Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03

others weren't all like him" she went on
hurriedly 80 when his heart got to acting
so queer he Just made his WILL leaving me
and my property all in uncle's hands, for
mamma had been dead ever so long and then
he died that night and it's all gone wrong
ever since and / presume I've had about
as dry a time Of It as almost anybody you
can think Of"
"Dry!" exclaimed; IL was really the first
word that had caught my attention. l gave
the will less than no thought at all What
had ranch or two, more or less, to do with
such eyes as hers?
Il was to marry whom l pleased and If
did marry l was to have my property and
use 1t as I pleased, hut if l didn't marry,
Uncle Rupert was to take care Of me and all
my money until | was p and that's going
tc be next week"
Next week. so soonl" l cried in surprise,
for the wonder OF her fight, when escape
was so near, almost formed itself into words
upon my lips.
"Soon, so soon!" she cried, and now with
real anger in her voice, though not, | felt,
against me. at may seem soon to you, but
it will be just six days too late and then
all my years of horrid old dresses in the
convent, no parties. nor jewels, nor anything
nice will be for nothing, for l must either
marry Cousin Harold at the end OF this
week, or Uncle Rupert will sell my mines
before | can come of age, and then deny
ever had any, or will claim that they are
the ones that turned out badly, though there
weren't mine at all, but his. Yes,' she
cried defantly facing me, 81 don't deny
that | have listened at keyholes, and pried
into letters, and done lots of dreadful things
to find all this out; but I've had my DISPOSE
At b,, l,n rnd I'm al
these years. How l used to rage when |
could feel myself getting more and more
poky, and then to have only few dollars
doed out to me at time when I knew that
Cousin Harold, whom l Just hated, was
spending all my money, and putting off mar
rying me until the last moment, because l
had been shut up in convent until l was
a perfect dowdy," and here she broke down
in angry tears, while ! sat a statue OF fear
and longing-longing to comfort and protect
her as no staid, middleaged doctor would
be supposed to comfort a young and helpless
woman, and fear least the stern self-control
had been able so far to exercise should
break down utterly under the strain of that
low sobbing.
my dear Miss Brandon" said, low and
hurriedly, calm yourself, l beg Are you
quite quite certain about that will? Certain
that you were left free to marry whom
you choose?"
"Oh. yes, indeed / should think l am"
she burst out Indignantly. "Why 1t was
for that reason and no other that l was kept
mewed up in that stuffy old convent all those
years and never man to look at but priests
and some old things that did work about the
grounds!"
1t is pitful to confess that l WINGED at
,l,J s1,a eI,1
ever have wished to meet other men and
when you recall that she had never really |
seen me and had only looked upon me as a
person with a swollen eye, you will |
wonder at my folly. what right had you to |
want to see men?" l wanted to ask her hotly |
but instead 1 cried softly, "Hark! 1 hear
horses feet behind. They are coming fast |
Do you hear them?'
This dried her stormy tears at once and |
breathlessly we sat and listened Yes. 1 |
was right. From far up the steep road there |
came to us swift, hard strokes, breaking |
startlingly upon the silence and filling us |
with chill premonition of pursuit and cap
ture when our victory seemed all but accom- |
pliehed. "They are following u.s. my COM !
panion whispered fearfully, creeping nearer |
to my side and resting there tremblingly. |
"They will not let me CO. know it. Tomor |
row my uncle was to meet some men and |
finish the sale of my mines. They |
will kill us il they find us here. Oh, what |
shall we do?"
What should we do indeed? At that mo- |
ment as If to increase our perpleXities the |
moon, which had been hiding all night be- |
meath a blanket of clouds, burst suddenly |
FORTH clothed in glistening garments, which |
lighted every nook and Granny of the rugged |
scenery about us Far above lowered the |
snowy peaks, while way down below, dim |
nesting close like circlet of gems |
against tho earth's dark line, the lights of |
the city lay. Above and below us stretched |
a tortuous path upon which impatient hoofs |