The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1889-01-23
CHAPTER xI.-Continned.


was manliness and truth; she would trust
once more. Scarce could she restrain her
natural inclination to fly to his arms for
refuge from the relentless enemies who
pursued She could not have found strong
err or more willing arms to defend her.
Having partially regained her composure,
she SAID:
81 believe you; had I not unbounded
faith in your honor and courage l should
never have run the great risk do in COM
ing here.'i
"Then it is a risk2 =
GA greater risk than you can imagine.
Should 1 be discovered here it would be
fatal to my plans-plans which are more
than life to me.''
What were the plans to which she al
luded2 Doubtless some request some sim
pie service she wished him to perform for
her. Knowing that one so pure and noble
as she could not make an evil request, he
resolved to do her bidding.
Have no.fears to speak boldly to me-"
said Allen. "Your wishes, if in my power,
shall be granted
Can you leave the village?'' she asked.
Starting in 'amazement, the astonished ed
itor gaZed at her for moment, repeating:
"Leave the village?"
CT mean only temporarily two or
three days at the longest
"Y-y-yes, l can -and-and / will if it is
necessary"
"It is necessary. Some one nsasSt go, and
I can trust no one but YOURSELF
Where do you wish me to go?"
"DeyOu knowwhere the French settle
ment or French town isa"
81 have heard of it, and can find it very
easily. 1t is about fifty miles down the
river" t.1
Yes, sir; it is fully that far,'' the girl
answered, gathering up the folds of her
apron in her embarrassment and with
nervous fingers folding them down into lit
tie plaits.
"What am to do when / get there2''
Allen asked. ~ ~ @
"You are to go to the house of Maiden
oiselle Camille" said the girl, still hesitat-
ing to make her request fully known.
SAINT to take message to here" asked
Allen. E\.f ft
"You are to take a child" said the GIRL
slowly turning her great blue eyes upon
him.
.Amazement, wonder and curiosity}were
raging like so many fires in Aliens breast.
ga child!' he gasped.
"Yes, sir; a little boy six years old.2
"When am to starts"
inns very mgnL.
Could he believe his senses9 Was all this
a strange, wild dream from which he
would awake before he knew how it all
came out, or was it indeed arealitya
In his helpless bewilderment he asked
himself what this child was to the people Of
the French settlement. Could he be accused
of kidnapping for secretly undertaking this
tasks While all these conflicting thoughts
were surging like a tempest in his mind,
he wildly recalled the remark of Toney
Barnes few weeks before. Toney, shak-
ing his head in his weird manner, said:
ssNever trust yourself in the power Of
those people. tell We the whole family is
blighted by curse. No good ever come to
any one who had any thing to do with 'em.
If you ever befriend one o. 'em in any way
you'll repent it the longest day you live.
They're blighting curse to anybody who
has any thing whatever to do with 'em."
Somehow the young editor could not help
asking himself if he had fallen under this
blighting curse. Was he to be only one
more victim to the strange mystery of Tur-
lcy's Point2 Then his eyes fell upon the
pale, sweet face of the anxious girl, and he
knew she was no siren, charming him to
destruction. With determination in his
voice he said
"If you say for me to go tonight will
go.'
The girl who, during the moments silence
had been sitting, her face burning with