Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-13

THE nfDfS0 PARTY ASSEMBLED.
made the victims mad. The riding party as
sembled. and soon the horses were cautering
down the drive. Zoe had 90 far relaxed in her
forbiddtng humor ~ to allow me to put her
up. Her little foot Law In my hand rs light as
flower, and she sprang into the saddle as if
she had been bird lighting on twig. When
fairly seated and adjusted, and as she was
starting, she half refined in her horse and
looked back at me. as IL she we're going to
speak to me. She did not she only smiled and
waved her hand pleasantly. as II
no shadow had come between US.
At this moment she looked like lovely child
whose hayward will had been grstifed. Being
gtatified. her heart WIS now free to act. Where
she had been wiilful and disobedicnt she now
became penitent, and her eyes prayed for the
grace OF RECONCILIATION. / am glad she looked
like that ut me. Isee her now. her graceful
and the golden fringes Of her hair glistening Oh
il they were Furnished by tho sun. Those
golden fringes and that tender smile seemed in
manner reproductive one OF the other-the
same thing in two different forms.
With this was fsin to be content and with
this smile on my heart lying as n ray Of sun
shine across barren desert, started to go to
my own desolate horhe-my sole possession Of
joy. girls fleeing. backward look.
But why should not await their return at
the Hall2 True, had not been asked and Was
not expected, but as Zoe's betrothed was
not exempt from such ordinary social prescrip-
tions? II took all my self-controi to keep me
from directing my steps to the drawing room,
where Zoe's picture was hanging, where her
piano stood opened and number Of her IA
vorke songs lay upon the music rack, where the
very air would be perfumed by the charm Of
her individuality. was, rs 1t were, drawn
thither by magnet and twice turned my face
toward that Mecca OF my yearning soul and
twice refrained and turned back again.
At that time Icaught the sound Of Sealskin's
vntr xvh pc;p of oya1v for mn Y hoA
left him at the stables with directions that he
shouldn't be unsaddied MY heart gave Joy
Gus bound. I'd leap on Sealskn's back and
overtake the merry party, for although not
much Of an athlete, was an excellent horse
man, and Sealskin could show his hind hoofs
with ease to any Horse in the neighborhood.
But suddenly Zoes words, You shall not come,
Justin" sounded strangely loud in my ears.
And again l stood motionless, drawn by two
forces OF equal power. Now 1t WAS that some
mysterious voice prompted another course. /
caught the whisper and, quicker than thought
ittelf almost. fastened to obey.
1t was to disguise myself as . groom. over
take Huggins, who would naturally be nearly
quarter Of mile behind the party, send him
back and follow the pleasure seekers as their
equerry. Would il look as II were distrus
Zoe and were spying upon her movements? oh.
how silly such u thought. ItwouId add to their
mad merriment, and pictured to myself how
Zoe. with sweet moue, would cry OUT: -
''Huggins, dismount and arrange my stirrur.
Higgins, fall back to your place. HIGGINS,
don't sit ON your horse like wooden man. "a
With leap aud a bound Twas at the stablss,
where. with the aid Of one cfsthe u,aRx need
lily transferred myself int01 Bhifs of HtGfins'
Ivory. Seaskin shot out OF the yard Liked
bow from an arrow. But my Joy was short
lived, for whom I reached the open htghwsyf
became conscious for the first time OF the rapid
progress the storm was making. The rumble of
the thunder was OF that deep and booming kind
which always fofeteiis g violent storm, aud In
the western sky, nowblaek as night itself, the
lightning was zigzagging With iurid hue.
knew the course the party was to take and
in a few moments pulled up alongside of Hug.
gins. Algernon had aettled me one day by
telling me that looked like Huggns and be-
lieved it now, for that man actually turned pale
as his eyes rested upon his double. He told
me afterward that he took me for his ghost
and had felt his HAIR stiffen with fear Of death.
slipped q sovereign into the fellows hand
and told him to turn bride and put for the
Hall. He thrust hts tongue into his cheek, ,
gave a sly wink and obeyed.
The air had thickened so now that could
scarcely see the figures OF the riders ahead of
me. / was quite certain that knew their in
tent; it was TO gain the club sheds on the road
to the cliffs, and take shelter there till the rain
was over But saw that they would not be
able to accomplish their purpose, for the storm
was upon US; 1t came with that sudden and
tremendous violence which seems to shake the
worry earth to its center; expected it, vet
startled, stunned. appalled, 1t was more like
a storm in the tropics than one in our miider-
hammered temporal, zone. The thunder pealed
and the lightning flashed with terrifying force
and vividness, and then the rain came down in
very sheets Of huge and pelting drops whereby
the rivulets were swollen to rivers and the
rivers became unmanageablS torrents. Seal
skin turned his beautiful head toward the play
Of the mad thundcrbots in the western sky and
snorted nervOusly. but at the touch Of my hand
and q few words OF encouragement he Quoted
down and bore himself like rational being
had pulled up to within about 100 feet of
the others, for there was o dull and heavy pain
bic for me to get my breath, Suddenly long,
loud, shrill scream OF terror rang out above
the noise OF the swrling wind and the rattle of
the thunder. The cry cut into my heart like
knife. Sealskin answered my call and stretched
his splendid body till he seemed almost borne
along on the wings Of the storm. In few
seconds time / was there. A mad fright had
seized upon the three horses. Algernon's had
reared and fallen upon him. Lindsay was
making unskiliful efforts 10 control his long
enough TO dismount aud hasten ~ Algernon's
assistance. Hash more intensely white and
binding than any yet showed me Lindsay's
terror stricken face, his parted lips aud nerve
less grasp, for athlete though he was he lacked
entirely my courage and presence OF mind
Sealskin answered the reins az readily % IL
u
heads. had dIseugaged my right foot from
tho stirrup, when, to my horror, cav that Zoe
was not there. Her horse had broken away
with her. Frail child ut best. she had, in her
terror at sight Of her falling brother, LOST all
control over him and was now only heaven
knew where-dead, perhaps, trampled beneath
the pitiless hoofs Of the maddsned beast or
dragged at his heels, her fair form beating
against the roadbed; worse even than ali,
keeping her scat only to be dashed to death
when tho panic ricken animal should come 70
make his last wild leap over the cliffs know
not what kept me from breathing cut my life
then aud there. think il was Sealskin, who
stood 80 like thinking, reasoning creature, only
waiting for mo como to myself aud give him
the word to 90. At last my bswilderment
vanished. ! drew the reins tightly over that
arched, velvety neck and cried ike q madman
shrieked 10 better word. Co. 60, Soalskin
for her life; 60, you beautiful beast, 60! For
Zoe's sake go; you alone can save her, my Zoe,
my life aud my Lowell"
CHAPTER Ill