The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-05-25

had once seen in the east. She
knew they were held there every year,
but she never attended them. Father
would not like it. Nevertheless, not (,
Memorial day had passed but what the
on the following morning might have
seen an extra decoration on the mound
to the unknown dead"-not dollhouse
blossoms, not the windflowers or noun
tain daisies, but great bunch of nod
ding, handsome golden roses, such as
woud have made him, if Virginian,
feel longing for the boyhood home
And Mrs. Brake as regularly missed the
brightest flowers from the vine beside
the door, the vine they had brought
west with them in the white-covered
wagon.
Horses hoofs sounded quick tattoo
on the road hundred yards below the
teacher. She peered down into the val
ley and a most unwonted sight met her
eyes.
Twenty men were cantering along on
horseback. The cavalcade was in close
ranks and suspicious-looking packages
were rugged to the saddles or dangled
from the shoulders of the riders. At
the head of the company rode Ferril,
and behind him was McGrath, while
the others were nearly all known to her
by sight.
For a moment she wondered what
they were doing-then like flash came
the remembrance of the conversation
she had overheard. Breathlessly she
ran on until she had reached a bold
outlook at turn in the path.
Yes, they took the road that led
around Faze mountain. FERRIS de-
mand for vengeance had been success
full and they were bent on a visit to the
stranger.
She thought for moment over the
threats of the day before. OF all that
she had heard one phrase stood out
most clearly and emphatically in her
recollection: "He's got blue soldier
clothes on" Blue soldier clothes called
up sweet memories just now, and she
looked down at the package in her arms
with the flower stems showing at the
end of the brown paper.
A comrade of her lover, perhaps!
Did she not owe him something? It
was growing late. The sun had dropped
beyond the hills and she could already
see the blue of night creeping up the
eastern sky. But she had counted on
being out late.
She knew from the mems talk and the
direction they were taking where the
stranger must be-a cabin perched on
the other side of Faze mountain, that
had often sheltered hunting parties, and
was once the home for months of a
couple seeking health among the hills.
The road around the, mountain would
give the horsemen long journey.
She turned short off from the path
and <limbed up the hillside, brushing
recklessly through the ivies and BRAN
bles and pushing sturdily aside low
hanging limbs and swaying vines.
Faster and more eagerly she pushed
on, regardless of torn skirts and bleed
ing hands. The thin shoes she wore
gave little protection as she stumbled
on sharp-pointed rocks, but she did not
heed, and almost before she was aware
the summit was gained. In vain she
tried to distinguish the riders. Dark
shadows held the valleys, and a white
mist lay like q river in the lowest
depths.
Downward she plunged on a course
that she knew would bring her out nea,
the cabin, taking long needless strides
that would have been impossible in a
less impassioned hour. Her climb
seemed to have taken so long-would
she be in time? ~ -
In q horter time than had seemed
possible the cabins dark form doomed
fuP~before her. She listened in the
deepening night for sound of an inmate.
Had the cavalcade of horsemen been
there and departed with their victim?
A sound came to her ears from the
edge of q bluff to the right Of the cabin
where q steep slope reached down to a
bubbling brook. It was q groan. She
hurried in that direction. Some ono
was suffering below. It was not diff
cult to get down the declivity, and in q
moment she was approaching q man
who lay by the edge Of the water,
holding ono q bis legs with big hands
In sgoR ..s. = -.