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

Plains With This Train?" Inquired The Colonel,  As The Two Gentlemen

Shook Hands.

"Yes,  Colonel," Briskly Replied Clarence,  "I Am Really Going Out To The

Frontier! I Have Not Enlisted In The Army,  Nor Have I Received Any

Appointment As Post Trader Or Indian Agent From The Government,  Nor

Missionary Or Schoolmaster From Any Christian Association. But,  All The

Same,  I Am En Route For The Wilderness On My Own Responsibility,  By My

Own Conveyance,  At My Own Expense,  And With This Outgoing Trail--If

There Be No Objection," Added Clarence,  With A Sudden Obscure Doubt

Arising In His Mind That There Might Exist Some Military Regulation

Against The Attachment Of Any Outsider To The Trail Of Army Wagons Going

Over The Plains From Fort To Fort.

"'Objections!' What Objections Could There Possibly Be,  My Dear Sir? I

Fancy There Could Be Nothing Worse Than A Warm Welcome For You," Replied

The Colonel.

At That Moment Captain Neville,  Who Had Put His Wife In Their Carryall,

Came Up To See What Had Delayed His Guest.

"My Dear Mrs. Rothsay,  We Are Ready To Start," He Said. Then Seeing Mr.

Clarence,  Whom He Had Met In Washington And Liked Very Much,  He Seized

His Hand And Exclaimed:

"Why,  Rockharrt,  My Dear Fellow! You Here! This Is A Surprise,  Indeed! I

Am Very Glad To See You! How Are You? When Did You Arrive?" And He Shook

The Hand Of The New Comer As If He Would Have Shaken It Off.

"I Am Very Well,  Thank You,  Captain,  And Have Just Landed From The Boat.

I Hope You And Your Wife Are Quite Well."

"Robust,  Sir! Robust! So Glad To See You! But So Sorry You Did Not

Arrive A Few Days Sooner,  So That We Might Have Seen More Of You. You

Have Come,  I Suppose,  All This Distance To Bid A Last,  Supplementary

Farewell To Your Dear Favorite Niece?"

"I Have Come To Go With Her To The Frontier,  If I May Have The Privilege

Of Traveling With Your Trail Of Wagons."

"Why,  Assuredly. We Are Always Glad Of Good Company On The Way,"

Heartily Responded The Captain.

"Oh,  Beg Pardon,  And Thank You Very Much; But I Did Not Intend To 'Beat'

My Way. Look There!" Exclaimed Clarence,  With A Brighter Smile,  As He

Pointed To The Commodious Carriage,  Drawn By A Pair Of Fine Draught

Horses,  That Stood Waiting For Him,  And To The Covered Wagon,  Drawn By A

Pair Of Stout Mules,  That Was Coming Up Behind.

"Oh! Ah! Yes,  I See! You Are Traveling With Your Retinue. But Is Not

This A Very Sudden Move On Your Part?" Demanded The Captain.

"So Sudden In Its Impulse That It Might Be Mistaken For The Flight Of A

Criminal,  Had It Not Been So Deliberate In Its Execution. The Fact Is,

Sir,  I Am Very Much Attached To My Widowed Niece,  And Not Being Able To

Dissuade Her From Her Purpose Of Going Out Into The Indian Country,  And

Being Her Natural Protector And An Unincumbered Bachelor,  I Decided To

Follow Her. And Now I Feel Very Happy To Have Overtaken Her In The Nick

Of Time."

"I See! I See!" Said The Captain With A Laugh.

While This Talk Was Still Going On,  Corona Turned To Take A Better Look

At The Great,  Strong Carriage In Which Her Uncle Had Driven Up From The

Steamboat Landing. There,  To Her Surprise And Delight,  She Saw Young

Mark,  From Rockhold,  Seated On The Box. He Was Staring At Her,  Trying To

Catch Her Eye,  And When He Did So He Grinned And Bobbed,  And Bobbed And

Grinned,  Half A Dozen Times,  In As Many Half Seconds.

"Why,  Mark! I Am So Surprised!" Said Corona,  As She Went Toward Him. "I

Am So Glad To See You!"

"Yes'm. Thanky'm. So Is I. Yes'm,  An'dar's Mammy An' Daddy An' Sister

Phebe 'Hind Dar In De Wagon," Jerking His Head Toward The Rear.

Corona Looked,  And Her Heart Leaped With Joy To See The Dear,  Familiar

Faces Of The Colored Servants Who Had Been About Her From Her Childhood.

For There On The Front Seat Of The Wagon Sat Old John,  From Rockhold,

With The Reins In His Hands,  Drawing Up The Team Of Mules,  While On One

Side Of Him Sat His Middle-Aged Wife,  Martha,  The Housekeeper,  And On

The Other His Young Daughter,  Phebe,  Once Lady's Maid To Corona Rothsay.

