TIIK OMAHA DAILY BEE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER IS. 1002.
n
A Hunting
Br MtnTIll M't I LLOrit WILLIAMS.
(Copyright, 102, by Martha McCulloth
V Uilama
Patricia a glsnre, long and level-lidded,
truck Rothwell fairly between wind and
water. That la to say. without metaphor,
between bit weariness of a sl.ly woman and
bis wartnesa. of one over-bold. He h.f
bated the pair of tbem Insistently they
made him remember what be bad come to
Wake Forest hoping to forget Limrtj, that
be waa the beat part of ten yfara.
Worldly wife matrons and virgins bad cade
blni so painfully conscious of tbe fact the
fag end of tbe season bad fouLd bim much
In tbe mind to go bark to bit beloved globe-
trotting. Just then the Ts plows laid rlo- J
lent boapltallttea upon blm, whisking him
way ln a private car to meet tbe spring
mid ths pines and yellow jessamine of
their sooth-country place.
The flippant new house, blgb-co.ored.
many gabled, aeemed an affrout to tbe
splendid old avenue and tbe riotoua rich
ness of grounds and garden run wild for ao
many years. Rothwell wondered why tbe
Ta plows bad not put up something colonial
aoicethlng at least decently reminiscent
f the burned house, one of whoce tall
chimneys waa atlll erect. Ivy and wilding i
rtnea bid overrun It ao picturesquely. Mrs. j
Taplow woi'd not have It down. It was a ,
roan Jmen the aald to the old times, the j
old owneri the only one either would ever '
ha ve. Un ier all ber gay loudneae Molly '
Taplow hi.d a heart of gold. She kept on
doing kltid thlnga regardleas of the fact
that oftener than not tbe. doing got ber!
Into social bot water.
Tbua Taplow house party waa morally
certain to be mixed affair. Mlssle Ware,
the silly woman, made part of this one, be
cause Molly knew In the Lenten beglra tbe
girl bad nowhere alae to go: Mra. Loudon,
whom men called disrespectfully the bold
Loudon, -was at Wake roreat because ahe
chow Instead of being chosen. A dashing
widow, and rich, abe bad all tbe world be
fore her. That ought to have hardened
Wolly'a heart against her. In manner It
did atlll, when Mra. Loudon aald calmly:
"Molly, my Lenten aacriflca la myaelf. I
m oomlng with you to save you and Will
from being bored to extinction," Molly had
acquiesced, and when her husband pro
tasted, bad even said: "Well. Clara's maid
Is treasure tt will be comfort to have
her ln tbe bouse, there w here one is so tar
from everything."
Vera Ash, truly golden girl yellow
kalred, with million In her own right, had
been naked, because Molly wanted to match
ber with Tregara. Tregara waa cross
grained genius of whom Molly and Taplow
both expected great thlnga If be could be
persuaded to give himself the leisure and
liberty of riches. Tbe other men besides
Rothwell were Dick Morton, fortunate
broker, once Taplow'a college chum; Van
Renaaelaer Lewis, Molly'a brother, with
leanings to reform and holy orders, and
Hugh Anatrnther, transplanted Scot, who
bad risen ln twenty years from the forge
and tba furnacs hearth to the control of
nnreckoned millions.
All had been at Wake Forest for week
before Patricia came. Patricia waa to the
manner born. Back in civil war tlmee ber
father. Colonel Rhett of the Palmetto Rifles,
bad aaved the life of Major Taplow. When
tbe major's widow, old Madame Taplow,
found ahe could not turn ber son from what
sbs called bis supreme folly of buying a
Carotins estate, ahe charitably resolved to
plant thorns In his chosen path. To that
end ahe resurrected the story of rescue and
subsequent languid friendliness. Ne doubt
the people were by this time more than ever
Impossible but since Molly and Will bad
taste lot the lmposstbls-they must search
out tbe Rhetts and do them such good turns
aa they mlghL . ...
Tbe quest proved distressingly easy.
Colonel Rhett had been dead ten years ao
bad bis wife. Hla son bad disappeared, but
there waa daughter living ln lonely Inde
pendence upon tbe plantation. It lay some
thirty miles off tbe millionaire colony. All
through the first spring Will and Molly
leant to go there, but somehow never found
time. Madame Taplow fumed when ahe
beard. "Ton muat Invite her to visit you
next year, she said. "Ton cannot do leas
though I knew aha bas nothing to wear,
nd dare aay often cot enough to eat."
Molly wrote and waa answered ln ad
vance of ber own coming. Mi s Rhett wculd
come to Wake Forest for a fortnight, bring
ing ber own bunter. Tbe hunter staggered
the Taplows a bit. Clara London laughed
sneeringly over It. "No doubt ahe will trot
out a rack of bones that can hardly atep
ever a toad In the path, ahe aald. '1 know
those southerners grandiloquent fools, all
of them. They feel. If only things sound
big, nothing else matters." x
Everybody waa out when Patricia came.
She rode a alaek mule, as did Betsy Patter
son when shs set out for tbe ball where
sbs was to captivate ber Bonaparte. By
way of further parallel. black boy upon
another mule fetched bar frocks in two
portmanteaus. Tbe footman and butler,
both much scandalised, hat taken the
riders for market folk, or else gypsies, and
ordered them around to tbe back. Some
thing ta Patricia's voice showed them their
mistake, even before shs said: "I am Mass
Rhett, whom Mrs. Taplow la expecting."
Shs bad got down, smiling a little whim
sical smile, and seen to it that her aaddle
was stripped from the mule and put prop
erly sway before going In. It waa an
English aaddle one of Whipple's best
and ma4e to order. Patricia knew aha
could not ride aa well in any other. Her
mare. Ruby, was to be sent on next day.
Rain had made the roada tremendously
heavy and alnce Patricia bad a certain
ambition to show Ruby at her best in the
bunting, tbe bad thought it beat cot to let
the mare carry bcr weight through wet
sands over curb distance.
She bad rested, drowsing deliciously aft?r
ber ride, then toward aundown bad made
herself a picture in faded pale blue china
crepe and odorous pink hyacinths, and set
herself at ease in a plasta nook. A lightly
Jutting wall angle aheltered ber from
casual eyea. Tbua three of the riding
party bad eat down a little way off, un
conscious of her presence.
Ehe looked at them aa she might have
watched a play. It waa. indeed, better than
play. It waa. indeed, better than a play
to bo thus tbe stranger-guest ct aliens, la
ber own land, and peeping Into a fairy
world, to which ahe herself waa properly
bom. Rothwell Interested her most his
face waa o kind and strong and clean-cut.
withal touched with impatience. M'.ssie
Ware, who affected kittenish ways, waa
purring, glancing outside aa she spoke:
"Tea. I auppose it is rather nice, this
tabling old place, but somehow it gives
ao tbe creeps. I'm aura every night there
la gboat in the big magnolia under my
window. Now. Wbltehursi la as different."
with languishing glance at Rothwell.
"Whiteburvt Is heavenly I dac't see bow
yoa have managed te stsy away front it ao
long. The dearest place. Tou have not
aeon It?" turning on Mrs. Loudon. "It's
quite like castle s English castle, yea
knew gray stone walls with towers and
ivy and all that and eh, peacocks scream-
tag os tbs terrace above tbe rose garden
est tbt vary loveliest velvet lawns"
"Paradise minus Evs." Mrs. Loudon in
terrupted, then, wheeling te look full in
RothweH's eyes, "or Is it the Serpent who
Is lacking? . New I thick of It, it muat be
the Serpent we are proof positive that Eve
la merely question of the embarrassment
of rtchea.
"1 aia loo devout to listen to ftutb heresy
Morning:
Particularly In Lent." Rothwell raid, get
ting up precipitately, ratriria's fiance had person. In the eyes of her sisters, who cap
tut Just gone home. Ha knew nothing wbst- tivstes two moat eligible men. almost la the
ever about br. but ectraetbtng In her eyea. wink of an eyelash." Tregara aald. srnil
her delicately coble face, shamed blm for ln grimly. Mra. Loudon, who bad been
the women at hla aide. :
"Now eve what you have done. Clara! I t brm. smiling. "I would not ride a
bate you! Teu know Mr. Rothwell cannot nu If that waa the way to get to beeven."
bear to h ar worsen aay that tort of risque. DP ,,J1 Irsning across to apeak la Rotb
Irreligious things." Mtssle aaid peevishly an well a ear. Tregara laughed. "Tell ua
La si rode away. Mra. Leu Ion laughed thlnga we do not know, bold one. Ten
aloud. "Tou are a fool. MU-aie." ahe aald. mules, nor twenty, could not carry you
shrugging her fine shoulders. "And Langley r heavenward you know enough never to be.
Roths e:i la another. I wonder If ba thinks misfit-"
tt""n ar ,0 k"P cornering tbe trsnsgres-
si on market, aid professing to save women
by committing all tbe ains themselves? That
la the man -of -Lb e-world pone. I bad thought ,
te waa above It. Depend on It. be left ua i
not because be was shocked, but simply be- '
cause he did not choose to stay." 1
"I do uot choose to stay either. No lady
ever saya such a word aa 'fool.' I am aure
my Auct Mary would disapprove my having
tou longer aa friend," Miasie aaid, draw
ing her skiria about ber much aa prim
bantam folds ita wings. Mrs. Loudon also
rose, her eyea narrowed till they showed
only a spark of red fire between the lids.
Fhe opeLed ber lips aa though to epeaa. but
ended by laughing a silent, cynical liugh.
Her mind waa made up to marry Rothwell.
Hla bulk and stature, his w holesome blonde j
comeliness appealed to ber even more than
his wealth and position. More than all
there waa the excitement of winning bint ln
spits of .himself. Ehe understood blm well
enough to know that ln tbe outset she re
pelled rather thaji attracted blm.
She bad dreaded nothing save another
woman. Was that girl across ths pUxsa the
other woman? Rothwell bad changed eoun-
tenance at alght of ber. She must be the
nstlve Molly had unearthed, but bow did
bhe make herself look as though she bad
corns from the Sleeping Beautya castle, ln- ;
stead of remote, every -day plantation?
She wms Individual, even dlatlngulahed. j
Mra. Loudon waa never weak enough to !
undervalue an adveraary. She croaaed tbe
piazza with be- finest high manner and ,
said, holding out her hand: "Tou must be '
very brare Miaa Rhett. I aaid aa much
when Molly told us you were coming. Some
how I hair hoped you would stay away."
"Indeed! Why?" Patricia aaked. rising,
but overlooking the proffered band. Upright
abe showed lithely tall, and thin almost to
angularity. Ber bead, clouded over with
dusky hair, sat on long neck as a rose
sits on its stem. She had fins dark brows,
too oo dark ths violet pupils underneath
gave a senss of piquant surprise. Now the
violet was sort of luminous black, Mrs.
Loudon bad somehow senss that blackneaa
waa danger signal.
She bad prided herself upon ' her fine
presence Patricia overlooked ber by at
least throe Inches and bad besides some
thing clasaie ln poise and poas. But it
waa something ln ber gate, steady, com
pelling, that forbade Mra. Loudon to apeak
after ber wont, wholly brutal truth. Te tbs
woman of ber fancy, tbe uncouth country
girl or prim, pretentious spinster, ahe would
have said airily: "I did not want you be
cause I knew yon would bo ln tbe way and
unhappy over It." Instead of that she
answered Patricia's eyes rather than ber
question: "I did not know why now I
understand It waa instinctive I bated to
have you make ua ratUepatea ashamed of
ourselves."
"Why not ratUepatea, if oca may rattle
gracefully and graciouely ?" Patricia asked.
Molly duhed out to them, abject ln
apology. "I meant to be home Indeed I
did. dear Miss Rhett but the afternoon and
the ride were so heavenly "
"If yon bad come back a minute before
you were ready I should be implacable."
Patricia said, eerily pattlng'Molly'a band.
"I lovs our woods ln springtime so well I
cannot boar to have them alighted."
"Mo'ly. I'm positively ravenous I shall
ring for tea." Mra. Loudon interposed. Shs
caught up silver lotus flower and began
sinking keen chimes.
Rothwell pre-empted the cushion nearest
Patricia's feet, and aat watching ber aa
though in a trance. In the deepeet pine
shadow it waa already dusking, yet pure red
light filled all the weat. Patricia fair la tbe
shins of ft, aeemed somehow te make all
the other women leaden. Ehe sipped her
tea,, playing daintily between sips with ber
gold spoon, quite as though shs bad done It
every day of ber life. But when be would
have brought a fresh cup. ahe ahouk her
head, saying la a half-whisper: "I drank
thia only because it was part of ths gams."
