Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-12-28

lection from a man SO far on, said to my
self, and ashamed Of my cowardice again
took to my heels. Henight have oyertaken
me in few minutes. and there was no one
scprevent him strangliug me in the open.
road had he chosen, but be came no nearer
Whether | ran or whether walked, when
ever J turned. he seemed TO be precisely at
the same distance from me-just near
enough to keep in sight--no nearer, and as
| stood pantbng at the door waiting for Mere
Lucas to LEI me in perceived him stand
ing motionless by the lamppost at the cor
ner of Lambeth palace
Concealing my trepidation from Mere
Lucas as well as could | hurried up to my
room and theretried TO find an explanation
of this strange pursuit. AS grew calmer
and my thoughts more collected one fact
became more and more evident. Drigo
would not have suffered me to escape in
this way had his designs been directed
against me. His spirit of revenge would
not have rested content with giving me
scare And as he had not taken advantage
of this opportunity to injure me it was
scarcely credible that he would make any
further attempt in that direction
Probably" said, going to the window
to reassure myself, ''seeing that l have
come in and am not likely to go out again
tonight, he has gone away"
But looking out under the window blind
! discovered him standing on the embank-
ment over against the bridge nearly oppo-
site the house What did that mean? A
solution Of the mystery began TO dawn
upon me as soon as | perceived that the
man had been posted here to watch my
movements and quickly took the definite
form of conviction. An attack was to be
made, not on me, as had fOOlishly imag-
ined in my fright, but upon Taras. He
was to be waylaid on his return by the
gang. who had detached Drigo to prevent
me communicating any suspicion Of their
design to him. But a week before had
watched outside Grandson chambers and
followed Taras home That fact might
very well be known TO the secret enemy,
who seemed TO be acquainted with every
movement of Taras and clearly explained
the object in setting an outpost to watch
me. AS recalled this incident the figure
of the man who drove Kavanagh's brough-
am came before my mind, and saw
again the furtive glance of suspicion with
which he regarded me. Might he not be
spy obtaining information by some covert
means from Kavanaghi
Mere Lucas came to the door and babe
me good night. When she was gone, Invent
to the window and peeped again behind the
blind. Drgo had not stirred from his place
at the foot of the bridge. His presence
served to confirm my suspicious. and l saw
that Taras 10 be saved. must be warned of
the dan But how was | to reach himf
saw clearly enough that it would not do
to expose myself to a personal encounter
with Drigo That would not save Taras.
Yet how could get to Taras without that
riskS
In seeking an answer to this question it
presently occurred to me that workmen
had been doing something to the wall
which separated the yard from Gordon's
pottery, and recollected hearing that an
opening was to be made to facilitate the
transport of the group to the kiln, where it
was TO be burned. IL could get into the
pottery, might find an exit in the street
nc the back, and so get away unseen and
unsupported by Drigo.
Leaving the light burning in my room,
ran down to the kitchen, provided myself
with a candle and silently went out intothe
yard. A heap of bricks and rubbish showed
where the men had been working, and on
lighting the candle | found TO my mex
pressible joy that a break had been made
Ia the wall and roughly closed for the night
with a couple of boards. pushed one aside
and found that ] could easily get into the
cellar beyond, where saw the square blocks
of clay piled up from floor TO ceiling
With some little difficulty | made my
way through the cellar into the warehouse
and thence through an Office into the shop,
and here thought had nothing to do but
unbolt the door and walk out. But when
| came TO examine the fastenings diseov-
cred a fact which | might have foreseen,
knowing that no one inhabited the pottery
the door was locked on the outside My
heart fell, and stood looking at the solid
lock stupidity for some moments quite over
come by the hopelessness of my position.
In the silence that followed my ear caught
the sound Of distant footstep and then the
heavy scrape of a nailed boot on a ladder
and the rustic of straw on the warehouse
floor. With unreasoning terror ! figured
Drigo pursuing me hither, and my heart
stood still with the consciousness that !
was utterly at his mercy
A glimmer OF light appeared. 1t grew
stronger, and then a part of rough corluroys
appeared at the head of the steps with
lantern ON one side and crowbar on the
other, but the next minute breathed again
as man came into sight whom | recog-
nized AS hand employed in the pottery.
He could say nothing for establishment on
finding me there. nor was his amazement
lessened when made him understand that
I wanted TO leave the pottery without going
back through the yard.
well. miss" said he, there's only one.
way You can go out If so be you don't want
to go back the way you come, and that's
the way come in when I've got my fires to
look after. as the case is tonight lisa
longer way round and a sight dirtier, for
you'll have to go through the coalyard and
out into Ferry street. where the roads all
up for the drains"
The eagerness with which agreed to take
this roundabout and unpleasant route
must have led him to doubt whether on the
whole was quite in my right mind, and
indeed my exultation and JOY 'S,ce little
short OF madness when got ont into Ferry
ktrpef where | knew was quite safe from