Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-04
XIX.

| ton. for the condition Of the Field girl de-
| manded instant attention, and, requesting
Miss Frayne to leave the horses and get
| some water. hurried to the other door of
the carriage only to find that it. too, lacked
handle and could not be opened either
| from without within. A resort to force
was the only alternative, and dragging a
| fence-rail to the carriage / showed 1t
| through one of the windows and used 1t
! as a battering-ram on the opposite door
until it burst open with crash of spin.
| tered woodwork. In another instant l mad
| the unconscious girl on the grass by the
| roadside and Barbara Frayne and Miss
Mapes were working over her side by side.
| Neither woman spoke until the patient was
restored to consciousness but the moment
she opened her eyes the housekeeper threw
! her arms about Miss Frayne. who returned
her embrace with equal warmth. ana the
two remained silently for some moments
clasped in each others arms. 1t was
the first sign of recognition Whlch
had passed between them and / vas
fairly astounded by the sight. Ii mao
never occurred to me that Barbara
Frayne might know more than one member
of the Shaw household, and under the eA-
listing circumstances the housekeeper was
the last woman In the world with whom
would have had her acquainted MISS
Mapes' first words. however, assured me
that they had never met before.
May God bless you, dear Miss Frayne!
she exclaimed You see, know the name
of my preserver, even If she doesn't kroW
mne-' she added smilingly.
you are Miss Mapes-aren't your? M.ss
Barbara Queried hesitatingly
Yes, and this Is Betty Field have you
ever heard of Betty? No?"-the house
kt eper stopped over the PROSTATE girl, ana,
placing her arm about her, slowly raised
her to a sitting postion-"Betty.' she con
tinued, this is Miss Frayne-she saved us
saved your life and mine
Indeed | ddn' t. prOteSt ed MISS frayne.
Mr.. Lambert stopped the horses | merely
helped to keep them in the road
Mr.. Eambertr'
The housekeeper's arms relaxed and al
lowed her burden to sink back unnoticed
upon the grass as she leaned forward ex-
citedly
Not Mr. Lambert the foreman?" she
whispered, incredulously.
Miss Frayne gazed at the woman In sur
prise
Yes. What is there so startling in that?'
"Why-er-I dent know Nothing,
suppose. Nothing Is surprising after
Where Is her"
within ten feet of you." answered Miss
Barbara, in warning tone.
/ could feel the wOmanS searching glance
even with my back turned. but l continued
working with the horses until she spoke
my name.
''Mr. Lambert"
and nodded snlilingly to Miss Frayne.
Your patient is herself AGAIN. queried.
The housekeeper rose without answering
and came to me, holding out both her
hands.
II owe my life to you. Mr.. Lambert"
she began. Il and this girl here. All we
can do is to pray God to bless YOU and
thank Him for you
Il am glad we happened to be here" /
stretched hands: "wo1ldn't it be we'll to
get that young woman to a farm house?'
] suggested, turning to Miss F'rayne, who
still rhaf1rP the girls hands
Perhaps" she answered. What do you
think Miss Mapes?"
Then suddenly she turned to me with an
expression of horror.
'HThe driver!'' she cried. We've forgot
ten the drver!"
We stared at one another for a moment
in silence, and then hastily tied my horse
to the nearest fence rail and started down
the road.
wait d moment" called Miss Mapes
hurrying after me. 'Tll help, though God
knows the devil doesn't deserve any help
He tried to murder you. Mr.. Lambert, she
added in low tone. she overlook me.
I stopped and stared in amazement at the
woman.
Tried to murder me?" I calculated in
credulously. What do you mean?"
Il mean just what / say" she painted
God knows why he did 1t, but l saw it
all as plainly as 1 see you, and If some
thing hadn't thrown him off his balance
he'd have Drained you with the butt of his
whip. Why, he struck at you like thisi
The woman raised her arm high above
her head and brought 1t down with all her
strength, and she did so / remembered
having felt something Craze my head just
before the man fell.
Was he drunk or crazy?' l demanded
searching for his body in the long grass.
God knows Mr.. LAMBERT don't; and
l don't like to think
How did you happen to be with him?"
I inquired. indifferently.
1T was just chance. sir-the merest
oh I yn,,t
morning to make some purchases and
while we were there 1t came on to rain and
L asked young man standing in front of
one of the shops to get us a carriage from
the livery stable. He was gone a long
time, and when he returned he said he'd
had some trouble in finding a covered con-
veyance, but that he'd got one at last Then
this hack drove up. and l told the driver to
take us to the railroad depot. He started
but we hadn't gone a hundred yards Before
he turned into a side road and began driy-
ing like mad in the opposite direction l
hammered on the window and called ont
but he went on thrashing the horses, and
when l thrust my head out and screamed
at him he dashed me across the face You
can see the mark"
l glanced at the womans face across
which red welt was plainly visible rnuteyv
vouching for her story.
1T was somewhere about here he fell
wasn't it," l inquired.
Farther back, I think" she answered
And the girl with you fainted?"
prompted.
''She tried to open the doors and get out
but the handles were broken off. Then she
tried to jump through the window but /
held her back. 1t was when she saw him
strike at you that she tainted Here's where
he did 1t, Mr.. Lambert" she continued. ex-
citedly. See. Here's the stone we hit
and here's where the wheels slowed across
the road and here's his hat, and"
Here he is" / interrupted for I had
stumbled over the mans body as she was
speaking. and was already kneeling beside
him. He was cut the forehead but
though unconscious he was still breathing
and plucking handful of wet grass | be-
gan wiping away the blood from his face
Good God!
/ looked UP and saw the housekeeper peer-
ing over my shoulder at the mans ghastly
face with expression of horror and he
fore / could question her she swooped down
and plucked his beard, which yielded to her
touch, revealing the features of Barstow's
man Hunt
l do not know what saved me from utter
ing the exclamation of surprise which rose
to my lips, but l made no sound and when
the housekeeper looked up at me wild-eyed
with terror. Il met her with a glance or
calm self-controL
THE gentleman evidently disguised him
self" l observed.
could see the woman surrentityo,st,.