The Red Cloud chief., 1898-09-23
CHAPTER IX-lCnnlinneh

Miss Stuart has been calling for
sou, Mr.. Montcith, and has Just gone.
Now what q pity you were not back
ten minutes ago. and o would not
have missed her!" said the worthy Mr..
Nicholson. But she left a note for
you, sir. Here II is."
Munteith took the dainty envelope.
from which q subtle perfume OF swee
vioie.s arose. and glanced at the adj
dress. He was too astOnishcd to speak.
He took 1t into his regular
bachelors room. with pipes strewn
about the mantlepiece. and his bicycle,
which had been mended since his ac-
cident. standing against the wall.
There he tore open the note. Dear
Evan ran the bold. dashing writing
of Lilith Stuart, 81 am so sorry to find
you are out. l must see you again. if
only for a minute. Do not be unmerci-
full: grant me this that | AJAX OF you.
Meet me at the Rowan Crag at two
o'clock exactly. l shall be there.
Yours. Lilith. =. ST. shall depend
on you"
What could Il mean?
Had Lilith ~repented? lie could hard
ly think so, knowing OF her what he
did. If not. what more could she have
TO say to him on the subject! II was
impossible to conjecture. The note
puzzled Evan.
But l must go. / shall give her that
last chance" he thought. II shall
meet her at two, as she asks. There
will be time after that for me to run
round to Abbot's Head"
1t was half-past one when he started
from the Cow Hotel. The path from
the town towards the seashore road
was steep and stony. Evan walked NJ
machine down 1t, as he usually did.
Once on the seashore road, he mounted
and rode as quickly as the hiliiness OF
The path would permit.
His machine was a high-gradc one,
with Dunlop tires and h~igh-geared. so
that he had to put a good deal of pres
sure or the pedals In ascending the
hill. He was near the top. and the
path was very stony, when suddenly
his fore wheel came in contact with "A
large stone he had not noticed.
The wheel went over. but the next
instant there was n sound as OF some
thing cracking beneath him; then the
whole frame seemed thrown violently
over, and before Evan could help him
self he was shot over the handlebars,
and landed on his back a little dis
lance away from the machine. Luck
fly he was not much hurt, and In n few
seconds was able to pick himself up
and look at his machine. To his
amazement. the front fork had snapped
at the point where IL was drilled for
the axle, the framework had lurched,
the axle sprlnging from the socket,
and the wheel had "buckled."
81 am an unfortunate besgar." NUT
tered Monteith to himself. This is the
second time I've come to grief in these
islands OF nightless summer. Well,
there's nothing for 1t but to leave the
machine here and hurry on to keep
my appointment. can trust the ma
tIves not to touch g." He had
scratched his hand severely and twis-
ted his arnl; but these were trlting IN
1uries to what he might rave expe-
rienced. And as Evan hurried on, he
thanked God for what seemed almost a
miraculous escape.
"If 1t had happened near Rowan
Crag, God only knows where I might
be now!" he thought to himself, shud
dering a little as he hurried EDWARDS
II he had understood better the ter
rible nature of the danger he had es'
caped, his thanks would have beer
deeper than they were.
81 am going along by the cliffs this
afternoon, Miss Troll. You will tel
Lady Westray So"
"On your machine, Miss Stuart?'
Elspeth Troll asked. looking up quick
~.
YES: on my machine. Why not?'
81 do not know that 1t is quite safe.
Elspeth said, turning away again t.
look out OF the window. Nicholson
has not mended that broken fence yet.
Lilith laughed a little.
"You think / am afraid? It take
more than a broken fence to frighte;
me. Miss Troll"
She passed out OF the room, and Els
peth looked after her ~uneasily.
II do not know why l should fee
so about this sudden resolve OF hers.
she said to herself at last, rising an
walking uneasily about the room. :"
feel as if-as II some terrible catas
trophe were hanging over us all, an
II she had q hand in 1t. Surely l an
allowing my imagination to run ava.
} wtr) me? And yet"
Sire paused by the work-baske
which stood in a corner OF the room
A book had been hastily thrown int
It. Half mechanically Elspeth pickle
It up. It was entitled Cycling; Com
mon Accidents. and How to Aver
Them"
The book fell open at a leaf whic
had been folded down. The sectio
wal headed. Fork and Axle; Ho'
They Break, and How to Repair Els
peth glanced over the page and. az sh
did so, q strange pallor came into he