I make no doubt that such conduct


as have described on the part OF a


strong, hearty, well intentioned, and


well brought up young woman may


seem decidedly queer to some people !;
and as | have a great respect for the


opinions of even the pious precise, and


innocuous folk in the world, beg leave


to explain that this indecorum of mine


was entirely due to two persons, who,
having been young before I was born,


were indiscreet enough to love each


other contrary to the parental Judg-
ment, and who had been cruelty separ-
ated in consequence. -... ..
These two young persons, with hearts
duly broken, went their several ways,
| and, in the course of time. with that
; recuperative faculty with which the
!, affections are endowed, each saw an


other of the sex GO s'devoutly to be wish
ed," and entering into the state matri


monial without violence or constraint
: it is to be inferred were moderately
: happy. ......
Here the romance properly shoulc
.. have ended, but it did not; and these
t two persons, unhappily parted in theil
\ youth, entertained sentiment for eacf
a other quite reprehensible, considering
0 that the sentiments of each were under
;, distraint, which reached point of cul
. mination, when the lady had become
E the mother of daughter and the gen
d tleman the father to a son, in the be
: trothal of the innocents; binding th'
: agreement with the condition tina
i should either, arriving at years OF dis
s cretion, refuse to ratify the contrac
h made for them, the one so obstreperous
q ly conducting him or herself shoult
o forfeit the fortunes naturally inherited
a from the respective and respected
# parent.


o Well, the heroine of this love-tal
= was my mother. 1 beg you not for al
= instant to think that l have the slight


est fault to find with the dear lady VIII
n thus divided the family romance int
n two volumes, leaving to me the ardo
If and arduous closing chapters; but whel
le you have taken into consideration tina
" this man with the musical voice, wit
If the magnificent shoulders, and tina
ID luxuriant and finger-tempting head Q
hair who sat directly in front of me
" and who had just delivered himself Q
re the above quoted startling protes
y against prearranged matrimonial all
lie ances, was clearly the man to whom
q had been betrothed by my mamma 8
TO an age too Immature to admit Of an
lie thing like protest or preference on N


part, you win allow me, trust, eve
n hysteria, If could have managed i
I uharn1z;th To meet the Situation Ike