The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-03

and putting of marrying me until the
last momeat, because l had been shut
up IN convent until / was perfect
dowdy." and here she broke down in
angry tears. while sat statue of fear
and longing-longing to comfort and
protect her as no staid middle-aged
doctor would be supposed to comfort
young and helpless woman, and fea
1 lest the stern self-control l had bee
able SO far to exercise should brea>
down utterly under the strain of tina,
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 /
am she burst cut. Indignantly why,
it was for that reason and no other
that L was kept mewed up in that stuffy
old convent all those years, and never a
man to look at but priests and scsne
old things that did work about the
grounds"
1t is pitiful to confess that l WINGED
at this. 1t did not please me that she
should 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 married person
with a swollen eye you will wonder at
want to see menu" L wanted to ask her.
holly. but instead l cried softly: "Hark'
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.s l was right. From far up the
steep road there came TO us swift, hard
strokes, breaking startlingly upon the
silence and filing us with chill pre-
nf M
our victory seemed all but accomplish
ed They are following us" my COM
panion whispered, fearfully. creeping
nearer TO my side and resting there
tremblingly. They will not let me CO.
/ know it. Tomorrow my uncle was
to meet some men and finish the sale
of my mines. which have turned out TO
be full of something. They will kill
us if they find us here. oh, what shall
we do?' l
What should we do. indeed? At that
moment, as if to increase our perplex-
titles. the moon. which had been hiding
all night beneath a blanket of clouds,
burst forth suddenly, clothed in glisten-
ing garments. which lighted every nook
and Granny of the rugged scenery about
us. Far above lowered the snowy
peaks, while way down below, a dim
radiance, nesting close like a circlet
of gems against the earth's dark line.
the lights of the city lay. Above and
below us stretched a tortuouS path
upon which impatient hoofS were beat
ing not many rods behind: and We
what could we do, all unarmed as We
were. and at the mercy of an ancient
beast whose every motion seemed
wrung from him in bitter pain?
"Oh. you do not know my uncle; we
are lost,' came in am awed whisper
close beside me. and then a great des-
peration fell upon me. The road TO the
city stretched before u.s. Inside that
city there was justice to be had: help.
at least. Then reach that city we must
before those fleet hoofs behind had
tracked us down. With spring I
reached my feet, and folding the use
1 brought ii down upon the back of the
horse before me with all the energy of
a despairing mans last effort. "Go,"
cried, in a voice of thunder. then sank
back crushed with the certainty of de-
feat while nearer and yet nearer came
those ringing footballs, and a distant
shout told US that our black shape on
the moonlit track was already clear to
our pursuers.
But what of this? What magic had
that whip stalk held? What fire had
my hoarse cry infused into the huge
frame before me2 Or was it those clat- |
tering hoofs behind? Was the instinct |
of some ancient courser trembling |
through those starting veins, and prick
ing up with long buried fire the dull |
ears dropping beneath their rusty har- |!
ness? Scarce had that cry behind |
ceased echoing when the huge bulk of |
horse flesh before us began TO tremble