The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-10-08

evil light in his gray eyes.
Listeners hear no good of them
selves" he muttered. "Well, maybe
not; but at any rate, l know which card
to paYnext. Piqued and angry at Ans
leigh, the beauty will turn to me. I'll
play the heart broken lover, step in be-
fore her anger against the handsome
doctor has time TO cool, strike while
the iron is hot and I'm mistaken II I'm
not engaged to Allie Ray and her fifty
thousand dollars before the sun setsln
1.-The best laid schemes o. mice ar4
men gang aft agiey!"
But Mr.. Mayne had forgotten that.
For long time John sat in the bay
window, his head bowed, staring his
misery in the face. Could it be truoP
Allie loved him no longer. All, we'll!
it was better for him TO know the worst,
before it was too late.
An hour or two afterward he saw Al
lie, radiant in white organdie and pink
ribbons, sitting on a rustic seat in the
hotel grounds in conversation with Mr..
Mayne. John bit his lip and hurried
away out of sight. Well, after all It
was nothing to him now; he had no
longer any right; Allie had ceased to
owe him. And only few hours before
he would have staked his life on her
love and truth.
But John did not know what was TAX
ing place out there in the cool shade OF
the oak tree, beneath which Allie was
sitting beside her obnoxious companion.
Mr.. Mayne had asked Allie to be his
wife, and had been very decidedly-not
to say contemptuously-refused. And
when he arose and left her, there was an
angry gleam in his wicked eyes, while
in his heart he registered an oath sooner
or later to be avenged.
Allie came down to dinner In the great
dining-room, at sunset, to find Johns
place vacant.
"Where is the doctorP" some one was
asking of Johns mother, as Allie
entered the room and took her usual
seat.
Mrs. Ansleigh looked troubled.
"There has been an accident" she
said. "Some men were out fishing, the
boat capsized and two of them nearly
drowned. DR.. Ansleigh was sent for in
hopes that he could save them, their
families being totally ignorant of any
means Of resuscitation. But it is sew
eral miles away down the beach, and
fear it will be late in the night before he
can return"
II CHANGED at that instant that Allie
raised her eyes to encounter glance
from Mr.. Mayne, who was her Wis Wis
She could not rod ress o shudder as
she saw the audacious triumph in his
face.
Dinner over, Allie threw shawl
about her, and wandered off on tho
beach alone. The sun had set now, and
twilight, weird and uncanny, was
gathering. Allie wanted to get away |
from everybody, to be alone with her
own thoughts. She sat down at the foot
ola tree and gave way to her bitter re-
dections.
A voice aroused her and startled her
from her musings. II was the voice
unmistakable of young Mayne-eagcr,
earnest.
"He bit at the bait mighty easyW
Mayne exclaimed; "won't he be furious
though when he has had his long, hard
ride for nothing, and finds that there
has been no accident-no capsized boat
no half drowned menP" Mayne paused
and laughed heartily.
"And you're sure the bridge is un-
safeP" he went on, eagerly.
"Oh, yes, sir!" another voice replied;
"rhe high waters and the late storm
have just played the mischief with the
old thing. Nobody can pass over it on
horseback without going through--sure
as shootinp'
"And there will be no mistake--no
failureP" queried Mayne. "Anslcighl
will be sure to come back that wayP"
"He'll have to!' the other answered,
grimly. "He went by the beach road,
it is true, but he can't come back that
way after night falls, for the tie is in
now. No, sir, there amt but one road
for DR.. Ansleigh to come home by, and
that is over the old bridge. And if he
crosses-or tries to cross that-well, you
know the restl"
And with savage chuckle they
moved away.
Alice sat, halt stunned at the revela'
ton to which she had listened. She
knew the whole vile, murderous plot
now! This was Mayne's vengeance!
In flash she saw her own way clearly.
She had brought this on John Ansleigh
she must save his life, though she lost
her own!
She staggered to her feet, and drawing
her shawl about her, turned away in the
direction Of the old bridge; perhaps half
a mile distant from the hotel. To be
sure she knew not the road she had
taken; but If she could only cross the
rotten structure, she could await his
coming on the other side.
She reached the place at last. Gather
ing all her courage together, she stepped
upon the old bridge. 1t was nearly
dark now, but with an agonized prayer
for protection, she moved onward. Even
beneath her light weight it tottered and
shook. She could see-away down
below-the black, angry water, with its