Nebraska Newspapers

    THE SEMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
The Hollow
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SYNOPSIS.
Clmllla Wrandall Is found murdered In
n road houso near Now York. Mrs. Wran
clnll Is summoned from tlio city and Iden
tifies tho body. A young woman who ac
companied Wrnndall to tho Inn and sub
pcquently disappeared, Is suspected.
Mrs, Wrandall starts back for Now York
In nn nuto during .1 blinding snow Htorm.
On Vie way alio moots a young woman In
tho 'road who proves tc be tho woman
who Killed Wrnndall. Keeling that th
Blrl Had dono hor a servlco In ridding her
of tl man who though sho loved him
deeply, had caused her groat sorrow.
Mrs. Wrandall determines to shield her
end takes her to hor own homo. Mm.
wrnndall hears tho story of Hetty Cas
tleton's life, except hat portion that re
lates to Wrandall. This and the story of
thti trngody she forbids the girl ever to
tell. Sho offers Hetty a home, frtondihlp
ind Becurltv from peril on account of tho
tragedy. Mrs. Sara AVrandall and Hetty
nttend thn funeral of Challls Wrandall at
the home of his parents. H.ira Wrandall
Hid Hotty return to New York after an
nbaence of a year In Europe. Leslie
Wrandall, brother of Chnllls, makes hlm
relf useful to Kara and becomes greatly
interested In Hetty. Rnra sees In T.es
Jle's Infatuation possibility for revenge on
the Wrandalls' nnd reparation for the
wrongs sho suffered 'at tho hands of
Challls Wrandall by marrying his mur
deress Into tho famllv lsllo. In com
pany with bis friend Tlrandon Booth, an
nrtlst. visits Bara at her country place.
Jostle confesses to Bora that ho Is madly
in lovo with Hetty. Hara arranges with
Jlooth to paint a picture of Hottv. Booth
lias a haunting feeling that he Has soon
ITettv before, Tioklng through a port
folio of pMurcs by an unknown English
nrtlnt he finds one of Hetty. Ho speaks
to hor about It. Hetty declares It must
lio a picture of Hottv aivnn. an English
nctress. who ressmbles her very much.
T.esllo Wrandall becomes Impatient and
Jealous over the picture painting and de
clares he Is going to propose to Hetty at
tho first opportunity.
CHAPTER X. -Continued.
Ho looked ns though ho oxpectod
nothing. Ho could only nit back nnd
wonder why tho deuco Sara meant by
behaving llko this.
They returned at sovon. Dinner
was unusually morry. Sara appeared
to havo recovered from her Indispo
sition; there was color In her cheeks
nnd Hfe In hor smllo. Ho took It to
bo an dmon of good fortuno, and was
Immeasurably confident. Tho soft,
cool brcozes of tho starlit night blew
visions of Impending happiness ucross
Ills lively Imagination; fanned his Im
patience with gontlo ardor; filled him
with suppressed sighs of contentment,
nnd mado him willing to forego tho
delight of conquest that ho might live
the longer In serene anticipation of
its thrills.
Ton o'clock camo. Ho aroso nnd
stretched himself in a sort of ecstasy.
Ills heart was thumping loudly, his
enseH swam. Walking to tho veran
dah rail ho looked out across tho
moonlit Bound, then down at tho se
lected nook over ngainst tho garden
wall spot to bo immortalized! and
actually shivered. In ton minutos'
time, or ovon less, sho would bo down
thcro In his nrmal Exquisite medita
tions! Ho turned to her with an engaging
smile, In which alio might havo dis
cerned n prophecy, nnd asked her to
como with him for n stroll along tho
wall. Ahd so ho cast tho die,
Hotty sent a swift, appelng look
at Sara's purposely avortod face. Les
lie observed tho net, but mlBlntorprot
cd its moaning.
"Oh, it 1b qulto warm," ho said
quickly. "You won't need a wrap," ho
added, and In spite of himself his
volco trembled. Of courso sho wouldn't
need a wrap!
