La Junta tribune., 1898-10-22
che Dap Star Of tbe
orknep'S.
Romance...By Hannah B. Mckenzie
$ 5 > ~ > - F1E3l
KNNHSFTtTT43
cHNPTEE IN.-tConrinuedD

lie tEd to go out AFTER breakfast anu
atskc some arrangements as 10 his
Icayiag next day He was gone an
hour or two. and when he returned
tha holtiEeepcr met him at the door.
"siIrd Stuart has been calling for
you. Mr. N0r,eith. and has just gone.
Nor what n pity you were not back
trn m!Eutes ago. and You would not
have missed Fcr!' Eald the worthy Mr.
Nicholson. But she left note for
YOU. sir. Here Il is"
Nontelth took the dainty envelope.
from which a subtle perfume OF sweet
yiols:s arose. and glanced at the ad-
dress. i!e was too astoniEhed to speak.
He took II into his room-a regular
bachelors room. with pipes s,rewn
about the raautlsplccc. and his bicycle.
which had been mende1 since his ac-
cldent. standing against the wall.
There he tore open the note. Dear
Evan" ran the bold, dashing writing
OF LiIith Stuart. II nm so sorry to find
sou are out. must see you again. II
only for minute. Do not be unmerci-
fu1. grant me this that | ask OF you.
Meet me at the Rowan Crag at two
O'Clock exactly. / shall be there.
Yours. LilIth p. s.-l shall depend
on you"
What could II mean
Had Lillth repented7 He could hard.
ly think so. knowing OF her what he
ala. II not, what more could she have
TO ray 10 him on the subject? II was
impossible to conjecture. The note
puzzled Evan.
But must so. shall give her that
last chance" he thought. 81 shall
meet her u two. as she asks. There
viii be tI;.ie after that for me TO run
round to Abbot's Head
1t was half-pasf one when he started
from the Cow Hotel. The path from
the town towards the seashore road
was steep and stony Evan walked his
machine down It. as he usually did.
Once on the seashore road. he mounted
and rode as quickly as the hilliness OF
the path would permit.
His machine was high-grade one.
with Dunlop tires and h!gh-geared. so
that he had to put good deal of pres
sure on 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
large stone he had not noticed.
The wheel went over. but the next
instant there was 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 little dis
tance away from the machine. Luck
ily he was not much hurt and in few
seconds was able to pick himself up
and look at his machine. To his
aiuazement. the front fork had snapped
at the point where II was drilled for
the axle the framework had lurched.
tho axl sprlnging from. the socket.
and the \. aeel had "buekled."
'I am an unfortunate beggar." NUT
tered Monteith to himself. This is the
second time I've come 10 grief in these
islands OF nish,less summer. Well,
there's nothing for It but to leave the
machine here and hurry on to keep
my appointment. ! can trust the ma
tiyes not to touch it." He had
scratched his hand severely and twis-
tod his arm; but these were trifiing In
juries to what he might have expe-
rienced And AS Evan hurried on, he
thanked God for what seemed almost
miraculous escape.
III 1t had happened near Rowan
Crag. God only knows where ! might
he now." he thought to himself. shud-
doring a little as he hurried onwards
II he had understood better the ter
rible nature of the danger he had es-
capped. his thanks would have been
deeper than they were.
Il am going along by the clifrs this
afternoon. Miss Troll. You viii tell
Lady Westray So
"On your machine. Miss STUART
Elspeth Troll asked. looking up quick
Is.
Yes; cn my machine. Why no,?"
II do no. know that II is quite safe"
Elspeth said. turning away again to
look out OF the window. Nicholson
has not mended that broken fence yet.
Lilith laughed little.
'You think | am afraid7 1t takes
more than broken fence to frighten
me, Miss Troll"
She passed out OF the room. and Els
rcth looked after her uneasily.
Il do not know why should feel
81 about this sudden resolve OF hers"
she said to herself at last. rising and
walking uneaslly about the room. Il
feel as if--as II some terrible catas-
,rophe were hanging over us all. and
II she had hand in it. Surely am
allowing my Imagination to run away
with me? And yet"
She paused by the work-basket
which stood in corner OF the room.
A book had been hastily thrown into
IT. Half mechanically Elspeth picked
II up. 1, was entitled Cycling. Com
mon Accidents. and How to Avert