Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-20
9fef]fHE { HE LADY
Of f. 'TNN.
BY SIR WALTER BESANT.

| 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. put
her into her chair five minutes ago.
She is gone"
"Her chair?" The captain turned pale.
"IIer chair Is now at the door with her
chairmen."
what d"''ilry 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
have said before. Mt 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 he done In such place which
would not he observed. There is, how
ever. one thing which is never OBJ
Served--ii il 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. q little in the shade. but not
so far off as to need calling, when
Lord Fylingdale handed In the lady.
This done. he stood. hat In hand.
bowing. 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
Rising walked out Of the long room di-
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 cllairmen turned to the left
and so through the town gate and be-
yond the wall and into the open fields.
Yet Molly observed nothing. I 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. hut only DINNER outline. with
deeper shadows. Molly. who knew the
country around Lynn perfectly we'll.
understood ut 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 4 north
erly direction. perhaps to South Woot-
ten.
She perceived. therefore, that some
devil.y was going on. Now she was
not Il girl who would try to help her
self in such deserted and lonely spot
by shrirking. 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
little faster than usual, and considered
what she should do.
Molly. though not woman Of fash
ion. understood by this time her value,
especially in the eyes Of the adventur-
er. and she also understood quite clear
w nj 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 a forced marriage and the acqul.
sition of her fortune. "Jack," she told
me afterward. 81 confess that | did
wish. just for little, that you might
be coming along the road with trusty
club. but then | remembered that !
WAS no puny threadpaper Of woman,
but as strong as most men, and took
courage. Weapon had none except
steel bodkin. gilt, stuck In my hair-a
sinai! thing, but it might serve II any
man ventured too near, and thought,
besides, that there would be hue and
cry and that the country round would
be secured In all directions. They
would most certainly grow tired Of
carrying me about in a chair; they
init stop somewhere and put me into
SO:lr place or other. thought also
tEat | could easily manage to keep off
oue HILL of pcFuapS t"o aHu liiul IL
would be very unlikely that more than
one would attempt to force Inc into
marriage. Perhaps l might escape.
Perhaps might barricade myself. Per
haps my bodkin might help ME to save
myself. would willingly stab man
to the heart with it. Perhaps I might
pick up something-a griddle would be
a weapon handy for Draining man, or
even a frying pan would do. What