"I have a fow notes to wrlto," said
Barn, rising, Sho deliberately avoid
ed the look In Hetty's oyos. "You will
And moi In tho library." v
Sho stood In tho doorway and
watched them descend to tho terrnco,
n sphlnx-llko smile on her lips. Hotty
scorned very tall and erect, as one go
ing to meet a soldtor's fate.
Then Sara entered tho houso and
sat down to wait.
A long tlmo nttor a door cloned
stealthily In a distant part of tho
house tho sun-parlor door, sho know
iby direction.
A fow minutes later ail upstairs
door creaked on Uh hinges. Somo ono
bad como in from tho mellow night,
and some ono had boon loft outside.
Many minutes passed. Sho sat
thero at her father's writing table
nnd waited for tho other to como In.
At last quick, heavy footfnlle sounded
on tho tiled iloor outside nnd then
camo swirtly down tho hall toward
tho small, romoto room In which sho
sat, Sho looked up as ho unceremo
niously burst into tho room.
Ho camo ucross and stood over her,
an expression of utter bowlldornient
In his eyes. Thero was a ghastly
mllo on his HpB.
"D n it all, Snra," ho said shrilly,
'oho sho turned mo down."
Ho seemed Incapable of comprehen
sion. Sho was unmoved. Hor eyes nar
rowed, but that was tho only sign of
emotion,
"I I can't bellovo" ho began
quorulouBly. "Oh, what's tho use?
Bho won't havo mo, 'Gad! I'm trem
bling like a leaf. Where's Watson?
'Havo him got mo something to drink.
Nover mind! I'll got It from tho side-
'board. I'm I'm d d!"
' Ho dropped heavily Into a chair
t tho end of tho tablo nnd looked at
her with glazed oyos. Am sho Btared
back, at htm sho hud tho curloiiB fool
ing that ho had shrunk porceptlbly,
that his clothes hung rather limply
on him, HIb face seemed to havo lost
nil of its smart symmetry; thero was
a. looseness about tho mouth and chin
that had never boon thero boforo. Tho
COPY?Gttr,i2 BY
sauoy, arrogant mustache eloped de
Jectodly. "1 fancy you must havo gono about
It very badly," sho said, pursing her
lips.
"Badly?" ho gasped. "Whywhy,
good heavens, Sara, I actually plead
od with her," b.o went on, qulto pa
thetically. "All but got down on my
knees to hor, D -n me, If I can
undorstnnd myself doing It cither. I
must havo lost my head completely.
Begged llko a love-sick schoolboy!
And sho kept on saying no no no!
And I, llko a blithering aes, kept on
tolling her I couldn't llvo without her,
that I'd make hor happy, that she
didn't know what sho was saying,
and But, good Lord, sho kept on
suylng no! Nothing but no! Do do
you think sho meant to say no? Could
It have been hysteria? Sho said It so
often, ovor and over again, that It
might havo boon hysteria. I nover
thought of that. I"
"No, Leslie, It wasn't hysteria, you
may bo sure of that," sho said de
liberately. "Sho meant It, old fel
low." Ho caggod dooper in tho chair.
"I I can't got it through my head,"
ho muttered.
"An I said before, you did It badly,"
sho said. "You took too much for
granted. Isn't that true?"
"God knows I didn't expect hor to
rofuso mo," ho oxclalmcd, glaring at
hor. "Would I havo been such a fool
as to ask her if I thought thero was
tho remotest chanco of being "' Tho
very thought of tho word caused it to
stick in his throat. Ho swallowed
hard.
"You really lovo her?" sho demand
ed. "Lovo her?" Thero wa6 a sob In
his volco. "I adore hor, Sara. I
can't llvo without her. And tho worst
of it Is, I love hor now moro than
I did boforo. Oh, it's appalling! It's
horrible! What am I to do, Sara?
What am I to do 7"
"Ho a man for a little while, that's
all," she said coolly.
"Don't Joko with mo," ho groaned.
