The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-06-24


start on a night ride to Glenvllle.
The brawny groom with difficulty held
the restless horse by the bit; but the
slight girl who stood upon the block,
with pale face and set teeth, gathered
the reins in her hand, leaped tearlesslv
into the saddle found the stirrup and
said 'sLet him 60 y without CULVER in
her voice, the horse stood upright, and
paved the air for a moment with his
feet, gave few mighty leaps to make
sure of his liberty and then stretch out
his neck, bounded forward in his race
which would require all the mettle of
his endless line OF noble sires.
As she was borne like an arrow down
the avenue, and turned into the Glen
vile road, Lily heard the whistle of the
train as it left the depot at Verdenton,
and knew that upon her GOODNESS and res
olution alone depended the life Of her
father.
1t was, perhaps, we'll for the accom-
plishment Of her purpose, that, for some
time after setting out on her perilous
journey, Lilly Servosse had enough to do
to maintain her seat and guide and con.
troll her horse.
She had always made it rule to visit
the horse in his stall every day, SO that,
although she had never ridden him, the
horse was familiar with her person and
voice. It was we'll tor her that this was
the case, for, as he dashed away with the
speed of the wind, she felt how powerless
she was to restrain him by means Of the
bit. Nor did she attempt it. Merely
feeling his mouth, and keeping her eyes
on the road before him, in order that no
sudden start to the right or the left should
take her by surprise, she coolly kept her
seat and tried to sooth 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
night winds.
The night was growing chilly by this
time. As the wind struck her at the
hill top she remembered that she had
throwa 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 upon it. Then she
gathered the reins, and they went on 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 deter
mine which road to take. Sometimes her
road lay through the forest and she was
startled by the cly of the owl; anon 1t
was through the 1eedy bottom land, and
the half wild hogs starting from their
lairs gave her an. instant fright. The
moonf cast strange shadows. but still
she pushed on, with this one only thought
in her mind, that her fathers life was at
stake, and she alone could save him. She
had written to her mother to 60 back
to Verdenton and telegraph 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 for the left, and
so lose precious, priceless moments. How
her heart beat with Joy when she came
upon any remembered landmark And
all the time her mind was full of tumul-
tuous prayer. Sometimes it dubbed
over her lips in tender, disjoin:ed &C
cents.
| "Father! papa, dear, papa!'' she cried
out to the bright still night that lay
around; and then the tears burst over the
quivering lips and ran down the fail
cheeks in torrents. She pressed her hand
to her heart as she fancied that CLEAN OF
redder light shot athwart the northern
sky, and she thought of terrible bon
fire that would rage and glow above the
northern horizon if she failed to bring
a timely warning Of the danger. How
her heart throbbed with thankfulness as
she galloped through an avenue of giant
oaks a crossroads where she remembered
stopping with her father one dayl He
had told her it was half way from Glen
vile to Warrington. He had watereo
their horses there: and she had remem:
bered every word OF pleasant badinage
he had addressed to her as they rode
home. Had one ever before SO dear, sc
tender parent? The tears came
again, but she drove them back with 4
half involuntary laugh. "Not now, no
now" she said. "No, nor at all. They
snail not come at all; for I will save him
| Oh, God, help me! I am but a weak girl
Why did the letter come so lateg Blu
I will save him! Help me heaven
Guide and help!''
| She glanced at her watch as she pass
ed from under the shade Of the oaks ane
as she held the dial up to the moonlight
| gave a scream ofjoy. It was just pas
the stroke Of nine. She had still an hou
and half the distance had been accom-
plished in half that time.
Still on and on, the brave horse Dor
| her with untiring limb. Half the remain
ing distance is now consumed, and sh
comes to place where the roads fork
not once but into tour branches. It lis il
the midst of level old field, co9ere,
with thick growth of scrubby pines
Through the masses of thick green ar
white lanes which stretch away in ever
direction, with no visible difference saw
in the density or frequency of the shad
ows which fall across them. She tries t
think which of the many intersectin!
paths leads to her destination. She trie
this AND then that for few steps, consult
the stars to determine in what direction
Chenille lies, and has almost decided OF
| the first to. the right, when she hears
sound which turns the blood to ice in he
veins.