The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-25

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voice say:
Yes. yes: Wen settle Mr.. Lancaster's
fine place for him, he shan't brag about
that any more. L owe him one ever since
last Bench day. Yes. yes. my lad; you
best do"
'Do." said Fan to herself. with beat
ing heart. land a plot against Herbert
Lancaster" That was the horror.
All fears for herself were swallowed W
in the deadly terror which took possession
of her heart. Falling on her knees, she
crawled stealthily to the fence by the plan
tation. and there heard a plot disclosed
with fear.
II must warn him." she said to herself,
''at all risks l must warn him.
Slowly and noisclessly. therefore. she
arose, but alas, before she could start
three men came .out Of the pines a little
way behind her. She heard, as in dream,
brutal voice saying. with an oath, THAT
wench has been listening; but she shant
have a chance of telling tales" and then
through the soft air came the report of
firearms. a girls wild scream, and the
hasty scuttling away of heavy feet. After
that, perfect silence, and the moon coming
out of cloud bathed the down in silvery
light.
There on the heathery turf, with her pale
face turned up to the sky. lay poor Fan.
white and motionless. Surely the wretches
themselves might have pitied her.
One ruffian. indeed, crept back for d mo-
ment to make sure she was quite dead. He
looked for moment at the white young
face which seemed stiffening before his
eyes, then with a brutal kick he called out:
Dead enough; and she is the parsons
daughter"
Hush, hush," came back in anxious
tones; and then voices ana footsteps died
away and there was nothing to be heard
but the signing of the wind through the
| gloomy pines.
| The girls white face looked like marble
| in the moonlight. But presently there came
a change; could it be the wavering shadow
of the pines over her still white face? No;
she moves-she lives. Fans eyes unclose-
she has all this time been shamming.
| The girl sat up with a gasp and a shud-
der. What the self-restraint had cost her
she could never tell-she had turned into
an unconscious little heroine. Her only
J thought was, II must save Mr.. Herbert at
all risks
| But then there was no time to spare.
Looking anxiously around to be sure she
was quite alone Fan brushed back her
| wavy hair, pressed her hat firmly on her
brows, and. throwing her skirt over her
arm. she fed like a deer. hoping to find the
| short cut over the downs. She rushed
mady on. but alas. the path was not easy
| to find. Once she stopped in her headlong
course and turned her face up to the moon
lit sky.
Fan lived in an atmosphere of church
going and prayer, yet in all her short and
happy life she had never really prayed but
once. and that was when it thought
her favorite brother Jack going to die.
| She prayed then, and she prayed now from
her very heart.
But she only stopped for an instant. She
went up hill and down dale, through hedges
and clumps of bracken. past the ghostly
barrows, along the remains of Roman
road. grassgrown and desolate, down a
sheer precipice-almost like the sides of a
house, slipping. tumbling, catching hold of
the stunted jumpers and low brushwood to
| keep her steady 1t was a race against
time-but Fan won.
On reaching the Grange she slipped in by
a side entrance and went straight to Her
bert Lancasters study.
He was resting before dinner, as she ex-
pected. He had been out shooting, had
made poor bag that day. and was inclined
10 be cross. He looked down ruefully at
his CATERS, and thought what bother it
was to dress for dinner; he wished little
Fan were there, and at that very moment
the miserable little figure OF Fan appeared.
With a beating heart, with every limb
shaking from exhaustion and nervous ter
ror. with hat battered out of all shape,
with scratched face and bleeding hands.
and a dress torn to tatters, our poor little
heroine appears before the hero.
''Oh, my God." shouted Herbert, starting
up Fan, what is it?"
He made a step forward and caught her
In his arms, just as the place was going
round and round with poor Fan. His anx-
ious. frightened face, the sure haven of
his room. went to her heart with mex
pressible comfort. But she must tell him.
'Oh, don't let me faint she cried piteous-
". st must ,eIl you something"
But the look on her poor little scratched
| face was too much for Mr.. Lancaster.
With trembling hands he put her into an
easy chair and rang the bell furiously.
Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper. appeared
| 81 came instead of one of the servants,
Mr.. Herbert she said, because you rang
your bell in such an extraordinary man
ner, and my mistress objects to bells being
rung furiously."
Furious ringing indeed, Wilson Don't
talk such rot; just look here!' shouted Mr.
Lancaster. wrathfully.
The housekeeper looked shocked as she
stepped forward into the room and saw the
battered little figure in the chair. She saw
the girls quivering lips, the struggle for
breath and speech. and knew collapse
was at hand. Picking her up tenderly she
placed her full length on couch and told
Mr. Lancaster TO give her some water from
a carafe which was standing on the table
quick. sir. for your very life," she said
With shaking hand and troubled face
Mr.. Lancaster brought the water.
'.Ah! that is BETTER said poor Fan, with
a gasp. and pulling herself upright on the
couch she cried: You mustn't let me