"What game?" be asked In ber own
Ehe smiled elfinly. "Tka gams of money-in-ldiei-eas."
aha said. "I have alwaya
warned look in at it- Now I have te
pinch myself occasionally Is make aura I
really am where 1 am."
"Come inside to the fire. The only exrsse
for country-house parties is sitting around
fire." Tregars said, stalking majestlialiy )
ahead. Molly pushed Versa Ash after blm.
While Taplow hlaaaelf solicitously huddled
the rest Inside. Somehow Hugh Anstruiber
caromed against Patricia aa tney went
through the window. Anstrutber had a
our face. square-Jawed, with lips shut
ting like visa. Ha had the name of sever
rpeaklcg to woman if he could get around
It- Nsturaily everybody marveled to ace
hlra ait iewn beside Patricia, urrlng out:
"X a tall doubt forgive mj gliucslnssa
I ptftM,emar-jmuctA- xctvo irr3- lift t
I vBGlfr-rxmAMpianxiaiALMofr-FRONT' 1 fff) s TtfT
nnlees you're willing to talk with ma
bit."
"Ob. did you bear bow the came?" Miss
Ash arked in a loud whisper. 'The foot
man toid my tr.atd. Farcy! Muleback'
Ira acre abe'i not a proper person "
"So am I! No wore an ran be a proper
plying Miss Ash with questiens, looked up j
"You mean t cannot bear to be lone
some." Mrs. Loudon aaid, ber ryes dark
ling. "I am glad my devotion
to my
frlecd3 begins to be understood."
"Stop quarreling, you two I am going
to aay things to that girl." Verna aald.
"If Molly has so more sense than to have
b" here, aomcbody haa got to teach bf
ber place."
Tre-dgars frowned Impatiently, Mra. Lou-
don stirred aa though ahe meant to riae,
but Miss Ash wss not to be stayed. She
leaned toward Patricia, aeking with
rasping accent which aeemed to bcr trem
endouily auperlor: "O! Miss er Brett,
how do yen crackers amuse yourselves? I
believe crackers la tbe right came?"
"It la a name of varied application,"
Patricia aald. Auftruther looked pui-
sled he knew too little of the life about
bim to understand tbe alur. Rothwell 'a
eyea flashed. But before he could speak
the butler, still somewhat iated. an
nounced that dinner waa served and stared
with at least aeml-human amazement to
see the afternoon arrival go out to it. upon
bis master's arm.
Thus it all began. The end came apace,
Patricis suffered more from ths friends
made than the foea. That i. however,
common human experience. Molly was
ber slave, Tsplow her staunch defender and
Anstrutber after the first amazing break
contented himself with staring at her from
'J'- Rothwell was hard hit and did not
try to hide It. The other men gave her up
" puzzle. As for the other "omen.
their natrea waa so uveiy .ej u.a u-
veloped a sisterly tolerance for each other.
Tregara Indeed christened them the Ven-
gerbund. Miss Ash made bim whether or
no the Vengerbund's confidante. After
esch sitting he wrote down things in ths
notebook from which be planned one day
to evolve the great American novel.
Weather permitting, the Edgecombe pack
bunted three days esch week. More than
half the time the meet was Wske Forest
lawn, this because of caged foxes and
convenience. Tbe place lay centrally, with
more than half ths best runs round about
It. Running full strength ths pack showed
twenty couple. More generally there were
ten or at tbe most twelve. Jack Wilsh,
bead huntsman, who had In a manner
adopted Taplow. tbe pack and his own posi
tion, was tender of bis dogs and would
not let one out save tn the pink of condi
tion. Taplow and the whlppera-ln stood
equally in awe of him he waa ao gives to
dark reminiscences of what bad happened
when bia will was crossed. He bad bees
all along ao high and austere with every
body it had given them quits to see his
slouch hst off to Patricia and hia smile of
gratified pride when ahe praised the fettle
of hla chargea. "Ef ever any woman-body
ware bawn a-knowin' dawgs why she
were!" he said, looking after ber aa she
rode away. "Her pap and ber grandpap
and all tbe Rhetta before them two fed
and bred tbe best that ever yelped In
Cyarliner bawaea. too."
Ruby, the red-bay mare, waa a cl:nker.
