The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-01-10


and was Just going when Lee returned.
He was still pale and shaky, though con.
siderably recovered from the panic terror
excited by the sudden entrance of Wyatt
THANK heaven, he's gone ~ said the
doctor, ''and less sour and suspicious
than | feared him 10 he. But tell me
sir, do you intend walking from here to
Hythe ?"
AZ 50 purpose. Why do you ask ~
Because the young girl you saw ir
the bar went off ten minutes ago by the
same road. She was too late for farm
er's cart which she expected to return
by. Wyatt, too, is off in the same di
rectiOn."
"She will have company, then ~
CIVIL company, | fear. Her father
and he have lately quarreled, and know
he bears a grudge against her for refus
ing, as the talk goes, to have anything Il
say to him."
every well, don't alarm yourself.
shall soon overtake them, and YOU ma,
depend the big, drunken bully shall
neither insult nor modest her. Coco
night"
| walked swiftly on, and soon came
within sight OF Wyatt: bat 80 eagerly
was his attention directed ahead that he
did not observe me till we were Close
abreast of each other.
"You here !" he exclaimed, fairly
crashing his teeth with rage. II only
wish" -
"That you had one or more friend.
within hail, eh ~ Well, its better fol-
your own health that you have not de.
pend upon it, | have four barrels with
me; and each of them, as you well know
carries a life, one of which should be
yours, As sure as that black head is on
your shoulders.
Five or six minutes brought us to a
sharp turn of the road, where we caught
sight of the young woman, who was not
more than thirty or forty yards ahead.
Presently the sound of footsteps APP
peared to strike her ear, for she looked
quickly round and an expression of
alarm escaped her. | was in the shadow
of the road, 80 that in the first instance
she saw only Wyatt. Another moment
and her terrified glance rested upon me.
Lieutenant Warneford!" she ex-
claimed.
Gay, my good girl, that is my name
You appear frightened-not at me |
hope?"
ooh, no, not at ysI," she hastily an
swered, the color wildly returning to
her pale cheeks.
Nothing was said that | heard for
about a mile and half, when Wyatt,
with a snarling "good night" to the
girl, turned off by path on the left and
was quickly out of sight. We walked
side by side, and after a while she said,
in low tone and with still downcast
eyes: "My mother lived servant in your
family once, sir"
"The deuce. Your name is Ran
some, then suspect?"
Yes, sir-Mary Ransome." A sad
sigh accompanied these words. pitied
the poor girl from my heart; but, hay
ing nothing very consolatory to suggest,
| held my peace.
"There is mother" she cried, in an
almost joyful tone She pointed to a
woman standing in the open doorway of
mean dwelling at no great distance, in
apparently anxious expectation. Mary
Ransome FASTENED forward and whis-
pered few sentences to her mother, who
fondly embraced her.
II am very grateful to you, sir for see.
ing Mary safely home. You do not, !
daresay, remember me?'
I" You are greatly changed, perceive,
and not by years alone"
"Ah, sir!" Tears started to the eyes
of both mother and daughter. "Would
you" added the womon, step in a mo-
ment? Perhaps a few words from you
might have some effect" She looked while
thus speaking at her weak, consumptive
looking husband, who was seated by the
fireplace, with a large green baize COW
cred Bible open before him on round
table. | was about TO make some re-
marks upon the suicidal policy of persist
ing in a course which almost necessarily
led to misery and ruin, when the but
partially closed doorway was darkened
by the burly figure of Wyatt.
A very nice company, by lingo,
growled the ruffian; "you only want
the doctor to be quite complete. But,
bark We, Ransome," he continued, ad-
dressing the sick man, covering beneath
his scowling gaze like beaten hound,
mind and keep a still tongue in that
calfs head of yours, or else prepare your
self to take what follows. You know
me as well as | do you. Good night"
With this caution the fellow disap-
peared, and after few words, which the
unfortunate family were too frightened
to listen to, or scarcely to hear, | also
went
| had passed the evening at the house
whittier my steps were directed when |
escorted Mary Rsnsome home, and it
was growing late when a servant maid
announced that q young woman, SEEM
ingly in great trouble, after inquiring if
Lieut.. Warneford was there, had re-
quested to see him, and was waiting be-
low for that purpose. 1t was, | found,
Mary Ransome, in a state of great furry
and excitement. She brought hastily
scrubbed note from DR.. Lee, to the effect
that Wyatt, from motives of suspicion.
had insisted that both he and Ransome
should be present at the attempt near
Hurst Castle; that the doctor, in a hurry
to get out of harms way, had attempted
a leap, but, owing TO his haste, awkward
ness, and the frosty atmosphere and
ground, had resulted in a compound
fracture of his right leg; that he had
been borne off in state of insensibility;
on recovering he found himself in Wv
ats power, who, by rihing his pockets,
had found some memoranda that left no
doubt of Lees treason towards the
smuggling fraternity. The bearer of
the note would, he said, further explain.
as he could not risk delaying sending it
for another moment-only he begged to
say his life depended upon him.
" Eife!" | exclaimed, addressing the
pale, quaking girl (; nonsense! Such
gentry as Wyatt are not certainly partic-
ular to shade or two, but they rarely
go that length"
" They will make away with father as
well as DR.. Lee" she shudderingly re-
piled, " am sure of it. Wyatt is mad
with rage
She trembled so violently as hardly to
be able to stand, and | made her sit
down.
" You cannot mean the scoundrel
contemplates murder?"
n n