The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-11-24


by any means.
"Be you Marian Drake?" be ask
ed.
Marian nodded.
"Then this must be yourn, reck-
on" and he produced a letter from a
hidden pocket in his miners garb
II have followed and tracked you
all the way to Luekenough Gulch,
dearest. l could not remain in New
York when you we're gone. / au
waiting for you at the crossroads,
half mile from the tavern. Come
to me at once. Your Uncle must not
know / am near. The bearer of
this note will be your guide. Yours.
FREDERICK VANCE,
She crum5led the note, and thrust
it into the pocket of her dress. 1t
was her lovers writing beyond a
doubt.
Dear Fredl" she murmured, with
thrill Of pleasure. "How be must
love me to follow me to the wilds of
Montana! Of course / shall go to him
at once" Then turning to the man
she said, Are you here to conducl
me to the person who sent that
note?n
"I'm just that chap, num-"
Then lead the way at once We
have no time to waste"
None indeed, for the sun had
dipped into the mountain gorge at
the west long before, and was now
slipping out of sight like a great red
ball of fire, dropping,oyer the horizon
verge.
Marian gave one hurried glance
behind her to be sure her uncle was
not in sight. and then stepped quickly
into the sandy road.
"Do you go on before" she said to
the man.
He obeyed, muttering something
under his breath as be did so. As
they walked on in this manner, his
tall massive frame looming up before
her through the purple twilight that
began to gather rapidly about them,
Marian could not help thinking what
a dangerous looking fellow he was.
II shall tell Fred to send q messeH-
ger of a different stamp another time, =
she thought laughing softly to her
self. g 1.o.as. -s
She was happy and Gght-hearted
as a child, for nearly three months
had elapsed since she had parted
with her lover in York, to accompa-
nv Gustave Drake who was her
| guardian, upon this Western tour.
1t would be bliss indeed TO meet him
once again!
Presently the man turned and
glanced at her sharply, and struck
into e bush-grown path, leading
away to theright.
This is the, way mun-only q
few steps further"
Marian stood stock-still They
had left the settlement some distance
behind, and ws,e now in a wild and
lonely part of the country. Not a
human habitation Dor sign Of life
was any where to be seen.
"There must be some mistake, u
said Marian, beginning to feel fright.
ened. "The note said at the cross
roads"
An ugly sneer distorted the mans
face.
Cant help it." he growled. eve re
goin' the right way-don't you s'pose
l know? Come on"
| But Marian did not stir.
"I'm not going step further, she
cried sharply. "You can go on your.
self and ask Mr.. Vane TO come to me
here"
81 shan't move without you."
Marian's heart sank within her al
the mans brutal manner. Neverthe-
less, fixing her bright eyes steadily
upon him she said:
81 believe you are leading me into
a trap"
He sneered, and that sneer was
enopgh-it ezpr essed malignant tri-
umph. MariaD turned, with a sharp
little cry of terror, and would have
fed back along the road by which
she had come, but the brute, quick as
a flash, dropped hand of steel upon
her shoulder
Come, my pretty d ,ar," be hissed.
"none O. that. You don't get away
from me so easily" Then raising
his voice he shouted, bill, "Bill!"
The next instant a second rufian
broke through the low shrubbery that
bordered the path, and coming up
quickly, took hold of Marrian's dis
engaged arm.
"Come, nv plucky one," said be;
you're wanted. You'd better go
with US quiet like"
Marian turned deadly pale, but
she saw that resistance would be
useless.
What are you going to do with
me?" she demanded.
"You happen to be one too many
in this world, and we calkerlate to
put you out o. it," answered Bill,
with laugh, "Eh, Steve?"
Yes, reckon"
Then glanced from one to tie
other with an eye of fire.
Shame! shame! Has my uncle
hired you to kill me?"
That's none Of your business"
retorted Bill, grinning bis admiration
of her spirit That's our own affair
altogether. All you have to do is TO
yield up the ghost gentle like"
She said no more, but suffered the
ruffians to drag her for some distance
along the rade path. She saw
through the whole vile plot. These
men were Gustave brakes hirelings.
He had written that letter to which
Frederick Vane's name was signed
a very clear forgery, by the way,
since it had deceived loves own eyes |
He meant to get rio of her and claim
all her money, as she had hinted, up
at the tavern, so short time before |
As next of kin, it would naturally |
fall to him; and 10 this out-of-the-wsy
place no questions would be asked.
Presently, when it had grown
quite dusk, the men paused before
half.ruined cabin, in the heart of the