The purest blood bay, her coat newly ahed
ded, shone like burnished metal under dap
ples of spring sunshine. She stnod almost
sixteen hands, and waa a pattern cf bene
and beauty, clean-limbed, sinewy, with a
beautiful lean bead, a white-starred fore
head, waving silky mane and streaming
tall. Somehow ahe put the regular hunters
with clipped coata and niggard docked fans
quite out of court, made them seem poor
scd artificial. Somehow, too, Patricia's
linen habit and alcuch hat became her bet
ter than the other women'a riding rear.
If they were turned out by London's shops
as if for hunting in the shires.
Mrs. Loudon admitted as mu h to her
self almost desr-atring'y. Patricia had
been ten days at Wake Forest. They were
out for what was to be tbe last run w th
the bounds. Ar.struthrr bad gone rff mys
teriously at daylight Tregara never bunted.
Neither did Van Lewii he preferred to
chase bugs and buttrfllea. Taplew wss
busy with the degs Molly had taken prs
aetsion of Patricia. Thua Rothwell and
Dick Morton had no choice but te ride with
Mlaste and the bold Lcudon.
"How many times has ahe refuaed you"
Mrs Loudon asked bitterly, inclining her
head toward Patricia. Rothwell laughed
constrainedly: "I believe I have sot quite
kept count," he aald. "although Anstruhter
advised me to do It and quoted the Scotch
ere verb. 'Ninette n.n.. .
grant!' "
"Really! I wonder if be U keeping count?
It's absurd of course te ssy thatno
woman will ever play with him." Mra.
Loudon answered: "Miss Rhett, I fancy,
knows aa much."
Why! How de you happen ts ride a
livery bunter today?" Rothwell interrupted.
trreiBU Ur. i,,Mr .... vi . '
long look, saying :
"U It possible vos take notice of saythlBi
about me? I boutbt Calrgorm three days
back and have ridden him In my morning
gsllops ever since."
"Well! Ton have got a bad bargain -isn't
it nasty to tell yeu soT Rothwell er.d.
trying to laugh. "Why did you not tell
me you thought of buying? No doubt you
paid a good prlc bnt you trsly got a
bad horse for it"
"I thick not. He suite me goes I ke th
wind and takes whatever I set him st
without checking." Mra. Loudon said: "As
to telling you why should I bother you
with my small concerns? Since you have
been under spell yoo have made me fed
that even thought of friendship between
us waa an Impertinence."
"Tou have a talent for misunderstand
ing but let that pass." Rothwell said:
"What I cannot less pass is that beast
yon are on. I know blm of old know him
long before he was brought down here. He
is all you aay aa to speed and action
when be chooses there Is hardly a better
hunter on top of ground. The trouble Is
he doew not always nor often ctaose. He's
tbe worst rogue possible may carry you
like a lamb through parte of run. then
bore Into a tree or fence or gatepoat and
daah out your brains."
"I suppose you mean to aay he la as wil
ful aa a man." Mrs. Loudon said, laugh
ing recklessly: "Thank yon very much for
telling me all about him. I bought him
because well! because I wanted a borse
of superior weight and substance."
"If you will not go back for a remount,
at least change with me." Rothwril en
treated. "That brown devil can outrun
anything in tbe field today. When he runs
man has ' some chance to keep blm
straight' ' -
"Thank you for toothing I shall keep
him straight and rftte my own line," Mrs.
Loudon said meaningly, whipping ahead.
The cast-off was ln the edge of a big de
serted sedge-grown plantation, overgrown
with clumps and blotches of tangle. The
dogs found at first draw and went away
down the wind, the riders streaming after,
with the view halloo ringing cheerily all
about. Half an hour saw a double, with a
dash to plnewoods after it- There the
scent lay badly upon, the drying plee straw.
It hfl been mlsty-mlld at daybreak, but
the strengthening sunshine had brought
wind underneath. While tbe dogs ran ln
circles, picking out tbe tangled scent, tbs
Wske Foict riders, clustered upon a little
clear knoll, saw tbe beginning cf battle.
Patricia had reined up at the knoll's
farther edge. Ehe held Ruby lightly
barely feeling the mare's mouth, while aba
talked gleefully with Ned Ember,
freckled lad. and barefoot, who had run
away from school to follow ths hunt afoot.
