Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-11-14

pulled up, pale and painting. at my gate.
"Gct your horse and come with me-"
she cried out something terrible is
happening. viii you? Oh, pieaso |
make hnstel He will he killed il we /
are too late. will tell you as we GO
OF course | could not form the faint |
est conception of what was the matter
But / had no difficulty in perceiving !
that something was seriously wrong, /
and ] lost no time in cross-questioning |
As | started to run back to the house,
had an idea that Imogen's father had
had another stroke Of paralysis; but IT
at once struck me that that was i'm |
possible, since she could not have seen
him between the time she passed me
and now. IN my prcoccupation | al
most ran under the legs OF my horse,
which was coming down the path with
my groom on his back, on his way 10
the ncighboring town with my mail.
Here was a stroke of luck to begin
with
Down with you, Charles" said 1.
Get the mule and go on with her. /
want Mocha myself.
Charles, nimble but bewildered, dis
mounted, and held the bride while 1
swung myself into his place. | was
not attired in my usual equestrian
costume. though had fortunately dis
cardcd my pAJamas earlier than usual
THIS mornings but this was no time for
trifing. Charles made a drive to open
the gate.
~ rope-we must have a rope eX-
claimed lmogeu, whose mure was dane
ing about in the road, inspired with
the contagion OF her mistress mysteri-
GUS excitement.
We had been cutting down trees the
day before, and had used a longish bit
of rope to pull them down with after
the AK had done it's work. Changing on
the peg by the door of the coach house,
Charles" said /; but that Intelligent
African was already half way up the
drive. He had profound enthusiasm
for Miss lmogen, and seemed to compie-
hend her wishes by intuition.
He was back with the rope neatly
coiled before | had slime to ask what on
earth she wanted it for; and in another
moment We were Off. To my further
perpleXity, we took the direction OPP
roslte TO the one she had set otY on. But
she evidently knew what she was about,
or thought she did, and | bridied my
curiosity, and awaited her leisure for
an explanation. The stirrups were too
short, but at the pace We We're going,
there was no opportunity to change
them.
4 Il
length, III the easy tone of the self
posed man of the world, whose COM
posture Is not TO be ruined by such u
bagateile as being snatched OIL on
mission OF life ana death between two
Whitfs of IA Cigar.
My words dld not seem to reach her a
first, She did not turn her face to me
when she finally answered with Il shake
of the head: "Oh, miles and miles
before
| tried to digest this reply, but could
make nothing of it. Presently
ventured again: We are taking the
best route, | suppose? | am familiar
with some short cuts through these
woods, and if knew our destination -
Il know the way she Interrupted
me; Il can't tell how know it; ii Is III
my mind; | saw 1t all-in that instant,
and ! can make no mistake. Oh, Tom
Tom"
oh, it's Tom-Tom, is it?" said to
myself. We'll, | might nave OWNED
that before. OF course, 1t could only
be Tom. but what can be the trouble
with Tom2 And now can she know OF
his beng in any trouble? She couldn't
have seen him or heard from him be.
tween the time she passed me first, and
her return. Then why-and what
aud whore? There is something pc
cuiar in this affair. The httlc girl can,
suddenly have gone crazy; she isn't
that sort of girl. No-but there is
something peculiar. Well, it will come
out in due time. Tom. Ell ?"
Imogen, meanwhile, riding at nay
left hand, had been going a SHARP
cantcr; she now suddenly pulled up
and, as | rode past her, turned to the
right, and went straight into the forest
So at least, l at first thought; but
when | followed her found there were
traces of path, but it had been SO lit
tie used as to De well-nigh invisible.
knew the woods hereabouts pretty well
for | am fond OF exploration; but /
knew nothing of this, and | was sure
lmogen did not, for she hated any
thing that inteItered with rapid prog
ercss, and uniformly kept to the high
roads. Yet here she was forcing her
way through the underbrush and over
the uneven ground as if she were
familiar with the route from her in.
fancy upwards Peculiar, decidedly
The nature of the footing. not to men
ton the branches and vines that often
barred our way, made a slower pace
necessary, and seized the opportunity,
first TO lcngthen my stirrups, and next
Tor an explanation.
Let us understand each other, Imo-
gen." said, with an authoritative seri-
BUSINESS such as | judged best adopted
10 the eNigcncics of the occasion. IF
we are to achieve our mission, you must
tell me everything. Intelligent cooper
alton would otherwise be impossible.
Where are we bound, and what liz il we
have TO do? Let me know all you know
yourself
> Conversation on horseback i'll thick
tropic forest, is a difficult art, unim-
portant words are jolted out of you rs
hnt ,,,I inl on ~ N y