The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-04-18

That when she should refuse 10 prom
Use to become Burt's wife-and she
must refuse the next time he asked
her-then Dick would carry his threat
into execution and betray Rothesay's
hiding place.
She had gone with Burt that night
that she nigh warn Rothesay, and now
she could lose no time. Her lover was
lost to her, but she would save him
just the same.
But was she able to walk that dis
lance before daylight?-was she able
to do 1t any way in her present weak
ened state? She dared not undertake
to walk for fear she would fall by the
wayside.-
But she must go; no other could do
the errand, and the next day she must
say that word to Burt which would
send him on his errand to reveal Roth
esay's secret.
Kate could think of but one way,
and that was very risky. One of the
neighbors owned a horse which was
kept in an old barn near by. Kate had
often borrowed the horse to ride horse
back over to the village.
She must borrow it now, and with
out leave, and she must not linger.
She lit a match and looked at the
clock on the shelf. 1t was not quite
twelve. Possibly she might ride to
the woods, do her errand and get back
before people would be stirring. She
must try. If she could get back be.
f0r0 tho wv ar NJ tho h1rco vyoc ,,~ hn
might wonder who had borrowed his
horse in the night, but she would not
tell him. She wished the summer
mornings did not dawn so early.
In ten minutes after Burt had left
Kate at her home she was hurrying
through the darkness toward the barn
where the horse stood.
People did not fear thieves much in
that section, and this warm night the
barn door stood half. open. +.
How fervently Kate praped that no
one would hear the horses feet as she
led him out of the door. She did not
know what she should say should any
one come upon her and question her
actions.
Rapidly she saddled the horse,
mounted and rode out toward the road.
No one had seen her-no one, appar-
emily, had heard her.
On the highway she urged the horse
into a gallop, and kept him at it al
most every step of the way to the
place where Burt had stopped, SO that
the animal was painting heavily and
sweating %profusely.
She tied him to a tree limb and
pushed on afoot, and soon discovered
how impossible it would have been for
her to have found the way had it not
been for the trail of little pieces of
paper that she had made when she
came with Burt. But by the aid of
these little white specks she was ena-
bled to go. on without pause of any
length of time until she came to the
very spot where she had been stand
ing, and had seen Rothesay and his
companion.
Hitherto she had not paused to
think how she should present herself
to Vance. Now that she had reached
the place it seemed impossible that
she could address him now that she
knew his treachery.
But she must not pause. She must
do her errand. and then go away.
She did not tremble. She felt that
her nerves were strung like steel as
she walked across the open to the door
Of the hut.
She must remember that sba oneh+
i'd despise this mar INT contemnt -
she should ever feel Il. had vet had
NO time ia change her love.
She took nm q stick from the Ground
and pounded sharply on the door. She
had exnected she wonld ha some mir.
utes in rousin,g Rothe,say; for Of course
he was asleep.
But she Immediately heard foot.
steps, for Rothesay, withaaAs clothes
on, had only thrown himself on a
couch, trying in vain TO sleep.
That any one knocked.xas to him
almost proof that officers had at length
tracked him, and he did not wonder.
He had intended to be far away long
before. this, hut he fingered .h6Dina
every day his sister would gain TN.
Client strength. axifassss1ss
He knew that he mustassQa
still he could not resist III =
of his hand toward the peel
his revolver was, and whe5
reached the door the weapu