She hardly noted that Ruby's ears were
batted, ber eyes angry. Something in the
background bad ruffled the bay quickly
ahe half-wheeled, let fly with both bind
feet against tbe ribs of another horse, and
as shs camo down, whirled completely
about, to savage ber antagonist. Tbe an-
tagoslat waa big and brown, dull-eyed, but
with much white showing within the lids.
He, too, laid back both esra and soapped
savagely at bia assailant. Both half
reared, and before they could be separated
atruck out with the fore-hoofa.
"Ruby! Rnby! Shame! Shame!" Pa
tricta cried, then solicitously to the
brown's rider: "Mrs. Loudon. I'm to
sorry! Really. I deserve to be aent borne
ln d U grace. Do believe it is not often
Ruby and I are oo ill-mannered. I hope
she did not frighten you. May I get down
and see If ber heels did any damage?"
"Don't trouble yourself," Mrs. Loudon
aaid curtly, then over her aboulder as she
wheeled: "My borse. like, bia rider, ran
take care cf blmaelf.
Rothwell waa aome little way off still
near enough to be cognizant of tbe dl
turbajice. He came rapidly toward Mra.
Loudon, hla eyea anxious Just then the
psck caught scent again, gave tongue and
were barked forward. After, etiil after,
tbe riders went pellmell out of the pine
woods down a little bill, then Into
stretch ef open common, bare cf every,
thing aave starveling sedge and marah
weeds, beside the wet weather stream that
rut the spread of it in bait. Tbs stream
hsd boggy banks altogether it made a
nasty water Jump. Two horses alecs got
orer It clear without scrambles or the mls
chancea cf strained girths. Ruby the peer
less. Cairngorm the wicked. Tbe pack ln
full cry ran ZOO yards ahead tha mad dog
music eet both hunters wild. Fast, faster,
faster they went, quickening at each
stroke, stretching, straining, erring each
other emulourly, though they ran twenty
yards apart.
Without another check the rest were
hopelessly out of it eves Jack Wllth's keen
halloo came but faintly to the ear. Tbe
common crossed, the chase swept en
through plowland, strutly fencsd and rising
the least bit. Both horses tock the bound
ary fence without checking, and together,
going ever It. as try one Impulse, but came
to the Inner fence 100 yarda off. with Ruby
leading a clesr length. Patrxia gave a
little gay. triumphant ehout aa ber mare
roae to tbe leap, and when over aet Ruby
galloping slantwise tbe dun furrows. The
route was still sphlllr- gentle rise, but
enough to shew the strraggllng pack line
clear against tbe crest- Still it ran fsst and
true, giving toegus gallantly though the hot
pace was telling.
Tbe acres sa of horse, low and boaras.
made Patricia tors ber head. Cairngorm,
mouth epea. eyea rolling, was charging
straight at ber. Her rider best forward
lathering bim with the whip, urging the
mad brute to madder speed. Aa she riught
Patricia's eye she shcuted saesaclngly, "Out
fcf mj way! Out. de you bear! Tour hltwd
en your own head unless you clear my
path'"
Patricia got white to the l!p. but her
eyes dsrkencd. her hand on the rein did not
ahake. She laew Mrs. Loud"n meant to
! ride her down, trusting to her hor s -jperior
weight for her own safety. fb
rhculd tot do It cof if she herself an.1
I Ruby died for It. In firm going Ruby could
esslly beat the broan but what cf pl:w
land where she sank ftlork deep at eac'j
stride? Cairngorm, bigger, stouter, with
more driving power in quarters and stifles,
had a clear advantage there. But Ruby
j had the Are and stay and spirit. Impulsively
Fatrtcla Dung ber weight forward, lying al
most prone upon the mare's neck to whistle
In ber esr. It was fine to feel Ruby an
swergallantly as she had been goirg. she
hsd something left for that dnrperate call.
Fhe could not quicken stride the plow
land held too hard. But she couM and did
lie down to It. stretching stomach to earth
! in long greyhound leaps that devoured epxce
j as flame devours stubble.
