The Republican., 1900-11-22

10 "iOhS
Wrong decidedly. The horse on the
left, swerving with fright at some OBJ
ject-possibly the gaunt, rotting cara
vels of Columbus-had covered down,
had SHE'D sideways. In struggling up
! the pole was thrown over his back.
Frantic with terror at his efforts to
free himself, lie reared, heaved,
plunged.
Give me the reins!" cried the girl.
''I'll hold them. You get out and lift
the pole. Quick"
There was no answer.
She looked hastily around. Dildfne
sat stirless. His face was ghastly. His
heavy lower jaw had fallen. y bewil-
dered terror glared from his set eyes.
Quick" she cried again. ''The
reins!''
They fell from his nerveless fingers.
At the same instant the maddened
beast freed itself from it's unaccus-
| toned incumbrance, scrambled to its
| feet, and then-its furious fright com
municated to its mate-dashed wildly
southwark. Lila had grasped the reins
was straining at them with all the
vigor and tensity of her strong young
body. But it would have taken more
muscular arms than hers to have ar
rested that headlong fight. Then
! just as her grip began to relax ever
so slightly-an obstacle ahead in the
shape of temporarily abandoned
buggy-brought surge of fresh fear.
Dildine saw it and scrambled to his
! feet. The next instant he had leaped.
He landed in a mass of dank leaves at
| the roadside. And Lila-deserted-
still holding fast to the reins - sat
stone still, resolute, waiting for death.
They were close upon the buggy
now. Her arms seemed to be
wrenched from their sockets. She
shut her eyes. A prayer of her baby.
hood days came to her lips.
Dear God" she began.
Then she was dimly conscious that
the speed was less rapid. The strain
on her wrists was not so agonizing
She opened her eyes. Something black
was hanging from the head of the
horse on the left-was swaying back
and forth.
Fierce fear seized her for the first
time.
you will be killed." she tried to
shrek. You are mad! Let go! You
viii be killed." But she knew that nc
word passed her dry lips.
Ten t-ffteen-twenty!
Snorting, sweating, trembling, the
conquered beasts stooo still. And the
men who had risked his life to save
a woman's looked bewildered into that
woman face.
''Lila!" he painted ''Lila-is it
you?"
He was covered with dust. His
clothes were torn. His hands were
bleeding. She dropped to the ground
came and stood beside him. Her
lips quivered Still she could not
! speak.
81 was wandering over there" he
said, indicating the desolate fair
grounds. Il often come here. | have
no home, you know" The simplicity
of the bitter confession hurt her. "No
home-and but few friends. I saw the
runaway. l did not dream you were
the woman. VINO was with you?
Where is he?"
She found voice fast enough then
voice and indignant utterance.
Burton Dildine was with me. And
he jumped to save himself--the
coward!"
| "Hush! Here he is now!"
He came up, begrimed as to at
tire, solicitous, apologetic, explana-
| tory, but unhurt.
Lila turned from his self-exculpa-
tory torrent of words with uncon.
cealed disgust.
evil you take me home, Mr.. Clar-
endon?" she asked.
They had to walk quite a distance
! to get a carriage. Lila noticed that
several times he WINGED and hesitated
She noticed. too, that he useu only his
left arm in helping her into the ve-
hicle. But it was not until-refusing
to come in and allow her father to
thank him-not indeed, until the next
day did she learn that in his desper-
ate struggle his right arm had been
broken.
That he should act as her fathers
secretary for some time to come was
obviously impossible. But one may
fancy that those days OF helplessness
which followed were the happiest Max
! Clarendon had ever known.
When lie was able to resume his
duties he found that Burton Dildine
was no longer partner of John Wills
berg.
Papa bought out his interest" Lila
explained. my father could not for
give him-and I would not receive
him"
The routine of life seemed to have
settled down into its old groove. But
withal there was a difference. Clar.
endon was made much of y the mas.
ter of the house, who daily came to
depend more and more upon him. II
was he who broke down the barriers
which pride had erected.
Lad" he asked, "am | mistaken in
thinking you love my girl?'
81 have loved her since the first
hour I saw her, sir"