Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-31

k&sz<saSsD the LruCl when Re nearQ LnAC the princess was missing, and would have a party in pursuit. The run aways, however, would have at least twenty-four hours the start, and a ship leaves no tracks. When Mary left me, she was perhaps two-thirds of league from the rendezvous, and night was rapidly falling. As her road lay through a dense forest all the way she would have a dark, lonely ride of a few minutes, and I was somewhat uneasy for that part of the journey. It had been agreed that if everything was all right at the rendezvous Mary should turn loose her horse. which had all ways been stabbed at Berkeley castle and would quickly trot home. To further emphasize her safety thread would be tied in his forelock. The horse took his time in returning and did not arrive until the second morning after the flight, but when he came found the thread and, unobserved, re- moved it. quickly took it to Jane, who has 1t yet and cherishes it for the mute message of comfort 1t brought her. Tn case the horse should not re- turn I was to find a token in hollow tree near the place of meeting, but the thread in the forelock told us our friends had found each other.
 When we left the castle, Mary wore under her riding habit suit of mans attire, and as we rode along she would shrug her shoulders and laugh as if 1t were huge joke and by the most com ical little pantomime call my attention to her unusual bulk. So when she found Brandon the only change neces- sary to make man of her. was to throw off the riding habit and pull on the jack boots and slouch hat, both of which Brandon had with him.
 They wasted no time, you may be sure, and were soon under way. In few minutes they picked up the two Bristol men who were to accompany them, and when night had fairly fallen left the bypaths and took to the main road leading from London to Bath and Bristol. The road was fair one-that Is, it was well defined and there was no danger of losing it; in fact, there was more danger of losing ones self in Its fathomless mudholes and quag- fnires. Brandon had recently passed over 1t twice and had made mental note of the worst places, so he hoped to avoid them. s3 s
 Soon the rain began to fall in soak ing drizzle; then the lamps of twilight went out, and even the shadows of the night were lost among themselves in h J rIrv 0f black nights fit for witch travelling, and no doubt every witch in England was out brewing mischief. The horses hoofs sucked and splashed in the mud with sound that Mary thought might be heard at Lands End, and the hoot of an owl, now and then disturbed by 8 witch, would strike upon her ear with volume of sound infinitely dispropor- donate to the size of any owl she had ever seen or dreamed of before.
 Brandon wore our cushion, the great cloak, and had provided a like one of suitable proportions for the princess. This came in good play, as her fine gen. tleman's attire would be but poor stuff to turn the water. The ,gind, which had arisen with Just enough force to set up a dismal wall, gave the rain 9 horizontal slant and drove it in at every opening. The flaps of the comfortable great cloak blew back from Mary's knees, and she felt many a chilling drop through her fine new silk trunks that made her wish for buckram in their place. Soon the water began to trickle down her legs and find lodg- ment in the jack boots, and as the rain and wind came in tremulous little whirs she felt wretched enough-she who had always been so well sheltered from every blast. Now and then mud Rnd water would fly up into her face striking usually In the eyes or mouth and then again her horse would stum- ble and almost throw her over his head as he sank, knee deep, into some unex- pected hole.
 All of this, with the thousand and ,Dne noises that broke the still worse silence of the inky night, soon began to work upon her nerves and make her fearful. The road was full of dangers aside from stumbling horses and bro- ken necks, for many were the stories of murder and robbery committed along the route they were travelling. It ifs true they had two stout men, and all were armed, yet they might easily come upon party too strong for them, and no one could tell what might hap pen, thought the princess. There wes that pitchy darkness through which
 she could hardly see her horses head a thing of itself that seemed to have in- finite powers for mischief and which
 no amount of argument ever induced any normally constituted woman to be-
 lieve was the mere negative absence of light and not a terrible entity potent for all sorts of mischief. Then that wailing howl that rose and fell be- times No wind ever made such a noise she felt sure. There were those shin ing white gleams which came from the little pools of water on the road, look ing like dead mems faces upturned and pale. Perhaps they were water and perhaps they were not. Mary had all confidence in Brandon, but that very fact operated against her. Having that confidence and trust in him, she felt no need to waste her own energy in be- ing brave So she relaxed completely