The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11

Sadie" he exclaimed Miss Leialu' you arc not well--you---'
 No" was the faltered answer; l-' feel very faint. l shall bc better III 1 moment
 The color was coming back to her cheeks. but her pallor was still almost ghastly. Mark Abingdon started up "I will get you q little brandy and wa ter." he said, .''it' is the heat. And - surprised you, confound my clumsiness. And he hurried down the covered stair- case that led to the saloon below. As he disappeared Sadie Leland rose, tottered to the rail near where she hao been sitting and bent her gaze upon the species of lush green hedgerow that fringed the bank by which the houseboat was moored. She passed a hand across her eyes. "was it," she murnured aloud, was 1t kind of dream? It couldn't really have been-been hei'
 Even while she spoke there was crack ling of the underwood by the deserted pathway and a head was thrust out from among the foliage. A stalwart frame foi- lowed It,
 The newcomer was young and person able, yet hatless. haggard and dishevelied His wrists were fettered by a pair oi bright steel handcuffs. Sadie Leland ut tered a low. almost inaudible cry and re coiled into the shelter of the staircase down which Mark Abingdon has just van ished
 An instant the fettered figure stood sur veying the scene. crouched in low re cess beneath a flight of open woodeI steps that connected the upper deck witi I the stern of the vessel From this haVei | he peered out cautiously, and finally. a I though dissatisfied with the conccalmen ! 1t afforded. stole swiftly up the step 1 themselves to hide in an angle of the can | vas as-covered railing that fenced the deci ! above.
 l Scarcely had his head dropped below thu | line of sight than the foliage on the bani | was parted and a couple of men in . blue, semi-mllitary uniform. stepped out As the fugitive had done. they looked Ill and down the bank, one of them movini along 1t toward Il point from which h' | might have gained, through the gatewa, at the head of the steps. d view of tn | hidden man. 1nstinctively Sadie Lelan sprang forward, and gliding before tn crouching figure. stood looking at tn blue-coated functlonaries. The leader sa luted her respectfully
 "f,xcuse me miss'' he said. but do yo , happen to have seen anyone run aioni | the bank We're warders from Brixtoy prison and we were taking a reman | prisoner oyer there for the assizes, whe | he gave Us the slip at the station up yon l der. We chased him this far and los ! him."
 The girl on the deck of the house-boa
 shook her head. 'N-no." she replied
 clearly answering the question with litera accuFaey-''no one."
 i Tho warder saluted again, thanked hel and plunged back into the thlcket wit l his companion. Sadie turned and glance
 down at the croucling man.
 "Mr-Mr. Merivale. she faltered; ''yol like this!"
 l The other strengthened himself up un
 steadily; he had pleasant blue eyes-cyc
 in which there was no shame, only aacut | sadness.
 l q am innocent" he said. 'but what i
 that to you?" He hesitated and his sensi | tive. clean-shaven lips trembled. "'rhanl
 YOU for that kind lie," he added. "I an
 sorry put you to it-I did not dream 0 | finding you here''