The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-04-16

4 must refuse the next Tune ne asked
| her-then Dick would carry his threat
into execution and betray Rothesay's
/ hiding place.
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 it any way in her present weak
| ened state? 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
| 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 a 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. II 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. II she could get back be.
fore the owner Of the horse was up, 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 shorld any
one come upon her and question her
actions.
Rapidly she saddled the horse,
mounted and rode out toward the road.
No one had seen her-no one, appar.
emily, had heard her.
On the highway she urged the horse
into gallop, 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 heavily 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 1t not
/ been for the trail of little pieces of
1 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
| to Vance. Now that she had reached
the place 1t seemed impossible that
she could address him now that she
| knew his treachery.
But she must not pause. She must
do her errand, 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, II
she should ever feel it, had yet had
40 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 a
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 SUN.
cient strength.
He knew that he must surrender
I 500 nv SDhi0 lOI ICSlSL lLt 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
Pureell'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; 1t 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 the
room, but she resisted, while her
strained, cold tones said:
/ Accident made me acquainted with
the fact tina; your hiding place is dis.
covered, and tomorrow you win be ar.