Behind came the mad brown stallion,
still screaming, still lashed by a madder
rider. Dimly through a red. blurring mist
she saw her prev, the woman she bated:
the woman who bad crossed her path; tbe
woman abe yearned to mangle and trample
out of recognition. Some such purpose,
unshaped. unavowed. had been behind her
purchase. It had taken form quickly while
Rothwell talked. Cairncorm's temper
would be excuse enough for any accident
nothing but the bay mare could live the
pace with him hat ao natural, therefore.
as that the bay and hr rider should be
his victims? It was all coming around
beautifully, better, quicker than she had
dared hope in the outset there waa risk
to herself, of courf-e but what waa she
not ready to risk for vengeance on this
Interloper?
Patricia's heart sank as looking over her
shoulder she saw the brown bad gained
Ruby's lead now was less then twenty
yardF. Tatrlcia felt the laborings of her
heart, the rrrnodle panting breath. Pu1
denly the dog music fell to a mad Jangle
as suddenly the pack went out of eight.
then, all ln a twinkle, again straggled Into
the field of vision. Patricia wondered what
It meant the ground la front, no longer
rising, seemed smooth and level. A dull.
distant roar, heavy and vibrant, enlight
ened her the chase had atruck the deep
cut by which the railway slipped through
the ploughland-
Pack and quarry were safely over It, No
horse ever foaled of mare could leap the
cut, not even coming to It fresh how much
less. then, blown, at tbe end of a ringing
run? Patricia reined ln so sharply she
brought Ruby to her haucchea, half turned
In her saddle and waved a warning, crying:
"Mra. Loudon! Stop! Pull up! At once!
Hear tbe train coming!"
Tbe dull roaring was louder, nearer.
Mra. Loudon's face blanched, but her eyea
held their deadly glitter. She tried to pull
up to turn and ride down her adversary:
as well might she have tried to rein fire
tn wind. Cairngorm had the bit in hia
teeth he was no more angry with Ruby,
but full of deadly rage against the rider
who had alaebed him ao cruelly. He meant
to run and run until be found aomethlng
high enough, stout enough to crush her.
Tbe cut lay lesa than 200 yards ahead be
would try to sweep it, fail inevitably and
T?AIUWAy Tcrmihal
LOCATION OF VNrTED STATES COVE BXli
LOOKING 801TH.
fall, carrying down his rldr. right in the
track of the swiftly approaching train.
In a flash all this came to the two women.
Mrs Loudon, cold and sick, slaked rein sn l
made as If to leap. That lost ber all chance
of aaiiug herself evcu then a tiler who
did not knew fear might have mastered the
brown. But be bad all a vicious beast s
contempt for a rider be could frighten. H-?
shook himself, gave a louoer ecreamlug
snort, and swept etraiyht on. Now be
led all of ten yards. Patricia whistled
again and again. Ruby laid down to the
work, straining after the broma. and gain
ing aparj gains at each stride.
Almost upon the cut'a brink abe came up
with him. Mrs. Loudon tat quite still
even Is her fright she had bees too wise to
really leap. Tbe relna swsyed loosely within '
ber nervous tnge-rs. Pslrlcla called to her: '
' Let go! Free your foot! I dball try to take i
jou off stfe!" j
It waa a perilous endeavor. If tbe horses '
collided, fell and rolled all would go down ,
to death together. If either swerved a i
hair's breadth tbey must collide. Then :
there was the chance that ratrlcia would i
be draggi4 from saddle by the other '
woman's auperlor weight. Still It was tbe 1
only way. With set teeth, tense as a bow
string ln every fibre. Patricia leant from
saddle, locked her right arm about Mrs.
Loudon's waist, drew ber clear and held her.
clinging and struggling, while she wheeled
Ruby, checked speed and drew away from
the pertlouB verge.
Calrgorm proved bow perilous. With one
mad mighty scrambling leap be tried to
clear the cut. He even got bold for his
fore feet upon the brink opposite, but the
crumbling sands gave under his hoofs. He
went rolling and screaming down, to He
with his neck broken before the trsin. It
slowed up barely Is time to save a wreck,
after it had pushed the dead beast ten s-ds
along the rails.
Mrs. Loudon watched bis end with fas
cinated eyes. "Tou ssved me from that."
she said, abudderlcg strongly then fainted
dead away. Before ahe came to the rest
of the hunt bad come up. People from tbe
stalled train also swarmed about her.
Anstrutber waa one of them, Anstrutber
beaming like a cherub. Patricia, some lit
tle way off, was shamelessly fondling a
slight, dark-browed stranger, quite Ignor
ing Rothwell upon her other hand.
