.'o9
HeCII'HOCATED Mwt.MS.
211
nvomaii tlint you may possibly h.wesccn
iWore" (with a roguish twinkle in his
mill eye )
"Ali! Anna then!" said the Judge, fast
lining his circumspect decorum, ami be-
miing as jocose as the Doctor himself,
mliismind drifted back to the time when
Win Hosnell and himself were friends
Mil col logo chums. ' 1 believe you are in
i t Hie cigars on that, Doctor, for, if my
memory betrays me not, you wagered the
iars against a new hat that Miss Anna
TioiiliI never become Mrs. John Hosnell."
The Doctor laughed a round, hearty
hiigli, as he brought out his cigar case.
Each of the friends bit of the end of his
wcei', and placed it nt a becoming angle
an Ins mouth. Each struck a match on
Hicilram of the stove, and each turned his
nose in the same direction away from it
"avoid its sulphurous fumes. Each ap.
1'linl his light, drew some hall dozen
'i"ick whirl's like a locomotive getting
under headway, then settled leisurely back
I" long pulls and conversation.
Tliey had been talking about twenty
minutes when the Doctor rose from his
eat and said, "I understand that you are
t leave town on the eleven o'clock train.
Will you not step down .to the house
I live only a block! from here."
"I should be pleased to do so, but there
's a gentleman at the Junction whom I
MiouUl like to see before I leave this part
"f Hie countiy, and so I have ordered an
minibus to take me there. I think that I
can got nround in time to lake the train at
the Junction-, if not. T slnill wait but
lierc is the 'bus now at the door, and I
"MM, be oil"! "
"Well, Judge, I hope that you may be
ut D again soon, when of course you
will make us a cadi," said the Doctor.
1 hope tluit I may be able soon to
wail myself of your invitation," answered
Hie Judge, " meanwhile, give my respects
'"Mrs. Hosnell. Should you happen ait
(' call ait my ollice on 0th street, or ail
" hotel on 11th street I Mill live in
Win lor freedom "
"And I don't begrudge you the freedom
in the least," said the Doctor. "Good
evening !"
"Good evening!"
Howard McKec entered the omiiibus,
and it rattled away over the pavement.
This was the first time he had been at
D since he had graduated ten years
oofoie, ami, although the place had now
grown into a small city, stili there were
many ancient land marks which served to
remind him, at every turn, of his college
daiyo, of the four years of his early life
which he had spent here. Then his meet
ing and conversation with the Doctor had
called up in his mind such vivid remi
niscences of the past that in musing
upon them he could almost feel himself
ai boy again. As he rode rapidly down
an old, familiar street, and n cared Mr.
Raymond's residence, we suspect that he
peered with something like boyish cu
riosity and interest out of the window of
the coach, to catch a glimpse, if possible,
of some old familiar objects that might
remind him of incidents and scenes of
"ye olden days."
When in front of the gate which he re
membcrcd so well, the horses sheared
with a .sudden slant and the hinder axle
tree of the omnibus broke near one of the
hubs. McKec was pitched forward, strik
ing his head and gashing it on some
sharp corner or projection. The driver
was thrown from his box, but succccucu
in cliniring to the reins, and stopped the
imr.s Inst as McKec. stunned by the
blow which he haul received, rolled half
way out of the open door which had been
i.ri mien bv the concussion. Hie Onv-
er nulled him out on to the frozen ground,
1 . . I.... t.i i.:i.
ar.d then utlereil tlic cry ior jiciii v
was heard by Miss Raymond, as men-
ti.moil in he nrecceuini: un.w'i.
Miss Nellie, as has been stated, came
running down the walk, and when she had
readied the scene of disaster, she found
McKec lying on the ground, and groan
: if ;.. great pain. She stooped
down and lifting his head into her lap,
! V
I.
