The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-05
CHAPTER XIII.
Expedience.


Great Is the recupera tive power Of youth,
and shortly after sunrise the two were
on the road again. refreshed and with high
courage, to face the outcome Of another
long ride. They had travelled further than
their estimate Of the night before, and so
found themselves but little more than
twenty miles south of Manchester. In the
night the weather had undergone another
change, and the sun was hidden, while
now and then scurry Of rain passed over
them. To the north the outlook was black
and lowering. They were approaching the
land Of storm.
II have made up my mind" said Fran
ces, that we must part. No, it Is not on
account Of that cropped head of yours,
but rather to save it, .~
II have been thinking myself that 1t is
wrong you should share my danger, when
there is nothing to hinder you from going
across country to your own home
II shall not go across my country until
I have seen you safely into your own. But,
as you know, the swearing colonel and his
men are not looking for me. Perhaps they
| think took the opportunity left open to
get away from the cathedral; but, on the
other hand, If wise, they must have looked
for our horses tracks, and then they
learned we left Lichf1eld together. I pro-
| pose to act your scout. I shall ride
mile or two ahead, and If I am stopped,
you will strike to the right or to the left,
and avoid the danger If you can. On every
elevation I reach I will stand for g. few
moments. If my horse faces west, the
way between us is safe; If he faces east,
| there is danger"
Frances, I would rather run the risk
and have your company
II am sure you would, butt (laughing)
! "now that you are cupped, you are the
one who is beautiful, and I the one who is
| wise. It Is really to your advantage that
| I should little Of my Roundhead
| lover as possible, and you would be foolish
| to detain me, for I cannot help glancing
| at you now and then, and whenever I do
| I sigh for the cavalier who Woed me yes
| terday Women are not so changeable
as they say, and am constant to my first
| adorer."
| TO this William made no reply, gazing
| somewhat gloornily at the storm away in
the horizon.
There, there" she cried. riding along
side and touching his hand. II have Of
Tended his vanity, and he doesn't like to
be laughed at. Poor boy, you little know
! what is in store for you. Don't you un-
derstand you will have enough Of my COM
| pany in the days to come, and may we'll
spare some of it now? I shall not disown
my promise, If you remind me Of 1t when
| your love locks are over your shoulders
| again. But seriously, n,v plan Is a good
| one, unless you have q better to propose.
| We must quit the main road now and
| avoid Manchester as we avoided Birming
| ham, but we should have a care that we
| do not ride into another ambuscade, and
| If go first that may be prevented"
when I see you interfered with, will
just gallop to your assistance"
'You shall do nothing foolish. No
one in England is going to injure me,
| but YOU are not safe until you are over
| the Scottish line We shall be north Of
| Manchester in three or four hours, and
then you have your own pass. You are
| really a most creditable Roundhead.
After Manchester we can travel in COM
pany again, il you wish. Have YOU any
thing better to propose?
Eyes. I propose we stay together and
take our chances"
"Good-by" she CRIED gayly, touching
up her horse, then over her shoulder as
she galloped off, Remember West,
safety; east, danger. '-..~~
Armstrong had not only to curb his
own inclination, but his horse well
who viewed with evident disapproval the
departure of his mate. At, the summit
of the first hill, the girl turned hel
horse across the road facing west
waved her hand to him and disappeared
over the crest. And thus the journey
went on, sometimes two miles between
them; sometimes less. Manchester was
seen and left in the rear. He now tried
to catch up with her, but she kept val
orously ahead, as If she were some
tabled siren Turing the poor man on
For time he lost sight Of her, then
as he mounted a hill, saw her standing
on a crest mile away, like an eques
trian statue against an inky sky, bu
this time her horse faced the east, ant
he thought she was motioning with he
handkerchief in that direction. Sh'
stood there until he sent his horse owe
the hedge. and made in the direction 0
forest, then the darkness seemed t
swallow her up. He skrted the edg,
of the wood. Rain was now coming
down heavily, but before it blotted on
the landscape he passed the head Of {
valley and saw dimly thru the down
pour large encampment Of white tents
A man in drab on a black charger stoot
little chance of being seen against tn
dark forest from the encampment, bu
he moved on as rapidly as he could
knowing that If a lull came in the delug
a he ran great risk Of detection by tn
outposts. Some distance on he stoo,
for a. time under the trees, blessing tn