The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-19
A MOORIAND PRINCESS

WALL supporting the window
frame
"oh, horrible, she cried. 1.et me go! r.
now"
With cropping hands before her. she at
tempted to push Sleep but
Breakspear put himself in her way.
- Let me help you!'' he mplored. '"Ten
forbid"
No help The she stammered
and eyang him she was at the door and out before in the
awkwardness of his unaccustomed
AS the door closed after he stood still in the middle
of the room for a moment, undecided what to do.
She would be angry if he pursued her, yet
impulse to do Unfortunately still
loss Of blood, and scarcely healed
tho it was progressing we'll Swift
sbie for him. he had found out in the last five minutes
initiating it acknowledge that he could
only hobbe when he wished to
Already the girl would be downstairs, perhaps
doors What to boastfuy help
he could make better speed than old
of seventy?
turned ack to the window and standing where MAYA
had stood moment looked nothing
Then figure that had been with
out INTO open moonlight and awful unearhy face
turned up to him.
There nolfe humanness in it, yet the figure
moved The shone full the distorted features blood
less as those of distorted grin agony.
Had Breakspear been believer in the
been narating he would have told himself that here
lost spirit doomed to haunt the of evil but
after his first surprise practical demanded
an explanation of the mystery.
There something grimly familiar the hdeous
white face It's like mask Breakspear thought
words hung him the key to the association These anguished
features in the moonlight figure
the as those of the death mask in the leather portman
Jim scarcely to make of the discovered like
ness " nat dld 1t mean? Was there living who
not only that face but the selfsae pain
horror unsueakablea who incarnated the
or-an alternative explanation no less
hateful sent the blood singing Brealspear's ears
Hardly had it taken definite form in his
slender white figure one
round abruptly SO that the face hidden from the
watcher at the window.
Breakspear remain passive and endure no more
Maya out there in the presence evil
hateful hypnotic influence was ntolerabe that she
should be left alone at the of the merciless
She had refused help she would doubtless having
it ready to risk even her anger
her refusal to forgive when the ofense
for her sake.
He hesitated longer emergency
had not while he still bedrdden
the stick which Miss Truro had brought him
ing as an aid in hobbing about the himself
the door Here he thankful well knowledge
OF the house. whose plan he could still in eye;
for on the day he had been carried in
taken to his room unconscious and had
stairs since
Maya gone thru a side door which he
remembered else probable have been
seen in her state of excitement by member
household door would go also
He and his stick went cropping along only IL
Illuminated by nghtight high bracket, their
stairs began the descent slowly and pain
fully Below was another passage and at the end the
outside approach to the North Wing but there was no
thought of that in Breakspear's
The lower dark and Jim had feel his
to the door at the end He made little noise possible
yet at each instant he expected to light appear
near a demand as to VINO there what wanted
AS he moved there prcking pain in
side but he scarcely noticed it. It only
the anxiety he felt for Maya.
At last the door found, unlocked fancied
He stepped out soft glad of the pale illumination
the sinking after ailes long
passage. Now to turn of the house.
come upon the girl and her mysterious companion.
Suddenly the sound of stied sob to his He
quckened his steps, carried onward by rush Of artificial
strength born of his another
turned the corner and grassy space
the windows of his bedroom expected
to see the dark figure which had emerged from under the
dense shadow of crooked oak;
tonshment sight
Not two minutes he had heard the sound,
lawn lay clear and empty in moonlight
by the gate he half inclined fancy
darkness but there hardly time for who
tered that sob to gates
Breakspear's half depleted veins chill April
night COOL and he thinly clad What could
become of Maya? he asked himself in pewder-
Miss Dupont" he called
There
Jin's heart humping against his she
after ALL have quickly the with strange
companion? As his turned nquiringly again.