For Woman's Love Part- 2 by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth (i love reading books txt) 📕

It Was A Splendid May Morning. Our Travelers Were Out Of Bed At

Half-Past Four O'clock. The Sun Was Just Rising When They Sat Down To

Their Early Breakfast.

Mr. Rockharrt Seemed Stronger And Brighter Than He Had Been Since His

Arrival In New York.

The Sabbath Day's Complete Rest Had Certainly Refreshed Him.

Immediately After Breakfast They Left The Hotel,  Entered The Carriage

Which Had Been Engaged For Them And Drove To The Hudson River Depot.

"There's The Dean!" Exclaimed Mr. Rockharrt,  As They Entered The Waiting

Room. "He Must Be Going On The Same Train With Us."

Rose Stillwater Did Not Start Or Change Color This Time. She Had

Prepared Herself For Contingencies By Taking A Dose Of Morphine Just

Before She Left The Hotel. But She Drew Her Veil Closely Over Her Face,

Murmuring That The Brightness Of The Sun Hurt Her Eyes.

Cora Looked Up And Saw The Tall,  Thin Form Of The Church Dignitary

Standing With A Group Of Gentlemen Near The Gate Leading To The Train.

The Waiting Room Was Crowded; A Multitude Was Moving Toward West Point.

"It Is Well I Engaged Our Rooms A Week Ago,  Or We Might Not Have Found

Accommodations," Said Mr. Rockharrt,  As He Pressed With His Party Behind

The Crowd.

Among The Group Of Gentlemen Surrounding The Dean,  Was A Wall Street

Broker With Whom Old Aaron Rockharrt Had Been Doing Business For The

Last Few Days.

This Man Was Standing Beside The Dean,  And Both Stood Immediately In

Front Of Mr. Rockharrt And His Party.

Presently The Broker Turned And Saw The Iron King.

"Oh,  Mr. Rockharrt. Happy To Meet You Here. Going To The Point,  As

Everybody Else Is? Fine Day."

"Yes; A Fine Day," Responded The Iron King.

At This Moment The Dean Happened To Turn His Head.

"You Know The Dean Of Olivet,  Of Course,  Mr. Rockharrt?"

"No; I Have Not That Pleasure."

"Let Me Present You. Dean Of Olivet,  Mr. Rockharrt."

Both Gentlemen Bowed.

The Iron King Held Out His Hand.

"Happy To Welcome You To America,  Dean. Went To Hear You Preach

Yesterday Morning. One Of The Finest Sermons I Ever Heard In My Life,  I

Do Assure You."

The Dean Bowed Very Gravely.

"Let Me Present You To My Granddaughter,  Mrs. Rothsay," Said The Old

Man.

The Dean Bowed Gravely To The Young Lady,  Who Bent Her Head.

"And To Our Friend,  Mrs. Stillwater," Continued The Old Gentleman,

Waving His Hand Again. "Why,  Where Is She? Why,  Cora,  Where Is Mrs.

Stillwater?" Demanded The Iron King In Amazement.

"I Do Not Know. I Have Just Missed Her," Said The Young Lady.

"Well,  Upon My Soul! For The Power Of Vanishing She Excels All Living

Creatures. Pray,  Cora,  Does She Carry A Fairy Cap In Her Pocket,  And Put

It On When She Wishes To Make Herself Invisible?"

"I Think,  Sir,  That She Has Been Pressed Away From Us In The Crowd. We

Shall Find Her When We Get Through The Gate Into More Space."

"Well,  I Hope So."

"She Is Quite Able To Take Care Of Herself,  Sir. Pray Do Not Be Alarmed.

She Will Be Sure To Find Us."

"Well,  I Hope So. Yes; Of Course She Will."

At This Moment The Gates Were Opened.

"Take My Arm. Don't Let Me Lose You In The Crowd. I Suppose Mrs.

Stillwater Cannot Fail To Join Us. Oh! Of Course Not! She Knows The

Train,  And There Is But One."

He Drew Cora's Hand Close Under His Arm,  And Holding It Tightly,

Followed The Multitude Through The Gate,  Looking All Around In Search Of

Rose Stillwater.

But She Was Nowhere To Be Seen.

"She May Have Gotten Ahead Of Us,  And Be On The Train. Come On!" Said

Mr. Rockharrt,  As He Hurried His Granddaughter Along And Pushed Her Upon

The Platform.

The Cars Were Rapidly Filling.

Mr. Rockharrt Seized Upon Four Seats,  In Order To Secure Three. He Put

Cora In One And Told Her To Put Her Traveling Bag On The Other,  To Hold

It For Mrs. Stillwater. Then He Took Possession Of The Seat In Front Of

Her.

"As Soon As This Crowd Settles Itself Down And Leaves Something Like A

Free Passageway,  I Will Go Through The Train And Find Mrs. Stillwater.

She Is Bound To Be On Board. She Is No Baby To Lose Herself," Said Mr.

Rockharrt,  And Though His Words Were Confident,  His Tone Seemed Anxious.

The People All Got Seated At Last And The Long Train Moved.

