Year: 1876

through my head. Should 90 into the
house and order mulled wine for the par
ty, giving q hint to have one made very
strong, and given in the hope that it
might make her watchful sentinel sleep,
on post? | had once heard of its being
tried with success, but 1 lacked courage
for it. And this was to be the end-to
shake hands, say good-by, and go our
ways! You may laugh if | talk about
my three days-old love, though believed
it had really come to that How hoped
that an accident might happen, that we
might collide with something, though it
wasn't the fashion then to collide; and if
u horse had gone lame or the coach tipped
over, should have regarded it as special
and timely blessing


''But Fate sometimes will bring us our
desires in a matter-of-course way so natu-
raj and simple that we overlook it in our
high-strung moods; and so came my de-
liverance. / had noticed that Mr.. Gar
diner seemed uneasy and nervous about
something = had loosencd the mighty
brass clasp that fastened his cloak, and
had made vain attempts to unbutton the
leather curtain at the side that he might
admit the air. Both falling, he leaned
across to me, and whispered,


Would you object to changing seats
With me? 1t disag grees with me to ride
backward, ana feel quite i'll


"Object! ! couldn't believe my ears,
and in my eager delight and haste sprang
to my feet, fearing he might change his
mind and cheat me Of my blssful chance.
tried to steady my voice ana take a little
Of the evident JOY out Of it before saying,


Certainly. | am sorry you did not
speak before And with the most con-
siderate and hypocritical caretuneSs help
ed him to my place, hoping from my
heart that the air would revive him sufi-
cicntly to relieve his illness, but not
enough to make another change OF seats
possible.


1--WE changed just as the day began to
fade, and she was to leave the coach in u
few hours, and | should never see her
again You can imagine my desperation,
50 | will spare you the recital, only wait
ing to say that if you think it an eXaggera-
ted state Of feeling, you must remember
that in those days young people did not,
us now, take these matters into their own
hands. They did not make acquaintance
on the street, nor did they, as you call it,
ilirt by an understood code Of signals
Young girls were surrounded by many
prim formalities that would be laughed at
now; but I've never lost my admiration
for q fair blossom of girl, having many
of the sweet ways Of the violet, especially
its quality of shyness. In short, Just such
girls as present company


II was happy enough at first in merely
sitting beside the charming girl, and
watching in the halt-lght her sweet COM
t,>, f., l. I.,;,
uppermost in it now. But the old gentle
man presently settled down into a heavy
sleep, evidently relieved OF his vertigo.


"During my exile Oh the middle seat
had thought OF many bright things to say,
il could only have the chance, and Won
dered at Charley's dullness. but now they
were all gone stammered an awkward
protest against the time going SO swiftly,
or, something equally intelligent and felt
rather relieved when we stopped to change
horses On getting back again into the
coach, | had the felicity of holding the
young lady's mutl' while she adjusted her
wraps. even passed the cord or string
attached to it over her head as she resum-
ed her seat which was more OF a favor
than had been shown Charley is spite of
his advantage in point of time. Then
growing Drawer, | folded her mantle
around her, that had slipped from its
place, for which she thanked me in a way
that was entrancEg


so far. you viii see, nothing very orig
inal had been said, nor any great advance
made toward intimate acquaintance, but
it was enough to fill me with delight. and
make me forget everything except that
time was going. Papa being safely and
soundly asleep-you may depend there
was no sleep in our young eyes-we had
some very small talk among ourselves.
during which, remember, she referred
to my being on my way to school, and
making me feel rs young as the respecta-
BILE butler did David Coppertield. took
special care to say college, with strong
emphasis. and to refer to my graduating
the coming summer, in a tone that had Il
strong flavor of manishness in it.


In the mean time we were riding fast
toward the dreaded hour, and | was
wretchea with the thought Of never see
ing this dear girl again, For three days
we had been together, and it was the one
blessing Of the old stage-coach that hours
did the work Of ordinary weeks in the
way of making friends--or enemies, for
am sure hated the snufly old woman as
much as if | had known her twenty years
And now IL sudden lurch of the coach
forced me into Il position most delightful
ly close to her side, and with my hand
resting on her mutf-an old-tashioned,
generous mutf, in which you could lose
one OF the toy affairs Of the present day.
The contact made me bold, and from the
outside | shyly passed my hand inside the
mutf and | can remember nothing in my
atcr-lile that has made me SO entirely hap
| py as when in that warm cnyet | felt her
| little glovcd hand clasp mine. wished
the road would lengthen out indefinitely,
that nine o'clock could be postponed for Il
week OF two. The truth is, felt like hav-
ing good cry us | whispered, in shaky
voice, You won't forget me?' Yes, said
something much tenderer than this but |
can not 90 on with my story if Mrs. Coop
er looks at me in that savage way"
| $50 on. dear, tell it all only don't draw
on your imagination too much," said his
laughing wife.


"Did say before that we had the coach
| to ourselves by this time? The other pas
sengers had been dropped at intervals
along the road The old gentleman was
sleeping peacefully, Charlie had scarcely
| spoken for an hour, and | was waiting in
an agony OF dread the minute when the
driver would shout the fatal word | sup
pose the wretched creature did right to
anticipate our arrival at Newburgh with
yell loud enough to wake the dead, rous-


ing papa to an upright position and a
knowledge of his where abouts


"'Come. Annie he said, with u yawn.
Here we are and with this horrible river
to cross again. Have you everything ready
dearg


'''I shall have in one moment, she said,
as the coach stopped, giving my hand a
closer clasp before Withdrawing it forever.


"Mr Gardiner expressed himself with
great friendliness, sent kind messages to
father, hoped we might meeta again, shook
hands, and stepped down into the deep
snow


I'm one moment, papa she repeated.
And then in lower tone, that he might
| 1. kn