"Go to bed, and when you seo her
In tho morning tell her thnt you un
derstand. Thank hor for what sho
has dono for you. Be " ,
"Thank lior?" ho almostshodtod.
"Yes; for destroying all that 1b de
teetablo In you, Losllo your self-conceit,
your arroganco, your false no
tions concerning yoursolf In a word,
your egotism."
Ho blinked Incredulously. "Do you
know what you'ro saylng7" ho gasped.
Sho wont on ns if sho hadn't heard
him.
"Assure hor that sho Is to feel no
compunction for what sho has dono,
that you aro content to bo her loyal,
devoted frlond to tho end ,of your
days."
"But, hang It, Sara, I lovo hor!"
"Don't lot her Buspoct that you aro
humiliated. On tho contrary, glvo her
to undprstand that you are cleansed
and glorified."
"What utter tommy "
"Waft! Bellovo mo, It is your only
chanco. You will havo to learn somo
tlmo that you can't ride roughshod
among angola. Think It over, old fel
lov. You havo had a good lesson.
Profit by It."
"You moan I'm to sit down nnd
twirl my thumbs and let somo other
chap snap hor up undor my vory noso?
Woll, I guess notl" '
"Damn It All, Snra! She
Mr. Down!"
Sho Turned
"Not noceEenrlly. If you take It
manfully sho may discover a now In
terest In you. Don't brentho n word
of love to her. Go on ns If nothing
had happened. Don't forgot that I
told you In tho boglnnlng not to tako
no for nn answer."
ilo drooped onco moro, biting his
lip. "I don't seo how 1 can ever toll
mother that she rofused "
"Why toll hor?" Bho Inquired, rising.
Ills oyoa brightened. "By Jovo, I
shan't," ho oxclalmed.
"I am going up to the poor child
now," Bho wont on. "I dnro say you
havo frightened hor almost to death.
Naturally eho 1b In great distress. I
shall try to convlnco hor that her do
clslon does not niter hor position In
this houso. I depend on you to do
your part, Leslie. Make It oasy for
hor to stay on with mo."
Georcfe Barr
GORGFOAm MSCUKWOff: COPyMfffj; J92 3YDODD,SfEADZnCOiPAty
He mellowed to tho vergo of tears.
"I can't keep on coming out hero
after this, as I've been doing, Sara."
"Don't be silly! Of courso you can.
This will blow over."
"Blow ovor7" ho almost gasped.
"I mean tho first effects. Try being
a martyr for a while, Lesllo. It isn't
a bad plan, I can assuro you. It may
Interest you to know that Challls pro
posed to mo threo times before I
accopted him, and yet I I loved him
from tho beginning."
"By Jove!" ho exclaimed, .coming
to his feet with a new light In his
eyes. The hollows In his cheek3
Boomed to 1111 out perceptibly.
"Good night!" ,
"I say, Sara, dear, you'll you'll help
mo a bit, won't you? I mean you'll talk
It ovor with hor and "
"My sympathy le entirely with
Miss Castloton," sho said from tho
doorway. His jaw dropped.
Ho was still ruminating ovor the
callousness of tho world In respect to
lovers when she mounted tho stairs
and tapped firmly on Hetty's door.
Hetty Cnstloton was standing In
tho mlddlo of hor room when Sara
entered. From her position It was
evident that she had stopped short In
her nervous, excited pacing of tho
floor. Sho was very pale, but thero
was a dogged, sot expression about
her mouth.
"Como In, dear," she said, in a
manner that showed sho had been
oxpectlng the visit, "Havo you seen
him?"
Sara closed the door, and then stood
with her back against it, rognrdlng
her agitated friend with serious, com
passtonato eyes.
"Yes. Ho is terribly upset. It was
a blow to him, Hotty."
"I am sorry for him, Sara. Ho was
bo dreadfully In earnest. But, thank
God, It is over!" Sho threw back
her head and breathed deeply. "That
horrlblo, horrible nightmare 1b( ended.
I suppose It had to bo. But tho mock
ery of It think of It, Sara! tho
damnablo mockery of it!"