Corona Uttered A Little Cry Of Joy As She Hastened Toward The Wagon. The

Three Colored People Saw Her At Once,  And,  With The Unconventionally Of

Their Old Servitude,  Shouted Out In Chorus:

"How Do,  Miss C'rona?"

"Sarvint,  Miss C'rona!"

"Didn't 'Spect To See We Dem Come Trapesin' Arter Yer 'Way Out Yere,

Did Yer Now?"

And They Also Grinned And Bobbed,  And Bobbed And Grinned,  Between Every

Word,  As They Tumbled Off Their Seats And Ran To Meet Her.

Mr. Clarence Hoisted The Two Women To Their Seats,  One On Each Side Of

The Driver,  And Then Turned To Corona.

"Come,  My Dear. Let Me Put You Into Our Carriage," He Said,  As He Drew

Her Arm Within His Own And Led Her On.

"Oh! I Have Not Taken Leave Of Colonel ---- Yet.

"Where Is He?" She Inquired,  Looking Around.

"Here I Am,  My Dear Mrs. Rothsay. Waiting At The Carriage Door To Put

You In Your Seat And To Wish You A Pleasant Journey. And Certainly,  If

This Initial Day Is Any Index,  You Will Have A Pleasant One,  For I Never

Saw Finer Weather At This Season Of The Year," Said The Colonel,

Cheerily,  As He Received Corona From Her Uncle's Hand,  And,  With The

Stately Courtesy Of The Olden Time,  Placed Her In Her Seat.

"I Thank You,  Colonel,  For All The Kindness I Have Received At Your

Hands And At Those Of Mrs. ----. I Shall Never Forget It. Good By," Said

Corona,  Giving Him Her Hand.

He Lifted The Tips Of Her Fingers To His Lips,  Bowed,  And Stepped Back.

Mr. Clarence Entered The Carriage And Gave The Order To The Young

Coachman. Carriage And Covered Wagon Then Fell Into The Procession,

Which Began To Move On. A Farewell Gun Was Fired From The Fort.

"Uncle Clarence," Said Corona,  After The Party Had Been On The Road Some

Hours--"Uncle Clarence,  How Came You First To Think Of Such A Strange

Move As To Leave The Works And Come Out Here? And When Did You First

Make Up Your Mind To Do It?"

"I Think,  Cora,  My Dear,  That The Idea Came Vaguely Into My Mind,  As A

Mere Possibility,  After My Father's Death. It Occurred To Me That There

Was No Absolute Necessity For My Remaining Longer At The Works. You See,

Cora,  However Much I Might Have Wished For A Change In My Life,  I Never

Could Have Vexed My Father By Even Expressing Such A Wish,  While He

Lived. After His Death I Thought Of It Vaguely."

"Oh! Why Didn't You Tell Me?"

"My Mind Was Not Made Up; Therefore I Spoke Of The Matter To No One. I

Only Hinted Something To You,  When On Bidding You Good By At North End

Junction I Told You That You Might Possibly See Me Before You Would

Expect To Do So."

"Yes; I Remember That Well. I Thought You Only Said That To Comfort Me.

And You Really Meant That You Might Possibly Follow Me?"

"Yes,  My Dear; That Is Just What I Meant. I Could Not Speak More Plainly

Because I Was Not Sure Of My Own Course. I Had To Think Of Fabian."

"Yes. How,  At Last,  Came You To The Conclusion Of Following Your Poor

Niece?"

"Fabian And Myself Could Not Agree Upon A Certain Policy In Conducting

Our Business. There Was No Longer The Father's Controlling Influence,

You See,  And Fabian Is The Head Of The Firm; And I Could Not Do Business

On His Principles," Said Mr. Clarence,  Flushing Up To His Brow.

"No; I Suppose You Could Not," Said Cora,  Meditatively; And Then She Was

Sorry That She Had Said Anything That Might Imply A Reproach To The

Good-Humored Uncle She Had Left Behind.

"Still,  I Said Nothing About A Dissolution Of Partnership Until Fabian

Complained That I,  Or My Policy,  Was A Dead Weight Around His Neck,

Dragging Him Down From The Most Magnificent Flights To Mere Sordid

Drudgery. Then I Proposed That We Should Dissolve Partnership. And He

Said He Was Sorry. And I Believe He Was; But Also Glad,  Inconsistent As

That Seems. For He Was Sorry I Could Not Come Into His Policy,  And Stay

In The Firm; But Since I Could Not So Agree With Him,  He Was Relieved

When I Proposed To Withdraw From It. We Disagreed,  My Dear Cora,  But We

Did Not Fall Out; We Parted Good Friends And Brothers With Tears In Our