"I've been playing good fairy," An
etruther explained when Mrs. Loudon was
a little recovered. "Tbe lassie yonder,"
codding toward Patricia, "was denying a
true man. indeed, all true men, becauae
111-tongued folk who knew nothing aaid her
brother, that dark lad, bad apent money
cot hia owe. Tbe lad ye aee suffered for
a fault higher up but alnce he couldn't
prove it, he west away to work under an
other came. He couldn't deny his favor,
though I knew him rightly the meenlt I
aet eyes on the laaa. Then I went to work;
blm I'd known tbls seven years. Things
were straightened unco' easy; that's one
good of filthy lucre. Today I went to fetch
him, little dreaming wbat we should come
upon right here. Now tbe laaa has shown
ye'the meetle she's of, ye must agree, Roth
well w ill get a prize."
"A prize.' Indeed." Mra. Loudon echoed,
with s break In ber voice that told An
strutber many things ahe did not care to
have bim know.
INT AND STATE BVILDINGg AT THE
1 fe
ONE STEP MORE
Will t fatal to trie 'ieejwa:ker. Wil
be draw !ack or will lie take tbe ftna!,
fatal step? A rr-at tnanv pex;.;e are in
peril l:ke tie s.)crp-walker. Tbey are
d'!eaiel. Tlie dw is procresstt j?
dav by ilav. Thf time comes when pre
more step awav from lira'th is afatal.
Tbe man wlio bus suffered from in!i-
rr-?tKn or ga.nc trouble
poe-s some tij;lit to a
Sinner nj returns liome
to finvl he bas taken that
last step from health
which can never 1 tak
en back.
To neplect tbe ctire
of md:petKn or some
other form of stomach
trouble is dangerous. It
is also inexcusable. Tn.
Pierce's GoMen Medical
lisroveTy cure disrates
of the stomach and other
organs of dicrstion and
nutrition. It purine
the Mood, stimulates the
.. i ... K-Rliver, cures
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-MM-wKwar" anij eliminates
bilious
poisons from the sys
tem. The praise 1 would like
. . . .... i 1 1 . 1
Immmtmm 1 S' ? L,M v ""w' " ....... ,
I I iff licovery I cnnc utter m
S'-4ir woT-d or denrntte with peri.
17
write Jnt F Ambrose Eq ,
of im1! "Mifflin st, Hnrt
inrdon. Fm '1 w taken
with what otir rV-vru.o said wa toctirertteTi.
1 doctored with the bet around here and Irmod
no relief 1 wrote vou. and yon adi-ied me to
ue Ir rierev's (".olden Medical Iicovery. I
look three ootllr and 1 felt o xood that 1
stuped being cured 1 have no symptoms of
gavtnc trouble or indtcvtion now
If you ask your dealer for " Golden
Medical Discovery " because you have
con6dence in its cures, do not allow
yourself to be switched off to a medicine
claimed to be "just as (rood," but which
vou did not ask for and of which you
know nothing.
You can pet the reop'e's Common
Sense Medical Adviser, 100S pages, pa
per covers, frre by sending n one-cent
stamps, to par expense of mailing jnv.
Address Dr. K. V. Tierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
Foiled .!.
Judfe: "So"" hissed the villain.
The heroine face'd him grandly. The cal
cium light sputtered delipbieCly over the
scene, reusing ber Jewels to glitter like
the eye of a press agent.
"So'.'' growled the villain.
Here tbe heroine kicked her train around
ln front of ber and the hand-painted flow
era on the back breadth came into full
view. Dravely she clutched the will in
ber lily-white fingers.
"SoV hoarsely muttered the villain.
With tbe air of a queen the heroine
turned upon him.
"Why do you sar 'So' no often?" she
asked. "Do you think you can cow me?"
Realizing that he was baffled for the Inst
time in that act. the villain relied anothrr
cigarette and left the st .ge with a tragic
stride.
The Terll ot Owr Tlaoe
Is lung disease. Dr. King's New rlr
covery for Consumption, Coughs and Colds
cures lung troubles or no pay. (Or, Jl.
For aale by Knhn Co.
LOUSIANA
PURCHASE EXPOSITION.
-dt''i ' p'