Mr. Rockharrt Left His Seat,  And Stooping Over His Granddaughter,  He

Whispered:

"I Am Going Now To Look For Mrs. Stillwater And Fetch Her Here."

He Passed Slowly Down The Car,  Looking From Side To Side,  And Then Out

Through The Back Door To The Rear Cars,  And So Out Of Cora's Sight.

He Was Gone About Fifteen Minutes. At The End Of That Time He

Reappeared,  And Came Up The Car And Stopped To Speak To Cora: "She Is

Not In Any Of The Rear Cars. I Am Going Forward To Look For Her. This

Comes Of Traveling In A Crowd."

He Went On As Before,  Looking Carefully From Side To Side,  Passed Out Of

The Front Door And Again Out Of Cora's Sight. This Time He Was Gone

Twenty Minutes. When He Come Back His Face Wore An Expression Of The

Greatest Anxiety.

"She Is Not On The Train. She Has Been Left Behind! Foolish Woman,  To

Let Herself Be Separated From Us In This Stupid Way!" Testily Exclaimed

The Iron King,  As He Dropped Himself Heavily Into His Seat.

"What Can Be Done?" Exclaimed Cora,  Now Seriously Uneasy About Her

Unwelcome Companion,  Because She Feared That Rose Might Have Been Seized

With One Of Her Sharp And Sudden Headaches And Had Stepped Away From

Them As She Had Done In The Church.

"I Hope She Has Had The Presence Of Mind,  On Finding Herself Left,  To

Return To The Hotel And Wait For The Next Train. This Is The Express,

And Does Not Stop Until We Reach Garrison's. But When We Get There I

Will Telegraph To Her And Tell Her What Train To Take. It Is All An

Infernal Nuisance--This Being Jostled About By A Crowd."

Cora Was Consulting A Time Table. She Looked Up From It And Said:

"It Will All Come Right,  Sir. There Is Another Train At Half-Past Eight.

If She Should Take That,  She Will Reach West Point In Full Time For The

Opening Of The Exercises. We Started Unnecessarily Early."

"I Always Take Time By The Forelock,  Cora. That Habit Is One Of The

Factors Of My Success In Life."

The Express Train Flew On,  And In Due Time Reached Garrison's,  Opposite

West Point. The Ferry Boat Was Waiting For The Train. As Soon As It

Stopped,  Mr. Rockharrt Handed His Granddaughter Out. The Other

Passengers Followed,  And Made A Rush For The Boat.

"Let It Go,  Cora. We Must Take Time To Telegraph To Mrs. Stillwater,  And

We Can Wait For The Next Trip," Said Mr. Rockharrt,  Still Keeping A Firm

Grip On His Granddaughter's Arm,  Lest Through Woman's Inherent Stupidity

She Should Also Lose Herself,  As He Marched Her Off To The Telegraph

Window Of The Station.

The Telegram,  A Very Long-Winded One,  Was Sent. Then They Sat Down To

Wait For The Coming Boat,  Which Crossed The Going One About Midstream,

And Approached Rapidly.

In A Few Minutes They Were On Board And Steaming Across The River.

They Reached The Opposite Bank,  And Mr. Rockharrt Led His Granddaughter

Out,  And Placed Her In The Carriage He Had Engaged By Telegraph To Meet

Them,  For Carriages Would Be In Very Great Demand,  He Knew.

They Drove Up To The Hotel In Which He Had Taken Rooms. Here They Went

Into Their Parlor To Rest And To Wait For An Answer To The Telegram.

"It Is No Use Going Over To The Academy Now. We Could Not Get Sight Of

Sylvan. The Rules And Regulations Of The Military School Are As Strict

And Immutable As The Laws Of The Medes And Persians," Said Old Aaron

Rockharrt,  As He Dropped Heavily Into A Great Armchair,  Leaned Back And

Presently Fell Asleep.

Cora Never Liked To See Him Fall Into These Sudden Deep Slumbers. She

Feared That They Were Signs Of Physical Decay.

She Sat At A Front Window,  Which,  From The Elevated Point Upon Which The

Hotel Stood,  Looked Down Upon The Brilliant Scene Below,  Where Crowds Of

Handsomely Dressed Ladies Were Walking About The Beautiful Grounds. She

Sat Watching Them Some Time,  And Until She Saw The Tide Of Strollers

Turning From All Points,  And Setting In One Direction--Toward The

Academy.

Then She Glanced At Her Grandfather. Oh! How Old And Worn He Looked When

He Lost Control Of Himself In Sleep. She Touched Him Lightly. He Opened

His Eyes.

"What Is It? Has The Telegram Come From Mrs. Stillwater?" He Inquired.

"No,  Sir; But The Visitors Are Pouring Into The Academy,  And I Am

Afraid,  If We Do Not Go Over At Once,  We Shall Not Be Able To Find A

Seat," Said Cora.

"Oh,  Yes,  We Shall. Strange We Do Not Get An Answer From Mrs.

Stillwater," Said The Old Man Anxiously,  As He Slowly Arose And Began To

Draw On His Gloves And Looked For His Hat.

Cora Went And Found It And Gave It To Him.

Then She Put