The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-26

was well 10r ner tnat tnls WIS tne Case,
for, as he dashed away with the speed of
the wind, she felt how powerl.ss she was
to restrain him by means Of the bit. Nor
did she attempt it. Merely feeling his
mouth, and keeping her eyes upon the
road before him, in order that no sudden
start to right or left should take her by
surprise, she coolly kept her seat and
tried to soothe him by her voice.
With head outstretched, and sinewy
neck strained to its utmost he flew over
the ground in wild, mad race with the
evening wind, as it seemed.
The night was growing chilly by this
time. As the wind struck her at the
hilltop she remembered that she had
thrown hooded waterproof about her
before starting. She stopped her horse,
and, taking off her hat, gathered her
long hair into mass, and thrust it into
the hood, which she drew over her head,
and pressed her hat down on it. Then
she gathered the reins, and they went
on in that long, steady stride which
marks the high-bred horse when he gets
thoroughly down to his work.
Once or twice she drew rein to determ-
inc which road to take. Sometimes her
way lay through the forest, and she was
startled by the cry of the owl; anon it
was through the reedy bottom land, and
the half-wild hogs, starting from their
lairs, gave her an instant's fright. The
moon cast strange shadows around her,
but still she pushed on, with this only
one thought in her mind, that her fathers
lite was at stake, and she alone could
save him. She had written to her mother
to 60 back to Verdenton, and telegraphed
to her father; but she put no hope in
that. How she trembled as she passed
each fork in the rough and Unmarked
country road, lest she should take the
right hand when she ought to turn to the
left, and so lose precious, priceless mo-
ments! How her heart beat with Joy
when she came upon any remembered
landmark! And all the time her mind
was full of tumultuous prayer. Some
times it bubbled over her lips in tender,
disjointed accents.
"Father! Papa, dear dear papa!" she
cried to the bright still night that lay
around; and then the tears burst over
the quivering lids and ran down the fair
cheek in torrents. She pressed her hand
to her heart as she fancied that CLEAN
of redder light shot athwart the north
ern sky, and she thought of terrible
bonfire that would rage and glow above
that horizon if she failed to bring time
ly warning of the danger. How her
heart throbbed with thankfulness as she
galloped through an avenueo of giant oaks
at crossroad where she remembered
stopping with her father one day! He
had told her that it was half way from
Glenville to Warrington. He had
watered their horses there; and she re-
membered every word of pleasant badin-
age he had addressed to her as they rode
home. Had one ever before so dear, 80
tender parent? The tears came again,
but she drove them back with half-in-
voluntary laugh. "Not now, not now."
she said. "No, nor attall. They shall
not come at all; for l will save him. o
God, help mel am but weak girl.
why did the letter come so late? But l
will save him! Help me, Heaven!-guide
and helpw
She glanced at her watch as she passed
from under the shade of the oaks, and,
as she held the dial up to the moonlight,
gave scream of joy. 1t was just past
the stroke OF nine. She had still an
hour, and half the distance had been ac-
complished in half that time.
Still on and on the brave horse bore
her with untiring limb. Half the re-
naming distance is now consumed, and
she comes to place where the road
forks, not once, but into four branches.
1t is in the midst of a level old field
covered with thick growth of scrubby
pines. Through the masses of thick
green are white lanes, which stretch
away in every direction, with no visible
difference save in the density or frequen-
cv of the shadows which fall across
them. She tries to think which of the
many intersecting paths leads to her des-
in tito n. She tries this and then that
for few steps, cohsults the stars to de-
termine in what direction Glenville lies,
and has almost decided upon the first to
: the right, when she hears sound which
turns the blood to ice in her veins
A shrill whistle sounds to the left
once, twice, thrice-and then it is an
swered from the road right in front
There are two others. Oh God! if she
but knew which road to take! She knows
we'll enough the meaning of those signals
, She has heard them before. The masked
Y cavaliers are closing in upon her; and
r as if frozen to stone, she sits on her horse
in the clear moonlight and can no
] choose.
r She is not thinking of herself. 1t i
/ not for herself that she fears, but Their
v has come over her horrible numbin!
r sensation that she is lost for she does no
g know which road leads to those she seek
/ to save; aud at the same time there come
s the certain conviction that to err woulC
+ be fatal. There are but two roads nov
| L. l. Il Il,