Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-04-16

D tidl wen she SHouiu refuse 10 prom
( Use to become Burt's wife-and she
/ must refuse tie next time he asked
! her-then Dick would carry his threa,
! into execution and betray Rothesay' S
I hiding place.
I 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 il any way in her present weak.
/ ened slateo 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
I 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 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.
fore the owner of the horse was I'D. he
| 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 ont toward the road.
No one had seen her--no one. appar-
entity. had heard her.
On the highway she urged the horse
into a sallop. 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 heavil" 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
10 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 Grand 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 she ought
to despise this man, but contempt, if
she should ever feel it. had yet had
no time to change her love-
She took up stick from the ground
and pounded sharply on the door. She
had expected she would be some min.
utes in rousing Rothesay, for of course
he was asleep.
But she Immediately heard foot.
steps. for Rothesay, with his clothes
on. had only thrown himself on
couch, trying in vain to sleep.
That any one knocked was 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. but he fingered, hoping
every day his sister would gain suffi-
cient strength.
He knew that he must surrender,
still he could not resist the movement
of his hand toward the pocket where
his revolver was. and when he had
reached the door the weapon was in
his grasp.
Who is there" he asked.
open to me; must see you one
moment was the answer, in Kate
Purcell's voice, and Rothesay's blood
leaped as he heard it.
The next moment the door was flung
open. and he had seized her hand, cry
ing:
Good heavens, what has happened?
How did you come here? Alone, and
in the night; it is not safe for you!"
Kate saw that his first thought was
for her safety, and her heart gave a
great throb His voice. frank and
true, seemed to give the lie to all her
suspicion. But had she not seen? No.
she would betray no love to him again.
He tried to draw her within tho
room, but she resisted, while her