Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03

and sit straight on the horses back. How
| ever. l remembered that he would be sure
| to go right back to Castle Cover because
| his stable was there. And indeed so he did
| never stopping and never trotting hard all
| the highland 1 praying to God to give me
| what was best for my baby-which, of
| course. was that l should see Rupert, his
| father.
And all at once as the morning began
| to come up gray over the black hills l
| heard a far-away sound of galloping and !
| grew deadly afraid.I slipped off, alighting
on a green bank at the top Of deep as
cent under trees at the foot of which a
river ran. But the horse, after standing a
| moment with his ears turned back, listen
= ing, took fright at the sound of hoofS and
with flourish of his heels he scampered
| off down the road.
And l ran as fast as I could down, past
little house and white sign post like a
| tall ghost-one of those all about Tres
psssers.' And then all in moment it
| came to me where L was. The good beast
| mad not carried me wrong. l was at the
| place called the Green Dock, at the end of
| the patch by which Rupert used to slip
| through the policies to meet me at the old
| burying ground.
| And L stopped to laugh-happy that ]
| was so near Rupert, and thinking how
| happy l ought to be to have such lover
| and such a husband When the noise OF
| the galoping came suddenly louder and
| nearer, it seemed almost at the top of the
| Dock. And then a strange and terrible
| liiiiS IdppeHeu was just gong 10 moe
| myself in the fir plantation, where it is
| black as pitch, when l heard-oh it cannot
| be that l really did hear 1t. But seemed
! to hear my Rupert's voice crying out ter
rible Words-words that it hurts me even
to think about-and cursing his brother,
and you, Fairlie, and the day that ever he
saw me.
Then 1 knew that the little tick-tick de-
mon In my brain was at his tricks again.
So let my cloak drop and ran out of the
gate to meet Rupert and cast myself on
his bosom.
1T was dark, yet I seemed to see every
thing They say mad people see in the
night like cats, and l was mad that night,
dear Fairlie-mad-mad, or 1 should never
have seen the terrible things did see
First, seemed to see my Rupert come
gaioplns furiously along on black horse,
looking over his shoulder at pursuer who
rode still faster and ever called on him to
stop. Then, as he came opposite the turn
stlie gate L stepped out to him and held up
papy IN my arms: | was all in white, and
baby, too. for 1 had dropped my cloak to
look pretty for my husband. l liked that
ne should see us first like that And in the
| darkness of the night he saw us-or what
ever f1end of darkness was riding there in
MS shape-yes, l saw him and he saw me-
AND then, oh, what cry went up, like
that of poor damned soul out of the ter
rlble pit! And in moment all was whirled
out OF my sight down to the bottom Of the
Green DOCK, purSuer and pursued and as il
seemed amid the galloping of many furious
horses Then terror took me by the throat
| ran as fast as / could down the path till
was lost. and could hear and see no more
terrible things. After that l remember no
more, except just wrapping the babe tight
er and going on and on and always on, with
my feet burning like fire, and my knees
trembling beneath me, and the dust rising
up in my eyes, till somehow 1 came to the
place where Rupert and l had been so
happy, beyond the cleft trees in the old
burying ground. But even there l could
not rest very long.
For the galloping of horses was always
about me. 1 heard the ring of their shoe
iron | saw the sparks fly from the stones
beneath their feet. And I went ever faster
| and faster till-Fairlie, that is all! l am
take baby from me! Let him lie on the
pillow beside me. 1 think I shall know
| that he is there even in my sleep!"