The Holly chieftain., 1900-06-29

minute Eluebcll said. very pale pur
very determined. Il have been think
ing over what you said last night. I
cannot do what you wish. 1t would be
crime to sell myself to man Z
loathe and fear. But-but you must
escape. This is the time to do 1t. when
all the country Is In confusion, and
people are leaving every day. Yon
must go down to Durham and get to-
England. Aunt Elizabeth and ] shall
stay on here, and we can send you tho
money we make. The only thing We
have to do is to throw Mr.. Moore on
the scent"
He had been glaring at her with .
look that vaguely terrified Bluebell mp
| to this moment Now he interrupted
her In hoarse, sullen tone.
"You are mad, child! You don't
know what you are talking about!
am not going to escape. or to do any
such thing, in the meantime. As for
| you, you will have to make up your
mind sooner or later to marry Gerald
Moore; but he Is not going to insist
at once. You will have week or two
| in which to accustom yourself to the
idea that seems SO disagreeable to
you"
He turned without another word
and walked out of the room. BluebelI
looked after him, with mingled agony
and humiliation In her heart.
He had not always been like this
Bluebell could remember her early
years of childhood in far-off Scot
land, when a sweet-faced, brown
haired woman ruled the house. ana
Adam Leslie had been as different
from what he was now as day is from
night.
Then the sweet mother had died.
and Leslie had been turned out of the
inheritance he had thought would be
his, by cousin, long supposed to be
dead, turning up; and, In sullen, de-
fant mood, the man had set on for
South Africa, taking his sister with
him. The passion for making money
had entered his heart, which seemed
to have no longer any sweet home
affection to soften it since his wife
died; and he had become harder and
more sullen and more immersed in
money making until this fearful end
had come.
A day or two passed. Gerald Moore
; seemed to have disappeared, and Blue
bell began to breathe more freely.
! Perhaps, after all, he was not so bad
as she had thought; perhaps her evi-
dent aversion to the idea of marrying
him had offended him. and decided
him to act a more. merciful part than
he had at first intended.
Meantime, too. they had heard no
: further news of the invading Beers.
One night Bluebell had gone to her
own room rather earlier than usual.
She had had headache-an uncom-
\ mon ailment with her-and, saying to
:, her aunt that she felt sure that there
was thunderstorm coming, she bade
her goodnight and went to bed; but
: for long time she could not sleep.
The night was very hot-an unusual
thing at that season. when, though
the days are swelteringly warm, the
nights are correspondingly cold-and
there was the strange stiffness in the
air which precedes a thunderstorm.
Bluebell lay waiting for the first sud-
den clap of thunder, the first dazzling
blaze of lightning, all her nerves un-
! strung. not by fear, but by the over
charged electricity in the air, and her
own throbbing temples.
At last Bluebell's ears, strained to
catch any noise, detected a strange
> throbbing sound; but it seemed to be
very far away. 1t was certainly not
the rumbling of thunder. Was 1t a
real sound, or did it exist only in her
fancy, in the throbbing tympanum of
her ear? Bluebell lay still and lis
tened.
No, 1T was no fancy! She heard II
u again, and this time more distinct.
u 1t was the sound OF horses hoofs-of
many horses hoofs-Bluebell well
knew. though the noise produced was
not that of several distinct sounds,
but of one galloping along the wagon
u path of the veldt
Bluebell started up in bed, sudden
J, trembling seizing her. The Beers! OF
course it was the Beers. She did not
have a doubt on the subject. But in
what direction were they going. All!
" they were coming towards New Kelso!
9 She could hear their horses approach
;. ing every moment.
: Almost mechanically Bluebell threw
Il herself out of bed and dressed herself
quickly, then thrust her feet into heI
slippers. All the house was silent. II
! / nh 1 N mi n in q