Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-06-07
CHAPTER xxXvII.
Witt 141As 80
THE PRICE oF HAPPINESS.


THE PRICE OF HAPPINESS.
The Breton carriage had passed the last |
house in the village, when Philip leaned out
for one last look at the home of his childhood
and the scene of the only work he should ever
do He was almost q boy Net; it seemed
only a few days since he had looked at the
great world only as play ground. 1t was
Short work he had done in the few days OF
his manhood, and even that had been con-
demned. Dear old mills, with their bold
towers and massive walls but his no longer.
His heritage was sold, his birthright lost de
turned his eyes away it was more than he
could bear. On the hill back ABOVE tne Vli,
lage he saw for the last time, as the road
wound off toward Lockout, his house, that
was. deserted" seemed written on its stone
walls. It had never looked so noble to him,
a sort of halo seemed to float above it. he
could see the window Of the room where he
was born, but for what worthless life; :.
"Good-by," he murmured. The road as II
followed tho winding river made another
turn. and the lights Of the village we're shut
away from his misty eyes.
The horses were trotting at thar best
There was none too much time.
II was far better than he had hoped. The
dangers bad gathered SO thickly, there mac
seemed at one time hardly more than chance
for escape. Peril seemed on every hand
| enemies to spring from every covert, ano
stretch out their hands to stop the fuglt1ves
But the village was far behind now. A few
| moments more and the steaming horses would
draw nm at the Lockout station, and they
would bo whirled away faster than any pur-
suer to peace and safety and honor.
"How odd it all is setting out in this way
as if we were eloping."
Philip was reaching forward to take her
| L,,A ba haok n if hn StIlnP.
How terribly thoughtless she was.
~ explained about the steamers early
morning start.
WDo You know" resumed Bertha softly,
chow pleased | am to have this trip to Eu-
rope2 1t is a sort of wedding journey isn't
How good God had been, to let him keep
the awful truth from her. 1t would have
crushed her, the very thought Of her shame
1t was crushing him.
81 shall enjoy it very much," she said, put
ting out her hand to him, in unusual fond
ness ~ am afraid haven't returned YOU
goodness very we'll" No more she had
"Where shall we go first|
'sTo the south of France, God Wiling III
added solemnly.
Bertha looked at his face with new anx
iety. The moonlight seemed to bring out al
the marks of his terrible care and suffering
But he gazed at her in astonishment; he ha'
never seen an expression SO near love Ill ne
ewes for him. Was her heart softenine
would she yet make up to him in her her neN ,
love all that he lost for her sake! but he
lips were moving.
'''I shall be better with you than l used
be. II" she dropped her eyes before h
passionate JOY, the sadness had gone in a
, Instant from his face, his future seemed beat
5 tifully radiant again. .'I feel different Il
ward you, dear"
| He was paid for everything. He had taugl
S his wife to love him as he dreamed she coul
T., love- She had lifted her rapt face towaI
his It had come-the moment he had give
A his life for. But suddenly his heart stoppe
e beating; there was sound of a galloplr
horse. Philip kissed his wife, but as solem
S ly as if she were dead, and put her awe
= from him. He leaned forward and look'
back over the road they had come.
He saw nothing at first, but he heard u
/, sound of q horses hoofs put his head Fl
Z out. It might have been a white speck
Il the road, but as he looked the speck becan
larger and clearer. 1t was white horse,
:, a dead run, on their course. Philip Bretol
!" heart, that had just been almost bursti1
d with its new happiness, was great &C
stone in his breast. And he fancied he cou
}, escape, with enemies like his and a whole v
S. laee against him. He could see only one pl
t, suer, All, he knew who it must be. A
that pursuer grew nearer every moment.
Ie ttDrive faster" he shouted to the coae
is man, ''run the horsesn
ID How like the wind his pursuer can
Philip had thought there was but one hol
ID that could leap SO NIGHTLY Why this "
IT that one, his own horse Joe. Why it mig
ID be a servant from his home with somethl
ID that had been forgotten. 1t need not be I
u worst peril his fancy could picture! But
W dared not hope.
ly isn't this delightful" exclaimed Bert
III ''There can't be any danger of our missl
the train at this rate"
he "Whip your horses; don't spare then
III faster" 3,
IF ANYTHING should break their trout
as would all end that night. And the strain
'c- the harnesses and the groaning axles was
ge yond all calculation of the makers. J
horses, too, had got past the control OF
Is driver. He had no more occasion to IL
the wild creatures; instead, he was pulling
N, the reins with all his strength, but to no
pose, except SO far he had kept them in
at road.
Tha rider of the white horse was hHtl
ed | and his long, loose hair and his swing
til hand. as he Struck the painting white ha
ep of the horse, gave him an uncanny LOOK
he there were no deed of horror too blood CT
his ling for him to do. The horse dropped
,ir flakes of foam from his mouth, foam mlnt
with blood; his eyes ana nos6flis Weie oidd
with agony; his breathing was like iii
int gusts Of wind in a tempest. Philip Bre
knew the rider as we'll as the horse. Hisl
his suer was Cuiran; and the implacable
,he made him yet the husband of the wol
the whom Philip Breton had made his wife.
er- They were almost at Lockout. The
Dut rinre gave t~'"ihle lul'ch at a turn in
nj -o"d, The Lo.sc. Tere almost taken OH
feet, but still there was no accidenti the
ry. dows of the carriage grazed the solid wa
mi rock without being broken, and in mon
1st. the horses, now subdued, were trottlng d
my the hill toward the city.
urt But the fugitives had hardly escaped
cut through the rocks when the pursuel
mad tered it. He had almost overtaken Il
,ut- He struck the horses white fianks pit
for blow. 1t was at the very spot where Gu
lish had saved Bertha's life from the mad
II that the old horse, forced beyond his siren
the stopped as if lightning had struck him..
'om blood welled in torrents from his mouth
had nostrils; he quivered like leaf, and
live fell dead in his tracks The rider shot
but the creatures head with the gathered
her meututn of that mad race, and strucl
will Jagged rock with sickening crash.
Curran was dead
ute -
ght- CONCLUSION.