Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

then ua aiI =, the pack Xent our OF S sSto
the field Of vision. PatI ia wondered what
It meant-the ground II front, no longer
rising, seemed smooth hhd level. A dull.
enaa ber5e heavy and saan
cut by which the railway slipped through
the plouEhland.
Pack and quarry were safely over it. No
cut. not even coming to It fresh=-how much
less: then: blown. at the end Of a ringing
brought Ruby to her haanches. half turned
Mrs Loudon! Stop! Pull up! At once! Hear
the train comingv'
The dull roaring was louder, nearer. Mrs
Loudons face blancheds but her eyes held
to turn and ride down rfher adversary; IS
well might she have tried to rein fire In
wind. Caringorm had the bit In his teeth
he was no more angry with Ruby, but
iuii OF deadly rage against the rider VINO
had slashed him so cruelty He meant to
run and run until he found something high
enough, stout enough to crush her. Inc
cut lay less than two hundred yards ahead
ne would try to sweep it, fall 1nevltably-
ana fall; carrying down his rider; right IN
the track OF the swiftly approaching train
In IN flash all this came to the he two NO. Wo
men, Mrs Loudon, cold and sick, Stacked
rein, and made as If to leap That lost her
all chance of saving herself-even then
rider who did not know fear might have
mastered the brown. But he had all
vicious beasts contempt for a rider he
could frighten. He shook himself, gave
louder screaming snort and swept straight
on. Now he led-all of ten yards Patricia
whistied again and again. Ruby lay down
to the work, straning after the brown,
and gaining spare gains at each stride.
Almost upon the cuts brink she came up
with HIM Mrs Loudon sat quite still
really leap. The reins swayed loosely
within her nervous fingers. Patricia called
to her: Let go! Free your foot! l shall
try to take you off safe!"
1t was perilous endeavor. If the horses
collided, fell and rolled all would go down
to death together. If either swerved
hairs breadth, they must collide. Then
there was the chance that Patricia would
be dragged from her saddle by the other
woman's superior weight. Still it was the
only way. With set teeth. tense as bow
string in every fiber, Patricia leant from
saddle. locked her right arm about Mrs.
Loudon's waist, drew her clear, and held her
clingfng and struggling, while she wheeled
Ruby, checked speed and drew away from
the perilous verge.
Cairngorm proved how perilous. With one
mad, mighty, scrambling leap he tried to
clear the cut. He even got hold for his
fore feet upon the brink opposite, but the
crumbling sands gave under his hoofs. He
went rolling and screaming down, to lie
with his neck broken before the train. 1t
slowed up barely in time to save wreck,
after 1t had pushed the dead beast ten
yards along the rails.
Mrs. Loudon watched his end with fas-
cinated eyes. you saved me from that"
she said, shuddering strongly-then tainted
dead away. Before she came to the rest
Of the hunt had come up. People from the
stalled train also sWarmed about her. An
struther was one of them, Anstruther BEAM
ing like cherub Patricia, some little way
off, was shamelessly fondling a slight, dark
browed stranger, quite ignoring Rothwell
upon her other hand.
I've been playing good fairy Anstruth-
er explained when Mrs. Loudon was little
recovered. 1.-The lassie yonder," nodding
toward Patricia was denying a true man.
indeed, all true men, because fll-tongued
folk who knew nothing said her brother,
that dark lad, had spent money not his
own. The lad, We see, suffered for fault
higher up-but since he couldn't prove 1t
he went away to work-under another
name. He couldn't deny his favor though
Il knew him rightly the meenit 1 set eyes
on the lass. Then I went to work. him
I'd known these seven years. Things were
Strengthened unco' easy;that's one good Of
filthy lucre. Today 1 went to fetch him,
little dreaming what we should come upon
right here. Now the lass has shown We
the mettle she's of, We must agree, Roth
well will get prize
"a prize indeeda' Mrs. Loudon echoed,
with a break in her voice that told An
struther many things she did not care to
have him know.