Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-10-29

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and locke Ut his watch he found h,
had been shscnt only half an hour
Only hs'f hour! As he enteTcf tn,
house ne turned with the same 3 ~ trR,
ton tow arc 4 mirror in the hal = ~
had expected 10 see Some outward nnt
visible change in himself Mt that time.
Dismissing his servants 10 he'd, III
went into his dressing room. completed,
changed his attire, put on n pair o
l"ng riding boots, and throwing a ser
ape over his shoulders. paused a mo
ment, took a pair of small derringrl
pistols from box. put them in his peck
cts. and thru slipped cautiousl, down
the staircase.
lack Of confidence in his owl Ito
mestics had invaded him for the first
time. The lights were out. lie silent
ly opened the door and was in tn,
| street
He walked hastily a few squares 10 a
livery stable. whose proprietor h,
knew. His first inquiry was for ono
Redskina particular horse; the sec
ord for it's proprietor. Happily boil
were in. The proprietor asked no queS
tion of customer Of Clarence's condi
tion.
The horse. half Spanish. powerful
and irasciblc. was quickly Saddled. As
Clarence mounted. the man, in an i'm,
pulse of soCiability. said:
Saw YOU At the thcatcr tonight
sir"
All" returned Clarence. quietly
catering up the reins.
Rather q smart trick of that woman
with the flag" he said. tentatively
Then. with possible doubt OF his Gus
toner's politics, he added. with Il forced
smile: Il reckon it's all party fuss,
though-thar amt any real danger"
But fast as Clarence might ride the
words fingered in his ears He saw
through the mans hesitation he. too
had probably heard that Clarence
Grant weakly sympathized with his
wife's sentimentS-andd dared not SPEAK
fully. And he understood the cowarlly
suggestion that there was mo real dan
ger
IL had been Clarence's one fallacy. He
had believed the public excitement W as
only temporary outbreak of partisan
fceling-soOn To subside. Even now he
was conscious that he was less doubtful
of the integrity of the union than of his
own household. IL was not the devo-
tion of the patriot, but the indignation
of an outraged husband that was spur
ring him or.
He knew that il he reached Woodville
by five O'Clock he would get ferried
across the hay TO the embarcado and
catch the down coach Ia Fair Plains,
whence he could ride To the rancho
AS the coach did not connect directly
with San Frapcisco, the chance of his
surprising them was greater.
Once clear of the city outskirts he
bullied Redskin into Irasciblc speed
and plunged into the rainy darkness
of the high road. The way was famil-
lar.
For awhile he was content to feel
the bufietmg, caused by his rapid pace.
of wind and rain against his depressed
head and shoulders. in a sheer brutal
sense of opposition and power; or Ia
relieve his pent-up excitement by dash
ing through overlooked gullies in the
road, or across the quaggy. sodden
edges of meadow land, until he had CON
trolled Redskins rrbellious eNtravs-
gance into a long. steady stride.
Then he raised his head and straight
cned himself on the saddle-to think
But To no purpose. He had no plan /;
everything would depend upon the sit
uation; the thought of forestalling any
action of the conspirators, by warning
or calling in the aid of the authorities,
for an instant crossed his mind. but
was as instantly dismissed.
He had but an instinct. to see with
his own eyes what his reason told him
was true.
Day was breaking through drifting
scud and pcwter-colored clouds as he
reached Woodville ferry. checkered
with splashes of the soil and the spume
of his horse, from whose neck and
tanks the sweat rolled like lather.
Yet he was not conscious how intent
had been his purpose until he felt a
sudden instructive shock on seeing that
the ferry boat was gone! For an instant
his wonderful self-possession aban-
doned him; he could only gaze vacantly
at the leaden-colored bay without a
thought or eNpedient, but in another
moment he saw that the boat was re-
turning from The distance. Had he lost
his only chance?
He glanced hurriedly at his watch:
he had come quicker than he imagined: