Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-13


skipped as she went, and even on the way
to the kirk in the evening she moved
lightly as TO a dancing measure.
But upon one thing l had set my mind
like iron. II IL were only to be as they said
"a separation for a time-a temporary Sc
questration, owing TO her state Of health
and family circumstances, all the more
reason that Kate must not be allowed to 60
alone. John Glendonwyn knew nothing OF
the matter. I had sworn not to reveal It,
either to my father or to him. / mis-
trusted all the others concerned. l would
not have given a nameless cur into such
hands-to Rupert-to Surgeon Warner or to
Gregory Glendonwyn Of the cold, gray and
impenetrable eye.
No, l had this fixed in my mind. It
might be necessary for Kate to go away for
a time. and. indeed, even l saw no other
way out Of II. Butt should go, too. And
to that end I began with what care and
secrecy l could muster to prepare for the
journey. l had put together som clothes
and necessities-a book or two, without
which l would have been lost, indeed. Also
l swore Kate not on any account to be per-
suaded to depart without telling me. And
l knew she would keep her promise, not
only because / made her swear to do so by
her love for Rupert, but because l myself
took an oath that IL she did not l should
have my father and brothers on her track
within an hour.
Finally all these things drew to a climax
on the afternoon of a certain chill blowing
day. when the square-set man in gray
brought me a note to my school room.
The carriage will be waiting at 4 O'Clock.
Walk out along the Drumfern road till you
meet 1t. The driver will have a blue
ribbon knot on his whip and the same about
his hat. He will stop when you hold up
your left hand. 1t will be best not to wait
for Fs return from school. After that
trust all to me-"
1 studied II carefully, the hum Of the
children growing louder about me as l
knit my brows over the curt, surprising
sentences. 1 dismissed the pupils with
out a hymn, hurried on my cloak, and.
holding the letter in my hand, / came
rapidly to a number Of conclusions, most
OF which we're afterward verified by ex-
p~erience. First, / judged that the letter
was written by Rupert Glendonwyn, but
to the dictation Of his father. The hand
writing showed the first; the care and pre-
cision of statement the second. Next 1t
had been intended that my sister should
be smuggled away without my knowledge.
but Kate, true to her promise, and in spite
of the hint conveyed in the letter itself,
had sent 1t to me-not being able to trust
herself to write.
Thirdly, fourthly and hundredthly, 1 had
no time to lose.
I was still studying the document when
the wind came and snatched 1t from my
fingers. I ran my best to recover 1t, but
the wind being high, in a moment 1t was
sailing high among the chimneys and gables
of the academy. was thus compelled
to abandon 1t and hurry as fast as / could
out over the bridge and along the Drum
fern road. Kate, l knew, would at the
same moment be coming toward me along
another side of a triangle. We would meet
at the apex-that is, the carriage, where
but one Of us was expected.
At last, being clear of the houses and
in great fear that / would get there too
late after all, l took to running as hard
as l could. Thank God, there was the
carriage! / could see it waiting-the driver,
a tall man in a blue pilot coat and mufied
I, the eyes, was sitting on the box. The
carriage was empty, but there. not 200
yards away, was Kate coming along the
roadside toward me. She scarcely looked
:, at me, she did not speak at all
!. but threw a parcel she carried under
her great cloak into the carriage and sank
> down. %fainting, on the cushions.
The door closed Of itself-but with me In
side. I heard the wheels grind on the
, macadam as I turned to restore my sister
And so long was / In succeeding that the
, swift-coming darkness Of a stormy night
was fast settling down when ! again looked
. out. Bleak dykes. the snow still lying be-
i hlhd them in the unsunned places, closed
. us In on either hand. We were out on q
wild moor, going / knew not whittier.