Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-09-25

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, suspectlng 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. lie looked into the cardroom;
his lordship was standing Mt the table,
looking on. "My lord" said the cap
tain In confusion. "where Is my wardY'
"Miss Molly? Why, captain, put
her into her chair 1--WE minutes ago.
She is gone"
"Her chair?' The captain turned pale.
"Her chair Is now Mt the door with her
chairmen."
What dcvilry is forward2" cried
Lord Fylingdalc. ''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
have said before, Mt the entrance Of the
long room. Outside the trees We're
hung with colored lamps; the place
was as bright rs In the sunshine Of
noon. One would think that nothing
could be done In such place which
would not be observed. There is, how
ever, one thing which is never OBJ
servcd-it is the personal appearance
of servants No ono regards tho boat
man of the ferry or the driver of the
hackney coach or the postboy or the
chairman. The chair, then, stood with
Its door open opposite to the entrance
of the long room. The chairmen stood
retired, little in the shade, but not
30 fur of us to need calling, when
Lord Fylingdale handed in the lady.
This done, he stood, hat in hand,
bowling. The chairmen stepped up
briskly, seized the poles and marched
of 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 Mt them;
no one remarked the fact that Tom
Rising walked out of the long room d.
rectly nfterward md followed the
chair. Within Molly sat, unsuspecting,
excited by the triumphs of the evening.
The chair passed through the gardens
and its 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. l 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 Mt 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 north
erly direction, perhaps to South Woot-
ten.
She perceived. therefore, that some
deyilry was going on. Now she was
not girl who would try to help her
self in such deserted and lonely spot
by shrieking, nor did she SEQ that any
good purpose would be served by call
ing to tho chairmen to let her Aut. She
sat up, therefore. her heart beating q
little faster than usual. and considered
what she should do.
Molly, though not q woman of fash
ion, understood by this time her value,
especially in the eyes Of the adventur-
or. and She also understood quite clear
ly ut this moment that she had been
carried away without the knowledge of
her guardian and that the intention of
the abduction was nothing more or less
than forced marriage and the acqul.
sItion of her fortune. Jack" she told
me afterward, II confess that I did
wish, just for little, that you might
be coming along the road with a trusty
| club, but then l remembered that I
was no puny threadpaper of q woman,
but as strong as most men, and took
courage. Weapon had none except q
steel bodkin, gilt, stuck In my halr-a
small thing, but 1t might servo If any
man venturcd too near, and thought
besides, thnt there would be q hue and
cry and that tho country round would
be secured In all directions. They
would most certainly grow tired Of
carrying inc about In chair; they
must stop somewhere and put me into
some place or other. thought also
that / could easily manage to keep of
ono man or perhaps two and that II
would be very unlikely that more than
one would attempt to force me into
marriage. Perhaps might escape
Perhaps might barricade myself. Per
haps my bodlsin might help me to save
myself. l would willingly stab mar
to the hear with it. Perhaps NIGH
pick up something-h griddle would bt
q weapon handy for Draining man, OF
even q frying pan would do. What
ever happened. Jack, was resolved
that nothing, not even fear Of murder
should make me marry the man who
had carried mo Off"
rhArn ara found scattered about thu