MISCELLANEOUS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5343, 6 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

A RUNAWAY COUPLI'

' Fan '? I am not K-'i'ig , t" stand tliis noiihi.'lih(! oiitj hour longer !' said May llenth (o Jb'unnii) Cnlthorjie. ' What can you do V duldiously and doubtfully jisked Fannie.

'Do 't I'll run away ! Mr. Warren mu«t bo v positive idio 1 , to niippo«» I will atay hero ! I iiiiimol imagines wlmt lie wa.sthinkiiijr about when lit! wjut Ui. to Mich a jilaro.' ' I tlioujjrht the doctor eaid you must have •■ountry air, perfect quiet iitid rest, and positively forbade n f:tHMliiormblc watering , jplaeo. , ' Country ;iir !' was tlic ; soomful ejaculation. 'Did lie Bfiimh,fc for it to come in through the brokeu'walis at ;i)l hours of the niyrht liiii.'t, with v poultry yiml ujhW the window and itin barn adjoining it J R<\Mt ■ on a (irking containing fifteen straws rhopped up Id ill,, si/i- of needles, over a fiampwovk of imjicm, Hmt have niiide h map | of l.riiiHPi, nil over mo ! T have not. had an ! hour of sound sk'ep sinm; 1 came, and T am j inilf starved. 1 kn<t\v t};e food ix enough raw, hut (ho cooking is Jioj-riblo, ovcrytliing , friod and Miiotliored in grenw. or baked t<. a stone I I will not stay (Uiotltor Any !' !

' But Mr. Wurivn too!.- our rooms for three months.'

' He may eoine ami ii\u in tluni, then :' Aβ ehc the rebellious youny ward of theretpt'ctiiHe and absent .Robert Warren

sat more erect upon the fallen log whore she had been expressing her opinion to her bosom friend. Pretty girls they were, both of them, brimful of girlish spirit, although May Heath was still pale from a recent sharp attack of fever. Fannie Calthorpe had tho rosiest checks and the roundest arms, but thero was little to choose in other matters, both being well dressed, well educated, and what, is rather less common in theso degenerate days—well bred. ' But,' said Fan, after a moment of silence, ' what can you do ?' ' Run away ! Do 3-011 remember the cozy farm-house where wo stayed a week last summer, on our way to Con way ? Well, I secured the name of the farmer, and postoflice address, and I havo written that wo are coming. I did not ask if they would have us, but said we would be at Violetbanks Farm to-morrow. And we will. I have plenty of money with me, and if my guardian thinks this is an earthly paradise, he may enjoy it himself. Come .' I have sent for Nathan to take us down to the 3.30 train, and we must pack.' ' But—' 'No uto ! You may sit here and stato your objections to the trees if you wish, but I am going r' With a sigh and a smilo Fan sprang up. She was glad enough to escape from the discomforts of a country boarding-house, whoso only attraction was its ment. Merrilly tho girls packed, and telling tho bow ildered landlady that the gentleman who had engaged tho rooms would pay for them, they climbed into old Nathan's wagon, their trunks for seats, and were jolted down to the railway station. ' Now that wo are fairly started,' said May, as the pair nestled down in thu cushioned chairs of a 'Pullman,' ' I will tell you a secret.' Fan was all attention. IMr Warren is in lore with me !' said

May. ' I'ou don't call that a secret, do 3-011 r' ' Well, it is ii part of mint , . Ho is awfully, ridiculously jealous, and ho put the doctor" up to this country business, for I heard him. His mother is very anxious for her darling Robert to marry, and the dear old lady is really very fond of mo, so between them I have no peace of my life' ' But—l thought you were engaged !' ' "We arc not. Positively, emphatically, we are not !' ' But don't you like him ?' ' Mv dear, blessed child—we are all alone in this compartment, are we not ? Yes. My dear, I adore him. I love every curl on his handsome head, every hair in his whiskers, Life would 1)0 a burden without his IOVC. but I uni not going to tell him so. So I flirt, with Cousin Charlie ntiil Will Thompsjn, ami a dozen or so of others, who nil worship mv—bunk account, imd set Robert wild. Wicked ? I know it ! But I will not be punished like a n-iughty child by being , sent to that hole we have just left, and to pay mv guardian for (lie attempt I slmll not let him know win. re lam until I go bark to (he city. I am carrying out the doctor's orders at Mrs. Browne's, and I intend to be comfortable, if I cannot have any society. You and I never did can; much for a third party, if we could be together.' ' Cresson !' shouted the conductor. And gathering up shawl-straps, dusters, and satchels, the girls went out upon the platform, where their trunks were already standing. It was a country station—ll small room of unpninted boards, with open front, and a board nailed to the wall on three sides for a seat. ' Why, where is the wagon r' cried May. ' I wrote to Mrs Browne that '.ye would bo h< ro on this train, rain or shine, and she must send the wagon to meet us.' ' And it is nearly dark,' cried Fan, ' and I am starving , .' ' What are wo to do I* lull the trunks into the room first! Orncious.' how heavy they are ;' But they wore put under cover by tho united strength of the two girls. ' We'll have to walk up, and send for them,' said May, referring to the trunks. 'Don't cry, for pity's sake, Fan,' for Pan's big blue eyes were suspiciously misty. ' Cry! Not 1, , was the quick reply, let's stand hero, May.' ' Are —do you—that is—do we go that way or this way ?' asked May, looking at the wide country road crossed by tho railroad track. 'Oh, May, you don't mean to say you don't know? , ' I am not sure, but I think it is this way,' said May, bravely. • It will tnko us somewhere. . There was no help for it. Walking , to • somewhere ' was the only way out of the diiHctilty, and burdened with wraps, thu two girls started. Tho long , twilight of a srimmer evening: was over, and there wns an ominous gather- j ing , of clouds, had there been light enough to see them. Down tho dusty road the two girls walked hastily, May realising, in spito of her accustomed courage, that her recent illness had left her very unfit for over-exer-tion. A distant rumble rodueed Fan (o helplessness. She was a cowaoi Lu.-^ thunder storm. -'.wWu meet such a terror on that. lrr;ieij- road, after dark, drove, her almost frantic. ' Oh, May ! That wns thunder !' she cried, ' and it is raining !' ' What are wo to do r There is a light!' cried May, suddenly, as the twinkle of a candle shone out of the darkness. ' It is 11 mill) way !' ' Nevertheless, we are going there. Don't cry, Fan !' j For Fan was sobbing. It was not surprising, all things, considered. But in spito of her tears and May's increasing weakness, they hurried on. following tho light, the niin falling heavily, and the}' dismally remembered, their waterproof cloaks in their trunks ; it had been ' such a perfoet day' when they started. On and on, drenched to the "skin, till they reached tho light. A tallow eundlo stuckin a tin stand ngainst the wall of a station precisely similar to the one they had left. Indeed, May declared if th<:y had not walked in a straight line, she would have been sure it was tho same one. But there was a shock-headed boy on tho bench, evidently seeking shelter from tho storm, raging furiously by that time. Fan cowered down on a bench, covering her face and sobbing convulsively. May called the boy.

