The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-04-27
a little way out of Dover, of, the higl
r0o1 ovor .
COPYRIGHT, l894.l


a little way out of Dover, off the high
road over the cliffs? ,.E>
He decided on the latter course. DR..
Lowe was not a man who kept early
hours, and George, who remembered in
what direction the house lay although
he had not been there since his boy
hood, decided that he would be able to-
reach it in an hour, allowing for the
state of the weather.
1t was by this time twenty-five min,
utes past ten o'clock, and the snow was
falling less thiclkly. It did occur to!
Llewellyn that the expedition had it's
risks, considering the value of the
property he was carrying, but on the
other hand a night spent at a hotel
was not without it's dangers in the cir:
cumstances. So George, who was
young, tall, muscular, and provided
with a revolver, started on his way
through the town.
He could hear the roar of the waves
as they broke upon the beach, he had
to fight against the wind when he
reached the corner of the street. But
on the whole the walk, for strong
young man, had it's pleasures, for the
snow had ceased to be binding, and
a battle with the wind stirs young
blood into pleasurable excitement. In
a very short time he had got clear Of
the town, and was on the high road in,
the open country.
Here the snow impeded his progress
more than he had expected; for there
was nothing in this high bleak spot to
check the caprices of the wind, which
swept almost bare great patches of the
open land, and swirled the snow into
heaps in unexpected places It was q
lonely walk enough, and George began
keeping the right way. There were
so few hedges or trees, and the feature
less character of the country made it
easy for the snow to blurr it's outlines
; until they were quite undistinguish-
able.
He felt rather relieved when he
caught the sound of human voices. He
> waited, as they seemed to be behind
him. He heard them again in the roar Of
the wind. He hailed the unseen persons,
but then the voices ceased. He pres
emily went on again until he was
startled to see in the darkness
between him and the sea the dim out
lines of two figures keeping pace with
him at little distance. He hailed
them again, and the figures promptly
vanished.
Without giving way to any cowardly
fears George began to wish that he had
been more discreet and that he had
stayed at a hotel. There was nothing
to do now, however, but to go forward
as quickly and carefully as he could,
for more than two-thirds of the dis
lance must have been traversed by this
time.
Unfortunately, however, soon after
this incident he lost his way, hopelessly
undeniably. He found himself houn.
dering, knee-deep, in snow, over some.
thing which might be freshly-plowed
field or which might be the ruins of a
i. house, but which was certainly not the
= open road.
After a few fruitless struggles tc
e get on firmer ground George
e again caught sight, a little way
!, to the left this time, of two figures
: which he perceived to be those
: of man and a woman. Just at the mo-
= ment of his discerning them the figures
parted, that of the man disappearing
: from view: while the woman held on
y her way.
y AS she was evidently on firm ground
5; George made towards her at once, not
t calling out, lest he should brighten her
q Before he came up with her, he saw
= by her walk and by her figure, that she
l. was young; and when he addressed
her, saying that he had lost his way,
O she turned her head quickly, and
l. showed him that she was adorably
a pretty. So entirely was he thrown off
e his balance by the unexpected sight Of
o such a lovely face, that he stopped
# short in the middle of his speech, and
|. left her to answer question which he
e had not finished asking
IS "You are on the high road-to St
Placid's," she said, quickly. ''Keer
W straight on
And then she glanced, with sudde1
ID change of expression, at the bag hi
e, was carrying. Before he could d.
y more than raise his hat and thank her
a she had hurried past him like hare
n with just one more look, penetrating
q intelligent, from his face to- the bag ii
7e his hand.
or George remained for moment stupe
r, fed; he stared at the retreating fgur,
~ before him, and fancied he saw he
a turn, with a gesture of invitation t,
III him to follow and catch her up. Act
N ing on the impression, he started for
ward, and then there flashed into hi
H. mind the words used by the detectiv
~ at the station: 1.-TWO well-know1
o. thieves, man and q aooman," had trav
eled down by the same train as him
e. self! He was at once ashamed of hi
n, momentary suspicion that the beauti
~ full girl he had just spoken to could b.
re anything but the angel she looked; bu
her furtive and eager chances at hi
1g bag required again and again to hi
ID mind.
The wind was still blowing YER
It. hard, and the snow, which had TO
O. n !