Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-05-05
CHAPTER X.

on its gusts occasional showers. as
drenching as they were brief.
At at little after one o'clock, Geoffry
| C~arslake, who had been awaiting his
| opportunity for upwards of an hour,
/ approached the front Of the house I'M
der cover Of the darkness, and found
his way noiselessly to the spot indicat-
ell by Pansy.
There, above him, sure enough, was
the window, framed in creepers. He
felt among the leaves, and, equally
true. there was the fine line of string
she had promised TO let down for his
guidance.
Listening ~intently. he fastened a lit
tie note TO the end. and softly jerked ii,
to draw her attention.
In a moment of two the window was
gently opened. and the note began TO
ascend. He waited below, with ILL
concealed Impotence. The window
was easily accessible te an athlete like
Ceoffry. and he longed for permission
10 ascend by means of the friendly
wcsteria, and have a personal inter-
view with his imorata across the win
dow sill.
At length. down same the string
again. with a little twisted note at
tached. Under shelter of the porch, he
lit a light, and read by its fitful flicker:
Come to me il possible. l have
much to tell you that | dare not write.
You viii not find the ascent very diff
| cult"
He needed no second bidding. and in
another moment was even with her
window sill. 1t is needless to say that
there were some kisses exchanged, but
each felt that this was a time more for
action than sentiment.
Pansy poured into his a all her
troubles i'm the present, and misgivings
for the future. and Geoffry listened
with suppressed rage TO the recital OF
Mordant Gains unmanly persecution
of her.
SuddnIy Pansy drew in her head
with n hurried gesture OF fear, for a
distant sound in the house had caught
her ear.
What is it, asked Geoffry, prepar-
ing TO duck down precipitantly.
II don't know" Ii whispered-"I
! heard some movement. Perhaps 1t
vas Salome in Elsie's room. Oh, Geof-
fry, | am sure there is something more
than meets the eye there. cannot un-
| derstand Elsie's strange Illness. They
will tell me nothing, and since yester-
day they have confined me to my
ROOM"
Listen exclaimed Goeffry, breath
| lessly. II. too. hear some peculiar
| sound, but 1t Is in the grounds. Go
back. darling. for a few moments. l
will return when the coast is clear, but
/ think there is something up, or my
ears deceive me-"
Ibnnpxy xx.af.l,aI him laSpnnl with n
/, beating heart, and only when she
heard him on the gravel walk below
did she close her window and sit down
TO await his return.
Geoffry paused momentariIy and list
ened. The sounds he had heard We're
| distant but unmistakable. He crept
along noiselessly. turned the angle of
the house, and entered the dense I'M
| dergrowth of the shrubbery. Little by
little he wound his way toward the
! avenue, from whence the sound ap-
peared to proceed.
Suddenly he stood still. scarce breath
ing, lest he should be heard. Three
people, bearing some heavy burden,
passed within a few feet of him down
the avenue.
by Jupiter he uttered. involunta-
rily. as he prepared to follow the pro
cession, himself unseen: Il believe
they're making away with somebody
or something's
Step by step he followed in then
wake, trying, In the heavy gloom. to
! distinguish the faces of the bearers.
One, he saw, was n woman, with n
shawl thrown over her head. They
] paced along until. greatly to Carslake's
amaZement. he deserted a vehicle at
! the gates, the I'VE horses of which
were secured to either side of the gate
lintels.
'.The plot t%hlckens,r he thought,
pressing as near as safety would per-
NIT.
Now, Salome." said one of the bear
ers. gruftiy. cover her carefully with
the rugs. so that she does not feel the
air. 1t would revive her mt n most in
convenient time. There-that will do"
Geoffry stepped forward to catch
these muttered words. and as he did
so, the dim light of the lantern they
carried fell upon the mOmentarliy un-
covered face of the recumbent figure.
In an instant he recognized the fea-
lures OF Elsie. What were they doiuA
, with her?
Now" muttered Fergus. stepping
back within a few inches of where
Carslake stood. ''let us 90 back ard
finish this dark nights work. Salome.
wait about until we come. Don't lose
sight of the girl for n moment. 1t Is
now half-past n In an hour, at the
latest. we shall be ready to start. We
shall get to Ware by a quarter to fisa
O'clock, and shall just catch the train
with some other whispered instruc-
tons. the two men hurried away, and
Carslake determined from that mo-
ment on his course of action, followed
az their wake hidden by the friendly
foliage of the trees.
As they We're nearing the house. he
WINS IL little taken sback by their sud-
denly changing their course, and tax
ing a cut across the park, in the direc-
tion OF the plantation he had previous
ly noticed.
Nothing daunfed, and determined TO
follow them to their destination, Cars
lake kept on, though obliged now to
take n more circuitons route, and en-
tered the heavy snadcw Of the trees
but q few steps behind them.