1 How far iH it U) Mrs. Browne's'r , slio llHkr.-d. ' Don't know no Mrs. Browne' ' At Vicletbanks Farm.'

' Lor ! she's dead ! Sho died last Christmas o' fever—timruonist fever—cotched a cold an' went off sudden. , ' But who lives ut the farm :-' ' There iiint noru , .' ' No people there ':' 'No farra-h'iuse—got burned. "Was sot, ah're, or eotchod afire, or suthing. I don't know.' 'Oh !' wailud Fan, ' whut are we to do ?' ' Who takes boarders near here ':' ' Lots on 'em does. But lor ! they's all packed as close as herrin.' There iiint a room nowhere roim', there iiint. My lniui sent folks all over in a oarryivll yisturday an , they took the train on. Couldn't git no kind o' place. 'Taint no sort o' use you're lookin,' I know. , j

May's heart sank. The Hiorm was abating , , tho thuiiiler ilyljify oi|t in distant grumbling , , and Fan bad exhausted her toaru. But both girls were literally soaked, their Ihin summer clothing drenched, and they were faint with hunger.

llf 1 L'ivi! you a dollar,' said May to the boy, ' cm you ;f(.'t somothinjf to eat ?' 'J reckon! Muni'll hunt up tlmt'H worth !'

' Tell her we tiro cold, wet, and hungry, and we did not kuow of Mrs Browne's death, but wero going , tlioro,' eaid May.

' And tell her one of u.s is t-ick,' tsuid Fan, suddenly coming to tier weiifies an sho saw how deadly white iier friend's l'aeu looked by tin) feeble lijrlil of the caudle.

'I'll tell her, , said the boy, and wliot down the road just as Jfuy fell to the floor, entirely insensible. It was Fun's turn then to assume command. Blio dried her tears, lifted May to a bonoli, by exevtiiigr all her .strength, found sonic brandy, and cologne in her Kiitehel, and was occupied in restoring the exhausted tfirl to consciousness, when tV down train Hashed by, backed, and

A Willi desire to lift Miiy into llio ear was just, shaping jtsolf into a resolution In Fun's iiiiml. when the iritin rushed on again, leaving two passengers on the platform. _ A oarriag-e drew up ut'tlic .steps at the same instant, ami May looking up, jravc a glad cr\- •

"• Mr Wiirruii ! Oli, what good iiugul soul you here '.' The ffoiitli-mmi addressed fairly yaspud with aniiizoniont, but in lews time than I

could repeat, it, Fan told the whole story, ami wa« told that Mr Warren wiie ' down

with a friend for a week's fishing.'

Tho friend stepped to the front at once. 'You will both come to my place, of oonrse,' he s«id. ' Not a word. Warren. You don't suppose I would desert Indies in such distress, even if they were entire strangers. Mother will attend to their comfort.'

But comfort was something poor Mny was not to find for many weary days. She'came back from unconsciousness to delirious fever, and lay so dangerously ill thnt Robert Warren was the very ghost of himself with anxiety when she was at hist pronounced convalescent. It wns a dull time for him, a suffering time for May; but Harry Thorno, the friend who "had so opportunely come to the rescue, thought the (summer days had never passed so quickly. His mother wa3 one of those darling old ladies who aro entirely happy in nursing duties, and she would not let Fan be much in the nick room, although sho insisted upon keeping her as a guest. And Fan, roaming about tearfully, was consoled by drives, boating, walking, and talking, with Harry Thorne as an "escort.

They had finally concluded that life was to be endured only when they were together, just about the timo that May was tearfully asking- Robert Warren to forgive her for the suffering she had caused him, and humbly promised she would nover run away again. It may be mentioned, in conclusion, that Robert Warren had hud the high tost testimonials of tho farm-honse to which he had sent his ward, and Imd known of Mrs. Browne's death, nnd the destruction of the farm-house. Also, that the trunks, when sent for, were gone, and never again appeared, nnd tho shock-headed boy" declares ' them two was spooks !'