The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-08-16
CHAPTER Nv.
THE FLIGHT,

uhconsclOuSness, she deprives the Suf-
ferer of all knowledge of his anguish.
In such state of peaceful ols;xion
poor little Gracie was raised from-the
floor in the tender arms of Mr. Edgar:
and borne to her room, the good man
remaining long enough at her bedside
to be assured that the death-like swoon
had yielded to tho deep sleep of ex-
haustion.
AS he descended the stairs he was
met ly Hannah Dred.
you're not going to leave her alone,
sir?" she exclaimed, in surprise.
"Why not?"
"She may give MS the slip and do
prive the gallows of it's right" was the
cruel reply.
Miss Dred," answered the lawyer,
| sternly, Il believe you to be an honest
md Just woman, but / fail to under
stand your persecution of that poor
child"
Persecution! 1 cannot understand
your obtuseness, sir"
Mr.. Edgar drew himself up, seeming
to impersonate the very majesty of tho
| law.
I'VE will not question that, Miss
Dred, he said; II will be answerable
for the girl. Tomorrow, when she is
herself again, will question her and
ascertain definitely what she knows of
this terrible affair. In the meantime I
would advise you to retire and secure
what rest you can"
The attorney ordered his trap and
drove away. BY degrees the excited
household lapsed into silence and re-
pose.
With the first gray rays of the cloudy
dawn little Oracle reused, sat up, and
rubbed her aching eyes. With return
ing consciousness a sense of the reality
rushed back upon her. First came the
memory of her murdered friend; then
kher fathers danger,
\ She sprang from the bed It was
\ evident that she had not wavered in her
A resolve of the preceding night, since
her first murmured words were:
"Thank Heaven, it is early yet I
Jean make good my escape. Then they
YwiH HnEPe me OF the JearfuI crime and
father will bo osSayed"
With feyerish haste she gathered a
few necessary artic1aAS together, and
from beneath loose flag in the hearth
extracted fow coins, which had BeSer
the gift OF her friend and protector.
The gold pieces she carefully bestowed
upon her person, and putting on her
hat and veil, hurried to the door.
"Good-by," she murmured, II am
going homo-home to America, home
TO the land where my darling mother
sleeps in an unknown grave, home to
hide myself-perhaps to die!"
At the head of the stairs she paused
and listened. Not sound disturbed
tho solemn quiet of the dawn. Like
the wrath of herself she glided silently
down tho stairs and paused Mt the
door of the death chamber. Fearing to
enter for one last look upon the face
she loved so well, lest she should meet
with some drowsy watcher, she knelt
there and offered up her gentle soul in
prayer for moment; then hurried out.
Two minutes later she had vanished i'm
the dense mist that swept up the cliffs
from the restless sea.
Young as she was, little Oracle Gar
land had seen too much of the world,
had been too often thrown upon her
own resources to fail in an emergency
like the present. She was far too wise
to trust herself in the town of Torquay,
where she might have taken train for
Liverpool, but where she might also
have been recognized, questioned, and
perhaps detained. Instead of which,
she struck out across the deserted
fields.
But as she trudged on, hunger pro-
duced exhaustion, and exhaustion q
giddy sensation in the head; so that, at
times, she was obliged to pause, moan
ing by the wayside. At last, before the
gate OF neat white farmhouse, she
gave out completely, and sank sobbing
into the arms OF motherly woman,
who left her garden and FASTENED to
the forlorn child.
TWAS Gracie's luck that for a week
she was detained by illness at the hos
pitable farmhouse, since had she pur-
sued her uninterrupted way she would
have reached Liverpool, and in all
probability have taken passage upon
the very steamer which bore Mr.. Max
Boyden to America. AS it was, a kind
ly fate detained her until the coast was
clear, and when at last she reached the
great city upon the Mersey, she was
able to engage passage in the steerage
of that greyhound of the ocean, the
steamship Oregon, without further
mishap. Indeed, she arrived lust in
time, rs che was informed at the Offices
of the line that the splendid Cunarder
would sail upon the following day.
"Are you travelling alone ?" inquired
the clerk.
Eyes, sir?" replied Oracle.
"And are you leaving friends on this
side of the water?"
"No, sir"
"Your name, please?" he asked.
Here was an unexpected dilemma.
Should she give her own name? Why
not? What mattered it2
my name is Garland" sho said
brayely.
Full name?"
"Grace Garland"
almost as pretty rs its possessor," !"
murmured the young man.
Nothing now remained but to go on
board the noble Oregon and look up her
quarters. She was good sailor, and
had nothing to dread. Therefore IL was
1 with oa1Y,, mimi b,,f NTH 20 49,.