"Poor Leslie!" sighed tho other.
"Poor old Lesllo."
Hetty's eyes filled with tears. "Oh,
I am Borry for him. He didn't deserve
It. t God. in heaven, If ho. really know
everything! If ho know why I could
not listen to bfm, why I almost
screamed when ho held my hands in
his and begged actually' begged me
to Oh, it was ghastly, Sara!"
Sho covered hor face with her
hands, nnd swayed as if about to fall.
Sara came quickly to her side. Put
ting an arm about tho quivering
shoulders, Bho led the girl to the
broad' window seat nnd throw open
tho blinds.
"Don't speak of it, dearest don't
think of that. Sit hero quietly In tho
air and pull yoursolf together. Let
mo talk to you. Let mo tell you how
deeply distressed I am, not only on
your account, but his."
They wero silent for a long time,
tho girl lying still and almost breath
less against the other's shoulders. She
was sllll wearing the delicate bluo
dinner gown, but in her (Ingors was
the oxqulelto pearl necklaco Sara had
given her for Christmas. She had
taken It off and had forgotten to drop
It In hor Jewel box.
"I suppose he will go up to tho city
early," she said monotonously.
"Lesllo is a better loser than you
think, my dear," said Sara, looking out
ovor tho tops of the cedars. "Ho will
not run away."
Hotty looked up In alarm. "You
mean ho will persist in in his atten
tions," sho cried.
"Oh, no. I don't believe you will
llnd him to bo tho bugbear you Imag
ine. Ho can take defeat llko a man.
He Is devoted to you, he Is devoted
to me. Your decision no doubt wrecks
his fondest hopes in life, but it doesn't
mako a weakling of him."
"I don't qulto understand "
"Ho Is sustained by tho belief that
ho lina paid you tho highest honor a
man can pay to a woman. Thero is
no reiiBon why ho should turn his back
on you, as n sulky boy might do. No,
my dear, I think you may count on
him as your best, most loyal friend
from this night on. He has just said
to me that his greatest pain lies In
tho fonr that you may not bo willing
to accept htm as a simple, honest, tin
presuming friend since "
"Oh, Sara, If ho will only bo that
and nothing moro!" cried the girl won
dering!)'. Sara smiled cdnfldently. "I fancy
you haven't much to fear In thnt direc
tion, my dear. It Isn't In Leslie Wran
dall's make-up to court a second re
pulse. He Is ull pride. The blow It
sufforod tonight can't bo repeated at
least, not by tho same person."
"I am so sorry-it had to bo Leslie,"
murmured Hotty.
"Bo nice to him, Hotty. Ho deserves
that much of you, to say the leant. I
should miss htm It he found It Impos
sible to como horo on account of "
"I wouldn't havo that happen for
tho world," cried tho girl In distress.
"Ho la your doarost friend. Send me
away, Sara, if you muBt. Don't lot
anything stand In tho way of your
friendship for Leslie. You depend on
htm for so much, doar. I can't boar
tho thought of '.'
"Hush, dearest! You ara Qrst In my
McCutcheon
love. Better for me to lose all tho
others and still havo you."
Tho girl looked at hor In wonder
for a long time. "Oh, I know you mean
It, Sara, but but how can It bo true?"
"Put yourself In my place," was all
that Sara said In reply, and her com
panion had no means of translating
the sentence.
She could only remain mute and
wondering, her eyes fixed on that
other mystory, tho cdmeo face In tho
moon that hung high above tho som
ber forest.
"Poor Leslie," murmured Sara, a
long tlmo afterward, a dreamy noto
In her voice. "I can't put him out
of my thoughts. Ho will nevor got
over It. I havo never seen one eo
stricken nnd yot so bravo. Ho would
havo been moro than a husband to
you, Hetty. It Is In him to be a slave
to tho woman ho loveB. I know him
well, poor boy."
Hotty was silent, brooding. Sara
resumed her thoughtful observations.
