Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-11-27
CRUEL
-#AS=
A.
THE CRAVE,
The Secret of DunraVen
Castle.
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
Author of Faithful Margaret" ETC.. Etc
CHATTER xIY.-Continued.

W HcD SnO WAS uCdilJ QOUh SAAS SN'' -
boz close in shore, with man standing
by its bow, doing something WITH rope.
The stormy darkness, added to tho shade
of a clump Of water willows, hid MS
features from her, but h seemet llke
gentleman, perhaps one or the nelghOor-
ing gentry who had been out hShing.
The skiff was an elegant thing, such Is
o gentleman might use.
Almost dclrious with the idea OF &C
crington's pro Unity, LOveday galloped
close up to him, dropped to the ground,
and stand ng before him, blinded and
dazed, gasI ed out
"Will you-will you row me under the
bridge and hide NE until that person
who is coming pa SeS by?"
Even as she was speaking, he was
leading the trem bling Ahmed round be-
hind the thick trunkS of the clump OF will
lows where she stood painting, with droop'
ing neck and heaving sides; he then HIT
cd Lovcday lightly INTO 'hc cushioned
stern of the skiff, flung q great white
hear skin over her, showed Off; and was
safe hidden under the low stone arch OF
the bridge, when the horseman thun
dered overhead, and up the road.
Then the skiff shot out into the swift
current, and the gentleman piled the
oars till they raced between the banks,
and in few minutes were out OF sight
OF bridge and horse.
oveday had lain just whore she was
placed in something so nearly IKE
swoon that she took no note or anything
for perhaps five minutes.
Then she heard the swift brush OF the
water against tie plank', AMI fe.t the
tremor of each mighty pull OF the oars,
and lifting her head from the downy
cushion, and smoothing back with both
languid hands the clinging maze OF her
hair which had broken loose and fallen
over her face, she looked at her deliver
or. who faced her not three feet off
IT was Col. Accrington himself!
The shock was enough to have killed
her: quite OBJ ivious of whore she was
she started up in the frail boat, uttering
scream after ream, so pier ing in their
heart-rending intensity that they echoed
for miles around Accrington seized her
by tho half coled rope of hair which
swung toward him, and drew her back
lust as she was plunging Oberboard,
clasping her round with an exuting eX-
olamation: 81 have you at last, safe,
POOR IrlgDJrneu udFIu I!
She Writhed down from his breast,
moaning, and convulsed with horror -
the frail boat rocked In the swrling cur
rent un er their violent motions; he
casped her again with al his reused
strength, blind to ev, rything but the
capture OF his madly coveted loie,-he
had her safe this time, when over surged
the skiff, and they were struggling In
tho water.
Even the he held on to her with 8
grasp like naked g, and the instant
they regained tn = surface he swan witt
a few vigo Gus strokes to the boat
which foated near. bottom up, anC
flung his unoccupied arm over the keel
and thus braced, he could draw her heaC
and shoulders up out Of the water. anC
support her thus. Her sweet death
white face drooped on his shoulder, he
dear eyes were closed.
"Ah! she will escape me yeti" groane(
the man, and he uttered q blasphemou
curse at the Iower which had defeate'
him after all his plotting.
He gazed around the darkening scene
the river rushed in strong, deep cur
rent between two precipitous banks'a
far as the eye could reach; he knew tina
for miles below the bridge thele was N
dwelling or chance of rescue, and, al
though a strong swimmer might have
made his way hore a!one, IN AccrlEg
toms encountered situation he had a
much as he cCul1 do to ep his com
Ianion above water.
A sort of dark rage took possession o.
him; to perish thus was such lame
cn1 N
most intox eating love-idyl Of his life
Why had he miscalculated the strength
of this timid, delicate creatures vii
to contend with him for her freedom?
Why had he allowed vanity to delCd
him into the belief that because hi
gaze could fascinate her into pasSlv
learing for the moment, she would no
rebound from him with tenfold revul
sion when she UNEXPECTEDLY met hin
again?
or his magnamimOGs submission I
Ter will at SilverSr ream had all been
ruee to prevent scene. lie had be
guiled her to Silverstream, where hi
skiff was in waiting, hoping for quicl
and Quiet conclusion to the days misad
venture in an elopement by boat to
remote railway station, by which the,
might take fight to London, and thu
tn ow off pursuers until the marriag
was consummated, when he believe
that Mrs Del'amere's pride would pre-
vent her from taking fur her steps t
recover her daughter as minor.
Loveday had not been so pllaole as b
hoped; and he had teen obliged to lie
her start for home one; but he had a.
ready set an obstacle in the way OF he
return by loosening her maies shoe wit
his own hand with an Cd cavalryman
dcftncss; and when she sta ted by tn
highway, he went the much swifter wa
b. the river, and was waiting at th
bri &c long before she appeared expect
ing to see her cutie tanned by the acc
dent TO her horse, ana ready to let hi
think for he7 Ard here she lay hal
drowned against him, and much mo-
wi ling to die than run away with hlI
at is a / tha accursed Crecy!" mu
tered he venomously; laura said th
her heart was engaged" And he curse
the youth wi h heart and soul.
He wondered who the rider had De'
from whom | oveday was flying 50 ira
tjcally; he guessed that she had mistake
him for h mse.f, and endured distIn
nag at tn proof Of her aversion
him, Could it have been any one SCI
IN their track? Surrey no yet?
These thoughts glanced through b
fraA