The Republican journal., 1901-01-17

; spent itself and that the thunder was
rumbling off toward the south.
When returned the lady had gotten
out of the feed-box and was standing
! beside my buggy, grasping the handle
I of a gOOd-SiZed travelling bag, and
wearing neat little hat. l noticed
that her dress was soaking wet and
| that a pair of gloves which she carried
had received drenching that had ter
minated their period of usefulness.
! Don't let us lose any time,'' she
, begged, and, without waiting for the
invitation that was about to give, she
tucked her bag under the seat of the
carriage and sprang lightly in after it.
There is no down train that stops at
Glenmore until in the morning, but
there is one that leaves our station,
which is the next below, at half-past
twelve. That means drive of over
four miles, but l think we can make
| 1t, | said, looking at my watch.
| ''That will do and you are very kind;
but do hurry" she implored as l
backed Kate out of the stable and
moved the door to the position which l
found it.
My companion gave sigh of relief
as we drove out of the gate, after which
for nearly mile she sat beside me in
silence. At last, arousing herself with
evident effort, she spoke:
Il appreciate your great kindness,
sir, and l will now give you the expla-
nation to which you are entitled. My
home is in Boston, but, owing to i'll
health, my husband has been obliged to
! give up his business there and seek en-
| ployment in a warmer climate. Some
weeks ago he succeeded in obtaining a
position in Caracas, Venezuela. He
| engaged passage on steamer which
sails early tomorrow morning, and all
our arrangements have been made. He
left for New York with the trunks on
| Tuesday, and | should have Joined him
! there last evening but for this horrible
| mlshap that befell me-
| She paused for moment to regain
! control of her voice. which had trem-
| bled at the recollection of what she had
| experienced.
! Il don't know whether you will be-
lieve what am going to tell you, for it
/ sounds more like fiction than TRUTH"
she continued presently. Il spent the
night before last with my sister at her
country place, which is twenty-five
miles this side of Boston and nearly
six from the railroad Her coachman
was driving me over to the train yeSter-
day afternoon, when, as we were pass
ing through lonely bit of woods,
we were set upon by two armed and
masked men, one of whom held pistol
/ to the drivers head. The other took
my purse, which | gave up without re-
sistance, thinking that they would then
leave us, but the thief jumped into the
carriage, and the next moment l was
breathing i'll something sweet and
stuperfying. | remember nothing more
until | came to in the house belonging
to the stable where you found me-"
THE Grayson house" l exclaimed.
! why, it has not been occupied for
| three years.
Exactly, and it was therefore con-
venient place for those wretches to
hide me. Oh, sir passed most anX-
lous night, as you may well imagine.
Perhaps you have wife of your own
Il have, madam, and five children, l
replied promptly.
Then try to imagine her in my posi-
tlon," she went on, 'locked in an upper
apparently far from any other habita-
ton, and in the power of two unscrupu-
lous men, who told me that they in
tended to keep me prisoner until my
husband had paid large sum of money
for my ransom"
l could not somehow imagine Louisa
as a victim of kidnapping episode.
| The part did not seem to suit her
''They brought me food, but | almost
feared to eat it, pursued the lady,
! land L have been faint for want of
nOurShment. | have never seen either
of the men without his mask, but this
evening | recognized quite plainly that
T the one who brought me my tea had
been drinking heavily. l kept thinking
! of this after he had gone and 'felt en-
couraged to try and escape. | thought
that they would probably both fall into
drunken sleep as the evening wore on,
for they doubtless felt that | was safe
! on a night like this, behind doubly
locked door and with the window TWEEN
ty feet from the ground. But they did
not know that | am something of an
athlete, and that the thick vine which
grows up the side of the house at dis
lance of hardly foot from that parti-
cular window seemed to me to afford a
comparatively easy means of descent"
what, you don't mean to say that
you climbed down that vine"' | cried.
Il certainly do" was the half-laugh
ing response.
But your bagr' l exclaimed.
ooh, | dropped that down on the soft
turf before l got out myself. You see,
the way l come to have the bag at all
is that the thieves must have brought
it, thinking that it might contain some
thing of value; but when they found
nothing but clothing and some books
that | was taking to read on the voy-
age, they returned it to me-"
you have certainly had a most re-
markable adventure, madam" l said.
"And l wish to congratulate you, not
only upon your escape, but on the
pluck and determination that accom-
plished it. Why, not one woman in a
thousand would have had the courage
to attempt what you did. 1 only hope
these miscreants may receive the pun
ishment that they deserve"
81 don't think l care very much
whether they do or not, now that 1 am
safe," was the reply ''My only desire
is to reach my husband; and 1 am 60
ing to ask you, sir, to say nothing Of
this matter to anyone until after noon
tomorrow. You could not report the
matter to the authorities without giving
them clew to my whereabouts, in
which case l should inevitably be de-
tanned for witness. My husband and