"Why should you lot what happened
months ago stand in the way of "
Sho got no farther than that With
an exclamation of horror, tho girl
sprang away from her and glowered at
her with dilated eyes.
"My God, Sara!" she whlepered
hoarsely. "Are you raad7"
Tho other sighed. "I suppose you
must think it 'of me," sho said dis
mally. "We aro mado differently, you
and I. If I cared for a man, nothing
In all this world could stand between
me and him."
Hetty was still staring. "You don't
mean to say you would have me marry
Challls Wrandall's brother?" she said,
In a sort of stupefaction.
Sara shook her head. "I mean this:
vou would be Justified In permitting
Leslie to glorify that which his broth
er desecrated; your womanhood, my
dear."
"My God, Sara!" again fell In a
hoarso whisper from tho'glrl's lips.
"I simply voice my point of view,"
explained Sara calmly. "As I Bald
beforo, we look at things differently."
"I can't bellovo you mean what you
said," cried Hetty. "Why why, if I
loved him with all my heart, soul nnd
body I could not evon think of Oh,
I shudder to think of it!"
"I lovo you," continued Sara, fixing
her mysterious eyes on those of tho
girl, "and yet you took from me some
thing more than a brother. I love
you, knowing everything, and I am
paying In full tho debt ho owes to
you. Leslie, knowing' nothing, Is no
less your debtor. All this Is paradox
ical, I know, my dear, but we must
remember that whllo other people
may be Indebted to us, wo also owe
eomothlng to oursolves. Wo ought to
tako pay from ourselves. Please do
not concludo that I am urging or
ovon advising you to look with favor
upon Leslie Wrandall's honorable, sin
cere proposal of marriage. I am mere
ly trying to convince you that you
are entitled to all that any man can
glvo you In this world of ours we
women all are, for that matter."
"I was sure that you couldn't nsk mo
to marry him. I couldn't bellovo "
"Forgot what I have said, dearest,
if it grieves you," cried Sara warmly.
She aroso and drew the girl close to
her. "Kies me, Hotty." Their lips
met. Tho girl's eyes were closed, but
Sara's wero wide opon and gleaming.
"It Is because I love you," she said
softly, but sho did not complete tho
sentence that burned la hor brain.
To herself she repeated: "It is be
cause I lovo you that I would scourge
you with Wrandalls!"
, "You are very good to mo, Sara,"
sobbed Hetty.
"You will bo nlco to Losllo?"
"Yes,' yes! If ho will only let mo
be his friend."
"He asks no more than thnt Now,
you must go to bed."
Suddenly, without warning, she hold
tho girl tightly in her arms. Her
breathing was quick, as of one
moved by somo sharp sensation of ter
ror. When Hetty, in no little won
der, opened her oyes Sara's face was
turned nway, and eho was looking
over her shoulder as if causa for alarm
had coma from behind.
"What Is it?" cried Hotty anxiously.
She saw tho look of dread In her
companion's eyes, oven as it began
to f ado.
"I don't know," muttered Sara.
"Something, I can't toll what, came
ovor mo. I thought some ono was
stealing up behind mo. How silly of
me."
"Ah," said Hetty, with an odd smile,
"I can understand how you felt."
"Hetty, will you take me In with
you tonight?" whispered Sara nerv
ously. "Lot mo sleep with you, I
can't explain it, but I am afraid to
be alone tonight" Tho girl's answer
was a glad Bniilo of acquiescence,
"Como with mo, then, to my bedroom
whllo I change. I havo tho queerest
feeling that somo ono Is In my room.
1 non'i wane to do aiono. Are you
afraid?"
Hotty hold back, hor faco blanching.
"No, I am not afraid," she crlod at
onco, and started toward the door.
"Thero Is somo on In this room,"
said Sara a few moments later, when
they woro In tho big bedroom down
tho hall.
"I I wondor," murmured Hetty.
And yot neither of them looked
about in search for tho intruder!
Far Into tho night Sara sat in tlio
window of Hetty's dressing room, her
chin sunk low in her hands, staring
moodily Into the now opaque night,
her eyes somber and unblinking, her
body as motionless ns death Itself.
