Show DANCE AT TUB INN STOUT girl 1 laid I grandma t mltlngljr Why 1 t ITO never had any v I 10 i thing happen to me = J that could < make a lory except once I I It And Im atmotl 1 r afraid to tell you I that one I Oh that wounds i charming ex claimed Irene Well hat that It we i have to coax far a week i Grandma was silent for several minute min-ute while we chattered and coaxed Lee At lait I the gave away and began I eb t = Years Sao when I was a girl thing I were to different from our way of living 11 liv-ing now that t fear my story will seem i Improbable to you I lived In a mall r western town where my father had a tract of land almost aa tare aa this en I lire village It was a lonely place for joung people but frequent vlilbi to Mhool friends and return visits from them relieved the dreariness Sales G what We had plenty of riding however how-ever aa well ai an occasions dance I i wo really I had little limn I to mope nhfta 1 Still It was a aid change when rajr filler married and went to live 110 tulles away It teemed at remote aa If I ahe had crossed the ocean but the Klorlout anticipation of vliltlng her kepi me In a fever of excitement for a I whole year During this time I had I met Paul osier your grandfather and became engiged to him and It was ar ranged that hu should accompany father and myself on the journey I Bilge coaches were the only conVeyance i I con-Veyance then but there was an enchantment i en-chantment about travel then that no i amount of luxury In a palace ear can i rquul now 1 I The drive Will gtorloui On some T luni of the road I MI on top of the r Stage but when I was tired or the I road rougher than usual I crept In skis Horaetlme we would wnlk while i I I tin horses rested or followed slowly I Toward evening we reached lo mull tavern and remained all night glad by that time of the change but just ni eager to start atfiln the next morning The Second day just ni we were starting a young man canto up and hurriedly whltpered to Shins the driver I reinemlM Hill my lively curlottlly DI to what It Will nil about when I saw Hllaa lean forward and draw two large nei looking revolver re-volver lie examined them carefully meanwhile holding the lines a peculiar way partly between his knees with lie emit turned about till arm I found out the meaning of the whipper and the pistols too when L early In the afternoon wo entered a narrow pan between the hllli lly this time I was cowering Inside the fcm eh iivilfrn I Could lire without wanting to the rugged mountain the trop t cllffi the narrow roadway along I which Hllni peered carefully but even io Agree taken by iiirprlia when half a maun men suddenly iprnng up ap i imrently from nowhere I ran not ox tireu the rapidity with which the whole thing wai done Two stood at Iho horses heada two quickly till mined the driver and the men on lop of the coach while two others at the game Initant threw open the door and with leveled pistols ordered 1 ui to stop out Two elderly 1 ladle 1 a middleaged 1 one land old r itleman 1 and myself obeyed i des I quickly an we could 1 assure you I trembled ao that I could hardly stand I J ll it t Ira 1 I I 1 I NOW GO und wai almost falling when Suddenly ono of the highwaymen pinned the other out of tho way exclaiming A Ililio by Jorcl and with inch a bow ui few had ever given me look my hand and helped me down I To tell the truth I knew very little of what took place around me after tint I saw my highwayman give onion to his mon then he turned tome i to-me and In the mot gentlemanly man I tier begged me to walk with him 1 bra not refute and we paced back and forth till I felt aa If I should faint lie talked of the scenery tho mountain air and other mutter but of hit par puss there and of the operation of Ills companloni kept himself carefully care-fully between me and them he aali not a word I It wan at a moment when I felt 1 could endure no more that I caught eight of PaulH face All the men had their hands tied behind them and were ntaniHiig In a row looking Into the ro volvert of their captors who relieve them of everything of value There itoul your grandfather with such a glare bt helpless Indignation at poor one that It was more than I could gland and with a sense of the rldlcu Iou that was morn than halt hysteric al I broke Into Such jali I of laughter that the mountain echoed I could not help It laughed call laughed till ho tears ran down my check and mr retort at last joined me while be whispered something ao flattering that poor Paul would have died outright Ito It-o could have heard to I finally my highwayman placed men me-n the coach again with a whispered IT request for some remembrance ring or anything Ai he hid It In his poser 10 take rings and everything cuss I slipped oft a liirtuols and gave It tom to-m He placed It on his third finger above a diamond and ai the diamond aihud I saw a tiny crosi cut on In surface I was not searched and with a courtly bow my knl bt of the road and his conpanloaa vanlibtd ai iud itself at they bid cone One month liter I was almost worn out with the entertainments furaUbed br my deter In her efforts to wake mr visit pletMinL There was to ben be-n more dance probably the tat ai 110 were to Hart homeward the first of he following week Paul had bees tiling relative and had jut j returned return-ed In lime to take part Aa the serious drove up at the door of the Inn where the dance was to behold be-hold I I heard a young lady a friend of i mr Maters call out I Why where hu Mr Meredith oner Hut I thought nothing of It then lenThe dancing had been going on for only a short lime when this young lady came up to me and with tone iggeillvo of pique sold I Mr Meredith wishes to be Intro lured to you Mr Meredith then asked ran to anre with him and not only one but many lime we danced together was an admirable dancer let I could hardly hear what he Mid ao perplexed I was I wondering where I could < < have heard his voice nl before Hut at length i AI he extended rile hand I glanced down and l uw a Small cross cut on the diamond of his ring My dears I almost fainted outright lint lo tho end be acted the part of a gentleman lie led me lo a window allll stood talking while be shielded my agitation front the room now filled with whirling couplet Nothing was said I for several min atm In my foolish heart I was trying try-ing to think of tome romantic reason that would account for his mode of life Ilia fare from which the beard and moustache were gone looked like that of come boyish SIr laUhad not like that of a criminal Ilia kindly brown eyes shown on me with a world of laughter In them Well he Mid amlllnRly At the Santa moment caught light of Paul In he doorway talking to a man whom I did I not know unit with earnest get urea pointing to my partner Paul too had recognized him Though my heart wan beating M hand that I could I motioned 1 to Mr ernllth In finish the dance and when 110 reached the aide nearest the op lonllo door I Hopped Dead down your head I whisper eI I faintly Some one has recognize you I saw them You oust KO My voice tremble 1 I am sure Alul lit raid slowly 1 milli soilIng soil-Ing Then he frowned Hut the mlle come back Instantly ai he glanced at ne na I stool pale and trembling Ionr little girl ho sold So hided l between a serve of duly and pity for a poor wretch like me Comoa bar pin child One more dance all around the room and back hire and I will go You ought to go now faltered Not until we finish the dance he Mid firmly lie iiipported mo almost entirely ai we whirled around the room or I bv IIcvo that 1 Should have illpped on the floor Now do I whispered In p ret r-et terror loadby ho sold earnestly M never shall forget you Think of me AI kindly ai you ran lie had vanlihed In the darkness and nono too soon A few minutes later the sheriff and two of his men appeared fully armed but Mr Mere clltll was nowhere to be foundnor did any one discover how he walled Orailnu Sighed softly I have al ayH hell RIle l to know R-Ile escaped aha added li that all Yei except that after the notice ot ny marriage hall been n lixcrted In the papers I received an express package outlining n diamond ring with across a-cross cut In Its surface The girls Mire silent for n few moments and then began with rx hmatloni ot delight at tho story ru nnne beyond anything they had expected ex-pected Then said aaucy Irene with n twinkle In her eyes nrandmother darling Ill wager anything that you never told grand fattier nil tills Story The pink bluih ipread over grandMothers mother face but the dear uld 1 soul would not lie even lo point a mural No my dear girls the laid < 1 ilow ii I It was very wrong no doubt but I never did Ixiulivlllo Courier Journal |