The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-09-12
night. have found out q short way
to fortune. The richest man in the


with compliments Of the common kind
such as would suit milkmaid, but
were not proper for modest woman
to hear. To these, however, Molly re-
turned no reply and danced as if She
heard them not. She then rejoined
Lady Anastasia and with her retired to
the cardroom, whittier many of the
young men followed her. She stood
beside her ladyship and obliged the
young men by choosing cards for them.
which they lost or won. Tom Rising
followed her and stood beside her with
flushed face and trembling hands. It
was remarked afterward that he Seem
ed to assume the care Of her. He kent
gazing upon Molly with fierce and raw
enous looks like wolf who hungers
after his prey and lives to wait for It.
He played the while, however, and lost
during the evening, I believe, some
hundreds of pounds, but for reasons
which you will presently hear he never
paid that money. ss5.
Molly next had a second dance with
his lordship. After it had been finished
he offered her the refreshment of wine
or chocolate, but she declined, saving
that the captain now would be wishing
her to 60 home and that her chair
would be waiting. -
So his lordship led her to the door.
where indeed her chair was waiting.
but no captain, and, bowling low, he
handed her in and shut the door, and
he returned to the assembly, and Mol
ly's chair was Immediately lifted up
and borne rapidly away, she sitting
alone, thinking of the evening and of
her great triumph, suspecting no evil
and thinking Of no danger.
"A minute later the captain came to
the door. There he saw Molly's chair
men waiting with her chair. He look
ed about him. Where was Molly? He
returned to the assembly; the girl was
not there. He looked into the cardroom:
his lordship was standing at the table.
looking on. "My lord" said the cap
tain in confusion, "where is my ward ~
"Miss Molly? Why, captain, I put
her into her chair five minutes ago.
She is gone" .;5t.
"Her chair?'' The captain turned pale.
Her chair is now at the door with her
chairmen." - ~
what devilry is forward?" cried
Lord Fylingdale. "Come with me.
captain. Come with me.''
The chair into which Molly stepped
without suspicion and without even
looking for the captain, who should
have walked beside her, stood, as I
have said before, at the entrance of the
long room. Outside the trees were
hung with colored lamps; the place
was as bright as in the sunshine of
noon. One would think that nothing
could be done in such a place which
would not be observed. There is, how
ever, one thing which is never OBJ
served-it is the personal appearance
Of servants. No one regards the boat
man Of the ferry or the driver of. the
hackney coach or the postboy or the
chairman: The chair, then, stood with
it's door open opposite to the entrance
of the long room. The chairmen stood
retired, little in the shade but not
so far off as to need calling, when
Lord F'ylingdale handed in the lady.
This done, he stood, hat in hand,
bowling. The chairmen stepped up
briskly, seized the poles and marched
Off with the quick step of those who
have light burden to carry. No one
observed the faces Of the chairmen,
or indeed thought of looking at them;
no one remarked the fact that Tom
80 %Io To-
rectly afterward and followed the
chair. Within Molly sat, unsuspecting,
excited by the triumphs of the evening.
The chair passed through the gardens
and it's gates. Instead of turning to the
right, which would lead into Hayman's
lane, the chairmen turned to the left
and SO through the town gate and be-
yond the wall and into the open fields.
Yet Molly observed nothing. think
she fell asleep. When she came to her
self, she looked out of the window. On
the right and on the left Of her were
open fields.
1t Was a clear evening. Toward the
middle of May there is no black dark
ness, but only DINNER outline, with
deeper shadows. Molly, who knew the
country around Lynn perfectly well,
understood at once that she had been
carried outside the town; that she was
no longer on the highroad, but on one
OF the cross tracks-one cannot call
them roads-Which connect the vii
lagos, SO that there was very little
chance Of meeting any passengers or
vehicles. And by the stars she saw
that they were carrying her in a north
erly direction, perhaps to South Woot-
ten.
She perceived, therefore, that some
devilry was going on. Now she was
not girl who would try to help her.
self in such a deserted and lonely spot
by shrieking, nor did she see that any
good purpose would be served by call
ing to the chairmen to let her out. She
sat up, therefore, her heart beating a