Tho cooling wind caressed her and
whispered warnings Into her unheed
ing ears, but she sat thero unprotect
ed against its chill, hor nightdress
damp with tho mist that crept up with
(sinister stealth from tho sea.
CHAPTER XI.
In the Shadow of the Mill.
The next day but ono was overcast.
On cloudy, bleak days Hetty Castlo
ton always felt depreesed.
Lesllo was to return from tho wilds
on tho following day. Early In tho
morning Booth had telephoned to In
qulro If sho did not want to go for a
long walk with him beforo luncheon.
Tho portrait was finished, but he
could not afford to miss tho morning
hour with her. He said as much to
her In pressing his Invitation.
"Tomorrow Lesllo will bo hero and
I sha'n't see as much of you as I'd
like," he explained, rather wistfully.
"Three Is a crowd, you know. I've
got so used to having you all to my
self, It's hard to break off suddenly."
"I will be ready at eleven," she said,
and was Instantly surprised to find
that her volco rang with now life, new
Interest The grayness soemed to lift
from tho view that stretched beyond
tho window; sho oven looked for the
sun in her eagerness.
It was then that sho knew why tho
world had been bleaker than usual,
even In Its cloak of gray.
A little beforo cloven she set out
briskly to Intercept him at the gates.
Unknown to her, Sara eat in her
window, and viewed hor departure
with gloomy oyes. Tho world also
was gray for her.
They came upon each other unex
pectedly at a sharp turn In the ave
nue, Hetty colored with a sudden
rush of confusion, and had all sho
could do to meet his eager, happy
oyea as ho stood over her and pro
claimed his pleasure In jerky, awk
ward sentences. Then they walked
on together, a strange shyness at
tending them. Sho experienced the
falntness of breath that comes when
tho heart is filled with pleasant
alarms. As for Booth, his blood sang.
He thrilled with the joy of being near
hor, of the feel of hor all about him,
of tho delicious feminine appeal that
made her so wonderful to him. Ho
wanted to crush her In his arms, to
keep her thero forever, to exert all
of his brute physical strength so that
sho might never again be herself but
a part of him.
They uttered commonplaces. Tho
spell was on them. It would lift, but
for tho moment they wero powerless
to struggle against It At length he
saw the color fade fronj hor cheeks;
her eyes were able to meet his with
out the look In them that all men love.
Then ho seemed to get hie feet on the
ground again, and a strange, Ineffably
swoet sense of cnlm took possession
of him.
"I must paint you all over again,"
ho said, suddenly breaking In on one
of her remarks. "Just as you are
today an outdoor girl, a glorious out
door girl In "
"In muddy boots," she laughed,
drawing her skirt away to reveal a
She Made No Response.
shnpoly foot In an American walking
shoo.
Ho Bmlled nnd gave voice to a new
thought, "By Jove, how much better
looking our American" shoes aro than
the kind they wear In London!"
"Sara Insists on American shoos,
so long ns 1 am with hor. I don't
think our boots are so villainous, do
you?"
"Just the same, I'm going tc paint
you again, boots and all. You "
"Oh, how tired you will become ot
me! i'
"Try rno!"
"Besides, you nro to do Sara at
once. Sho has consented to sit to
you. Sho will bo wonderful, Mr.
Booth, oh, how wonderful!"
Thero was no mistaking the sincer
ity of thls rapt opinion.
"Stunning," was his brief comment
Sho was silent for a long tlmo, so
long Indeed that ho turned to look
at her.
"A thoroughly decent, fair minded .
chap la Lesllo Wrandall," ho pro
nounced, for want of something bet
ter to say. "Still, I'm bound to say.
I'm sorry ho is coming homo tomor
row." Tho red crept into hor cheeks again.
"I thought you woro such pals," sho
said nervously.
"I expect to bo his best man if ho
ovor marries," said he, whacking a
stono at tho roadside with his walk
ing stick. Then ho looked up ot tier
furtively and added, with a quizzical
smile: "Unless something happens."
