The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-04-04
THE FATE WHEEL.

haJe as she grew TO know Leila better
to enliven her days by accepting the
hospitality which the Castle family
offered. They were kind to the lonely
little student, and she was grateful.
But latterly Kate had noticed a with
drawal of the hospitality. Mr.. and Mrs.
Castle bowed chilly when they met
her. Leila became too busy to talk, and
John, Leila's brother, seemed the only
one who remained cordial. His cordiali-
ty, indeed, Kate was forced to admit,
had decidedly increased, and she found
it by no means unpleasant, though she
fretted and wondered over the others.
Then came the afternoon when Leila
dropped in to tea, and while pretending
to wax confidential had dashed Hates
pride and temper. The subject of Leila's
confidence had been John matrimonial
hopes and plans, or rather the hopes
and plans of the Castle family with re-
gard to John.
From hopes and plans Leila had then
drifted on to a description, more real
istic than polite, of the style Of girl
who often sought to marry John, but
who would never be welcomed, nor in
deed tolerated by her parents or herself,
from which point she slipped on to hints
of the actual girl they all hoped and
felt sure John would soon present to
them as his future wife. Then she took
her departure.
Kate clinched her hands as she sat
thinking over the ugly word picture
that Leila had drawn of herself as the
artful, worldly entangler of Johns af-
fections. She could be scornful as well
as they. She But a knock at the door
interrupted her angry musings.
"Dr. Castle to see you, miss, said
the maid, and there stood John himself.
He did not beat about the bush. He
had come to ask Kate to be his wife,
and he went straight to the point. He
took the chair nearest to her, and he
leaned forward and told his tale with
his love shining in his eyes. But he
was not prepared for the wrath and
misery in the face which she turned on
him when he paused.
"Do you think l would marry a mar
whose people would not tolerate mel"
she asked in passionate scorn.
John started in amazement. Then the
recollection of some home speeches to
which he had listened lately sent the
blood to his face.
Don't talk in that way, Kate, my
darling" he pleaded. Nothing mat
tiers if you love me-"
"Love your she cried. "I think I
hate everybody in the world-you and
them and myself"
"What do you mean 2" he burst out.
"What have they-what have 1 done p
"Tell mel' she turned on him furi-
ously. would your father and mother
and sister welcome me as your wife2"
John hesitated. He was naturally
truthful.
"You know they would not, she
continued. "You know they would de-
test me and do all in their power to pre-
vent such a marriage, and do you think
l would fling myself at them as you
ask"
"But, Kate, dear Kate, it is mad
ness
$50 away" she commanded. 81 will
not have you here. 1 am going to cry,
but l am not going to yield, and 1 tell
you to CO."
John had not been in the room half
an hour, and he wanted to stay longer,
but, having issued her commands, Kate
gave him no option. She went quickly
into the inner room and locked the
door. So John was forced to go, but the
love and rage in his neart were fierce.
How Kate spent the hours which fol-
lowed most women know without being
told; how John spent them most men
can guess, but in the morning one idea,
at any rate, inspired them both, though
their motives appear to have been wide
apart, for they both wheeled out their
bicycles and mounted them.
Then the divergence of their motives
was apparent. Kate, starting off i'm
pulsively down the stretch of the road
in which she lodged, longing only to
get away from everybody, realized sud-
denly that the figure in the distance
which had just turned the corner was
the figure of John Castle, and without
hesitation she wheeled about and sped
the other way.
That John vas coming to see her she
felt sure, but she devoutly hoped that
he had not caught sight of her.
The roads were slushy, but the air was
still, aud the wild strength she brought
to bear upon her pedals sent her flying
over the ground. She realized, however,
that the roads were no worse and the
air was equally favorable to John if he
chose to follow, and her anxiety became
intense.
As she turned into the buster roads
she was forced to slacken pace, and the
hiudrance set her Tuning. She saw BIZ
cycles coming toward her, and through
the clatter 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 to
it, and as she sped on her a T 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 a 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 v~ulnerability,
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-and
anything might happen.
Then the slope began. 1t was steep
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
unon her now coming swiftly as an