Year: 1874




The scene of this deadly encounter was
neither gloomy nor romantic; it was fair
and pastoral and the time was May; and
all the sweet influences of the springtime
we've shedding a soft, idyllic sweetness
over our English dales We had with US
at this time q young American lady who
was on her first visit to the country; and
one evening, when various places were
being proposed for her amusement and
edification, one of us said to her.


Now, wouldn't you rather get away
from London. and 60 straight down into
one of our quiet valleys, and see real
old English town that has been slumber-
ing there for centuries, and is likely to
sleep for as many morep You will see a
strange old place. with quaint houses of
red and white, and here and there gar
den between the gables. Then you will
60 down to the sides of broad and smooth
river, flowing by under some beautiful
woods. You will live in an old fashioned
inn-called the Complete Angler"-and
just outside your window you will see the
smooth blue river break over long weir,
and you will see the trees, and lawn, and
veranda of the miller's house on the other
side; and between that again the soft
low hills and hanging woods of one of our
English counties"


Ouryoung friend was much pleased with
the motion. but hesitated. OF course she
said this quiet and beautiful place must
be far away and difficult to reach. When
she was told that it was something less
| than fifty miles from London she at once
agreed to go and hence it was that the
desperate conflict which have to describe
took place in one of the most peaceful
hooks of Berkshire at a time of the year
when the human bosom should have been
full, not ofangry passions, but of the sing
ing of nightingales.


For this was the secret of 1.-TWO men
had overheard the proposal; and each of
| them had inwardly resolved to outwit the
other by telegraphing to the Complete
Angler for rooms. so that he should be
installed there when this young lady and
ourselves, her guardians for the time,
should arrive. One of them was a slender
young gentleman, fair-haired, large-eyed
rather petulent in manner, who had just
made some stir in literary circles by the
publication of volume of metaphysical
verses the other was considerably his ell
der inclined to be stout, comely of face
and made welcome among us chiefly by
sort of shy good humor which sometimes
led him into saying good things, but in
any case and at all times seemed to make
him very we'll contented with himself
This Mr.. Humphreys was understood by
some to be in a government office but no
one could ever precisely say what it was,
and his duties certainly never interfered
with his pleasures. His rival, who had
the privilege OF being styled by the court
newsman the Honorable Philip Sturmer
Maurice, was the youngest son of an i'm
pecuinous nobleman, and was believed to
be waiting for some colonial appoint
ment


Now, these two men, from the moment
that our pretty Miss Newton came among
us, began to pay her series Of more or
less occult attentions, all in sort Of friend
ly way, Of course, and generally through
the small and gentle lady WHO was her
hostess. Bygthis means they could pre-
sent her with boxes fol, the opra, they
could lend her new books, they could even
offer to escort herself and her two COM
panions TO an exhibition Of pictures. And
all was smooth sailing. Little did we per-
ceive in it the elements of a atragedy. The
young lady accepted these marks of friend
liness, with sweet impartality doubtless
they were merely little acts of courtesy
extended to q stranger from a distant
land. M
And of the young American lady her.
self? Well, she was neither very wise nor
very learned; but she was exceedingly
pretty, and she had curiously winning
and fascinating manner that drew women
as we'll as men toward her. Perhaps it
was the softness of her voice; perhaps it
was kind of pitious look in her dark, gray
eyes but anyhow people liked to get near
her, and when they got near her they got
interested in her, and when they got in
terested in her they Immediately went and
asked everybody else what was her story.
No one present knew. 1t was supposed
to be rather painful affair-had she not
been engaged to be married to a young
man who was drowned within sight of the
shore. Paul and Virginia fashion ?-but
in any case she always referred to it in a
vague way, and apparently wished to
keep her sorrow secret. For the rest,
she was rather tall and pale; she wore
good many rings. and when she travelled
she displayed to the other inhabitants of
the railway carriage a bag filled with all
sorts of curiosities in the way of scents and
other toilet requisite. One might have
ldugueu at tne IlSnlOu Ill WHICH Sn6 prayed
with these only she was so pretty and
childlke one had not the heart to laugh at
aer. She seemed only to pet herself
because everybody else petted her.


We drove to Paddington station. There
was young man there, looking furtiyely
up and down the platform. He came
to US and said. with an amount of confu-
sion in his face that seemed to make him
a trille sulky:


'Are you going into the country? What
beautiful weather! took it suddenly into
my head to run down to see Marlow--it
must be looking so pretty just now"


Miss Newton said nothing at all, though
she seemed surprised but the lady beside
her-who manages all things with infinite
tact and discretion smiled demurely, and
remarked:


What an odd coincidence! We are GO
ing to NARROW also. We shall make quite
little party--how very nice."


When once the awkwardness of the
meeting was over, Mr.. Maurice was ap.
parcntly highly delighted with his good
fortune; and he did his best all the way
down to make himself an agreeable COM