Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-06-03
FROsTBURG, Md, SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 1899.

chose to follow, and her anxiety became
intense.
As she turned into the buster roads
she was forced to slacllcn pace, and the
hiudrance set her fuming She saw bi-
cycles coming toward her, and through
the clattcr of carts and feet she seemed
to hear the ''swish' of others following
her, but she dared not turn her head to
see if the one she dreaded was among
them
After awhile, however, she left the
clatter of traffic behind her, and the re-
lief of the quiet was very great. In
time though, she grew accustomed tC
it, and as she sped on her ears or her
imagination became conscious of the
"swish' of "a bicycle still following
The pace at which she was going be
gan to distress her Her muscles seemed
to be contracting, her breath came pain
fully She remembered that after the
level stretch came a sharp downward
slope, and after that IA hill up which it
would be impossible for her to ride She
was growing desperate. She dared not
face John, for she could not rely upon
her strength. She was angry, mortified
resentful, but she loved John Castle
and therein lay her vulnerability.
The 'swish" behind her sounded
nearer. She could not stop. in the hur-
ry of her thoughts she determined to
keep up the race to the last possible
moment There was little hope now of
escape, but it was the only course-an
anything might happen
Then the slope began. 1t was stee
and rugged. The road, too, narrowed
gradually, and the slush was deeper.
Kate seemed literally to fly over the
ground, for she gave no thought to her
brake. The cyclist behind seemed to be
using the same method He was close
upon her now, coming swiftly as an
eagle.
AS they neared the bottom Kate be-
came conscious that lig black object
was looming down the opposite hill,
but she did not heed it. "Anything may
happen, was the only thought she was
conscious of as she swerved close to the
hedge to allow the big thing to pass.
Next moment there came slip, a crash
behind her, shout and groan. She
lost her nerve and swerved over into the
hedge-and the race was over!
The shock half stunned her for some
seconds Then she scrambled up and
looked back. A wagner was kneeling
beside a man, who was lying very still
the man was John Castle.
John Castle lay mCtionless at the bot
tom of the wagon on that slow Journey
back, and Kate held his hand in an
agony of love and fear and remorse, not
daring to cry ont, yet finding it almost
unbearable to keep silence.
Her heart was soft and humble
enough when she reached the home and
saw the mothers misery, and she told
her tale as gently as she could. Only
when she turned to Leila did her bitter
ness rise again.
Last night your brother asked me to
be his wife, she said. That, point
ing to his still body, sis the result OF
my refusal. If you wish to learn the
result of my acceptance, you shall come
and ask me for it. .
And Leila did
Acceptances of love are not in the
recognized list of cures and antidotes,
but one acted most successfully in the
case of John Castle-so successfully in
deed that once or twice Kate was tempt
ed to think his conclusion fraud.
However, if it We're, so the end seemed
really to Justify the means. Lloyd :
News