The National tribune., 1903-11-05
CHAPTER v.
MALINA's FLIGHT,

At the moment the frightened Malina
sank senseless to the earth under the
touch of the cold, clammy hand Of the
white-faced stranger, q third party, nike
an enraged lion, burnt on the scene. That
person was the man who had once saved
her from terrible death, and whose heart
she had won. Just a. the white-faced
stranger stopped to raise her from the
ground, blow from the fist Of Uncle
Owen sent him spinning out into the full
light of the moon, where he fell In a heap
IN the carriage path.
'Malina. Malina! my loved! my OWE"
cried Uncle Owen. and STOPPING he raised
the insensibie woman In his erms. The
whitefaced man, only stunned BY the
blow, started from the ground and
matched a pistol:
There was q binding fash, sharp re-
port, and the bullet Erazed the cheek of
the kentuckian. Uncle Owen was I'M
armed, and felt himself at the mercy Of
the assassin The moonlight and fash Of
the pistol revealed to him that deathly
pale face he had first seen on that burning
boat. Tenfoid intensified was the ugiiness
of those hateful features as tho monster,
1t the man who had dared come to the
rescue Of a helpless woman.
The echoes of the pistol had scarce
ceased to reverberate among the trees,
when two young strong negroes came run
ming to the scene, crying:
What am it. nasterf Who dun shot2
THAT: rascal In the carriage path
Catch him.
The Whitehead man. realizing his
danger, and not knowing the number of
his pursuers, fed. The negroes were
swift Of foot, but the mysterious stranger
was swifter, SO that he reached the river,
leaped into boat and was half way
across when they came upon the bank.
Meanwhile Uncle Owen had borne his
tnsensible burden to the house and laid
her on the sofa.
well, what ID the matter With her
now" asked Mr1 Redgrave. with nose
elevated several degrees higher than
usual.
Peace, Sister Lucretia.s The poor girl
has had terribIs fright, and her nervous
system received a severe shock
Indeedl I should think she, had met
with 50 many adventures in strollinE over
the earth. that nothing would shock either
nerves or modesty."
Don't speak SO Of her, pieasev'
why not7 am mistress of my own
Though Uncle Owen thought that a dis
puted question, for the sake of harmony
he did not say so.
'.Sister, please gse some restoratives,,
and help bring her back to life, he said.
Mrs. Redgraye called to one Of the ser
wants. to bring some smelling salts, and
left the room.
When Malina regained consciousness
she found herself In the parlor with Owen
Redgrave and a negro girl.
"Where am I? What was it? What
happened?" she asked, struggling to a sit
ting position and staring about the room.
BE calm, Malina; you are safe," Uncle
Owen whispered.
"Oh, was it dream? Was it dream?"
abe cried, cor did 1 see--some one"
You were frightened by tramp, Ma
lima, but he Is gone. and you need fear
him no longer"
She seemed not to have fully recovered
consciousness. and in half delirious way
continued:
"Oh, that face; that awful white face
God in Heaven, is it trueT'
"Poer, frightened dove do not tremble
o." said Uncle Owen soothingly. The
eolored girl had gone to make some tea
and they were alone. She seemed to feel
safety in his nearness, and buried her face
on his shoulder, while a convulsiye sob
escaped her.
''There, there. don't be frightened,
dear; no one shall harm you" he said
gently.
ing, and flying to the opposite side of the
room. do not approach me, Mr.. Red
grave. In Heavens name, do not come
near me-"
Uncle Owen bewildered at her manner,
was too much dumbfounded for an instant
to speak. At last he took step toward
her, saying:
"Malina, why this extraordinary con-
duct?"
stop. stop: do not come step nearer"
she cried frantically.
but, why!' he asked In amazement-
Don't ask me now, Mr.. Redgrave.
Don't ask me now, for | can not tell you.
Oh, 1 am so miserable, I burn as if in
the fires Of the stake. Don't come nearer,
for it increases my suffering"
The good man gaZed at her in astonish-
ment, his mild gray eyes expressing the
sympathy he felt.
"Malinar he began very slowly, and
earnestly, "if you could only comprehend
how love you''-
Don't, don't say that again, please, Mr..
Redgraye." she sobbed, wringing her
hands "you increase my misery 1 am
simply a poor, miserable wretch, IN
worthy of your consideration. ] am most
unhappy"
''There Is some mystery behind all this,
Malina. Will you let me share your bur-
den?'
ooh, no, no, no"
"How willingly l will do SO il you will
permit me, Heaven alone knows"
She was weeping violently, and did not
answer.
'Malina, believe me, 1t is not Idle curl
osity that prompts me to seek 10 probe
your secret, but from an earnest desire TO
add
mo. no, you can not aid me; am be-
yond help" -
"Malina, II you have some dark secret
that lacerates your heart, who. save one
who loves you more than his own life,
should share the secret?"
"Do not seek to learn anything Of me-
Mr.. Redgrave. You only add 10 my suf-
fering."
Tears were streaming down her cheeks
Under her breath she murmured passion
ately:
God in Heaven, why did not die ere
this?"
"Malina, have you ever met this white
faced foreigner beforeT' he asked.
She made no answer, but bowling her
head in her hands sobbed and trembled
with her own emotions. Uncle Owen now
wildly recalled his frantic struggles with
the black-eyed, whitehead man on the
boat at the time OF the wreck. He re-
membered having struck him q blow on
the head with piece of wood, in the fight
over the impromptu raft, and was so
wicked as to regret that the blow had not
been fatal. When that hated white face
sank below the surface OF the water he
had believed it gone forever. Now it came
again to liant him. Why could he not
have drowned instead Of so many hun
dreds of others much better than he?
Then while she sobbed Owen Redgrave
leaned on the table, his mind lost in terri
BILE thoughts. He on whom fortune had