Dodge City times., 1890-04-17


the housekeeper's reply, and with ORDER
to wait for an answer. Allowing time fOl
giving the horse rest. the man might bl
expected to return before noon.
II.
Itw fine sunshiny day: Mrs. Lew
sons spirits began to improve. 81 hav.
ALWAYS held the belief" the worthy ole
woman confessed, that bright weather
day is not Friday. This is Wednesday
Cheer up, miss"
The messenger returned with good news
Mr.. Arthur had been as merry as usual.
He had made fun of another letter of gooi
advice. re ceived without a signature
''But Mrs Lewson must have her way
he said ''My love to the old dear-I1
start two hours later and be back to din
ner at five"
"Where did Mr. Arthur give you that
messages" Iris inquired.
AT the stables. miss while was put
ting up the horse. The men about were
all on the broad grin when they heard Mr.
ArthurS message"
Still in a morbid state Of mind, Iris sill
emily regretted that the message had moi
been written, instead of being delivered
by word of mouth. Here, again, she
Qike the wild lord) had been afraid Of lis
teners.
The hours wore slowly on until it was
past four o'clock. Iris could endure the
Eoon," she said to Mrs. Lewson. "Let ul
take a walk along the road, and meet Ar
thur" To this proposal the housekeepeE
readily agreed.
1t was nearly five O'Clock when they
reached place at which by-road branch
ed off, through wood. from the high
way which they had hitherto followed.
AL lad kup>o
I've had better not go any further" she
said.
Iris asked If there was any reason for
this.
There was an excellent reason A few
yards further on the high road had been
diverted from the straight line lin the in
terest of a large agricultural village) and
was then directed again into its former
course. The by-road through the wood
served as q short cut for horsemen and
pedestrians from one divergent point to
the other. 1t was next to certainty that
Arthur would return by the short cut.
But if accident or caprice led to his prefer
ring the highway it was clearly necessary
to wait for him within view of both the
roads.
Too restless to submit to a state of pas
sive expectation, Iris proposed to folio W
the bridle-path through the wood for a
little way. and to return if she failed to
see anything of Arthur "You are tired" /"
she said kindly to her companion, pray
don't move"
Mrs. Lewson looked needlessly uneasy.
"You might lose yourself, miss. Mind
you keep to the path"
Iris followed the pleasant windings of
the woodland track. In the hope of meet
ing Arthur she considerably extended the
length of her walk. The white line of the
high road, as it passed the farther end
Of ~ oh .-aA ka
trees. She turned at once to rejOin Mrs.
Lewson.
On ner way back she made q discovery.
A ruin which she had not previously no.
ticed showed itself among the trees on her
left hand.
aside to examine it more closely. The
crumbling walls, as she approached them,
looked like the remains of an ordinary
dwellin-house Age is essential to the pic.
turesque effect of decay; modern ruin is
an unnatural and depressing object-and
here the hOrrid thing was.
AS she turned to retrace her steps to the
road, q man walked out of the inner space
Enclosed by all that was left of the dis
mantled house. A cry OF alarm escaped
her. Was she the victim OF destiny, or
the sport of chaEce? There was the wild
lord whom she had vowed never to see
again; the master OF her heart-perhap1
the master of her fate!
Any other man would have been amazed
to see her, and would have asked how 1t
had happened that the English lady pre-
sented herself to him in an Irish wood.
This man enjoyed the delight of seeing her,
and accepted 1t as blessing that was NOT
to Ss 1fs sSRpss
praised"'
He approached her: his arms closed round
her. She struggled to free herself from
his embrace. At that moment they both
heard the crackle Of breaking underwood
among the trees behind them. Lord Harry
looked round. This is dangerous place" F"
he whispered: Pm waiting to see Arthur
pass safely. Submit to be kissed, or am
dead man." His eyes told her that he
was truly and fearfully in earnest. Her
head sank on his bosom. As he bent down
and kissed her. three men approached
from their hiding place among the trees.
They had no doubt been watching him.
under orders from the murderOus brother
tolls were ready in their hands-and what
discovery had they made? There was the
brother who had been denounced as hav-
ing betrayed them, guilty of no worse
treason than meeting his sweetheart In .
wood! I'VE beg your pardon. my lord"
joyment Of their own discomfiture-and
burst into a roar of laughter-and left
the lovers together. For the second time,
Iris had saved Lord Harry at q crisis in
his life
Let me go" she pleaded family, trem-
bling with superstitious fear for the first
time in her experience of herself.
He held her to him as il he would never
let her 60 again. "Oh, my sweet, give mo
q last chance. Help me to be better mani
You have only to will it, Iris, and to make
me worthy of you"
His arms suddenly trembled round her
and dropped. The silence was broken by
. distant sound, like tho report of Q shot.
He looked towards the further end of the
wood In a minute more the thump of q
horses hoofs at q gallop was audible,
where the bridle-path was hidden among
the trees. 1t came nearer-nearer-the
creature burst Tito view, wild with fright,
and carrying an empty saddle. Lord
Harry rushed into the path and seized the
horse rs 1t swerved at the sight of him.
There was leather pocket attached to the
front of the saddle. Search I'll" he cried
to Iris, forcing the terrified animal back
on it's launches. She drew out . silver
travelling flask. One glance at the name
engraved on 1t told him the terrible truth.
His trembling hands lost their hold. The
horse escaped; the words burst from his
lips.
'Oh, God. they've killed himv'
THE END OF THE PROLOGUE.