"What could happen?"
"He might marry the girl I'm In
lovo with, and, In that case, I'd havo
to bo excused."
"Where shall wo walk to this morn
ing?" sho asked abruptly. Ho had
drawn closer to her In tho roadway.
"Is it too far to tho old stono mill?
That's whore I first saw you, if you
remember."
"Yes, let us go there," she said, but
her heart sank. Sho knew what was
coming. Perhaps It wore best to havo
It over with; to put It away with tho
things that were to always bo hor
lost treasures. It would mean tho
end of their companionship, the end
of a lovo dream. She would have to
Ho to him: to tell him sho did not
lovo him.
Coming to tho Jog In tho broad mac
ndam, they were striking off Into tho
narrow road that led to the quaint
old mill, long since abandoned in tho
forest glade beyond, when tholr atten
tion was drawn to a motor car, which
was Blowing down for the turn Into
Sara's domain. A cloud of dust swam
In tho air far behind the machine.
A bare-headed man on tho seat be
side tho driver waved his hand to
them, and two women in tho tonneau
bowed gravely. Both Hetty and
Booth flushed uncomfortably, and hes
itated in their progress up the forest
road.
The man was Leslie Wrandall. His
mother and sister wero in the back
seat of tho touring car.
"Why why, It was Leslie," cried
Booth, looking over his shoulder at
the rapidly receding car. "Shall wo
turn back, Miss Castleton?"
"No," she cried Instantly, with some
thing llko impatience In her voice.
"And spoil our walk?" sho added ln.
tho next breath, adding a nervous
little laugh,
"It seems rather " he began dubi
ously. "Oh, lot us havo our day," sho cried
sharply, and led tho way Into tho by
road.
They came, In the course of a quar
ter of an hour, to the bridge ovor tho
mill race. Beyond, In tho mossy
shades, stood a dilapidated, centurion
structure known as Rangely's mill, a
landmark with a history that included
Incidents of tho Revolutionary war,
when eager patriots held secret meet
ings inside Its walls and plotted under
tho very noso3 of Tory adherents to
tho crown.
Pausing for a few minutes on tho
bridge, they loaned on tho rail and
looked down into tho clear, -mirror-Hko
water of tho race. Their own
eyes looked up at them; they smiled
Into their own faces. And a fleecy
white cloud passed over tho glittering
stream and swept through their faces,
off to the bank, and wns gono forever.
Suddenly he looked up from tho wa
ter and nxod his eyes on her faco. Ho
had seen her clear blue oyes All with
tears as ho gazed Into them from tho
rail -above.
"Oh, my dear!" ho cried. "What la
It?"
Sho put her handkerchief to her
oyes as sho quickly turned away. In
another Instant sho was smiling up
at him, a soft, pleading little smllo
that went straight to his heart.
"Shall wo start back?" sho asked,
a quaver In her voice.
"No," ho exclaimed. "I've got to
go on with it now, Hetty. I didn't
intend to, but come, let us go up and
Bit on that familiar old log In tho
shade of tho mill. You must, dear!"
Sho suffered him to lead her up
tho steep bank beyond and through
tho rocks and rotten timbers to the
great beam that protruded from tho
shattered foundations of the mill.
Tho rlckoty old wheel, weather-beaton
aud sad, rose abovo them and threat
ened to topple over if they so much
as touched its flimsy supports.
He did not release her hand after
drawing her up beside him.
"You must know that I love you,"
ho said simply.
Sho mado no response. Her hand
lay limp In his. She was staring
straight before her.
' (TO BE CONTINUED.)
Perfectly Justifiable.
A somewhat laggard and procrasti
nating student ono Sunday evening
ont to his instructor for aid In one
of his studies, asking him if ho
thought it was wrong to study on Sun
dny. Ho -Wiia somewhat surprised to
receive tho reply, "u tho Master was
Justified In pulling tho ass out of tho
ditch on the Sabbath, was not tho ass
Justlflnblo In trying to got himself
out?"