The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-05-04

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Suddenly she threw down the book
and rested a trembling hand on the Ia
Bile. Whence had come that sudden,
horrible thought which had leaped
upon her like beast Of prey, and was
nov no holding her in a deadly grip that
she could not shake OF? Elspeth did
not know; but before the horror Of 1t
she shuddered and covered her face,
feeling suddenly icy cold. though the
day was warm. s1s,
i am mad!" she whispered present
ly, letting her hands fall. God forbid
that anything so horrible should be
real! And yet why not go out myself
and-and avert danger, II there should
be any?"
Lady Westray was taking her after
luncheon nap. Elspeth ran downstairs,
put on hat in the hall and, starting
through the grounds, was soon on the
seashore path.
1t was September afternoon, and a
glorious day-not too sultry, but with
the first cool breath Of Autumn An the
air. AS Elspeth raced along. listening
to the soft swish-swish Of the waves
as they broke on the cliffs below, the
invigorating air seemed to Danish the
horrible fear that had seized her mind
in so sudden and wild fashion.
What a wicked, suspicious mind I
must have!" she thought. Even as the
thought passed through her mind she
noticed the tall figure Of man walk
ing rapidly toward her.
For a moment Elspeth thought 1t
was Evan Montieth, and her heart beat
fast; but in few seconds she saw her
mistake, and recognized him as Mag
nus Halcrow. On a sudden impulse
she moved from the pathway, and re-
treated towards the line of rowan-trees
and birches which ran along higher up
from the cliff.
AS she did so the whirring sound of a
bicycle coming rapidly along the road
startled her. She looked round. 1t
was Lilith, who came flying along the
dangerous road like a creature of the
woods and sea, her masses of reddish
auburn hair floating about her, her lips
parted, her eyes wild with excitement.
She was rushing at breakneck speed.
Elspeth could have shrieked aloud to
see her. r.
She was close to that dangerous part
the part of the cliff-road which was
so close to the rocks that it had been
guarded by palisade of wood for the
safety Of pedestrians or riders.
Only the day before the keeper had
come to inform Miss Stuart that d por-
ton Of the fencing had been broken
down, evidently by some malicious per-
son, and that the path was therefore
dangerous. Yet, in defiance of this,
Lilith had elected to ride along this
road today. Why had she done SO?
AS Elspeth gazed with fascinated
eyes, hardly drawing breath, at the
flying wheel and its rider, Magnus sud
denly emerged into the path round a
turning.
Did Lilith Stuart see him? Did she
recognize him? Did she take him for
some one else? None knew-none
should ever know in this world.
She rode on wildly, her pedals hard
ly seeming to revolve, so rapid was the
motion. A log lay across the road.
The rider could not have noticed it, for
the next moment her machine rocked
wildly.
A shrek rose to Elspeth's lips. She
checked it, with a strange feeling that
she herself was about to die.
Then-oh, God, how could Elspeth
look on it and still live?-the. pedes-
trian had sprung forward and evil
IDENTIFY made a wild attempt to seize
the machine. @
For one moment-it was all done in
the twinkling of an eye-Elspeth saw
Lilith Stuart's face as she wildly threw
her head backwards. Its expression of
horror. amazement and white despair
would haunt Elspeth as long as she
lived.
A scream rent the air-such scream,
as one hears in nightmare, and can
not forget for days-a scream from
Lilith's lips; and then-Elspeth was
gazing wildly at empty space! Man,
woman, bicycle-all had disappeared
Elspeth thought she uttered a cry;
in reality no sound came from her dry
lips and throat. She could never after
wards recall what she did. The first
thing she was conscious of was that
she was looking into Evan Monteith's
face and trying. with lips that refused
to move or do her bidding, to tell him
all. But she knew that he understood
her when she saw his own face grow
pale as death.
wait here" he said hoarsely, seiz-
ing her hand in a momentary grasp.
Il shall run for Nicholson, and we shall
go down to the shore together. Don't
move till come back"
When he returned she was still
there; but her expression frightened
even the keeper, and she was shivering
from head to foot like one in an ague.
Run on to the castle, Miss Troll.
Send men with stretchers," said Mon
teith, speaking very quietly. "Have
things ready for them, and pray God
they may be required"
Elspeth Troll only asked one oues-