Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-12-01
CHAPTER XVI.

From the Review office to our hotel
was not great distance. and this we ran,
regardless of the Indignation of jostled
wayfarers. My cousin plunged into the
smoking-room and seized a Bradshaw.
| looked over his shoulder with an equal
excitement. The next express from Pad
dington was at midnight, and it was
timed to arrive at the nearest station
to Polleven that the. map showed US by
twelve-thirty the following morning. But
that village itself was distant by road
a good fifteen miles from the station.
With Cornish hills we should be lucky
if we arrived there by three in the after
noon. The postal guide informed us that
our letter of warning would be deliv-
cred about twelve o'clock next day. A
telegram-for there was no wire to Pole
ven - would scarcely arrive earlier.
There was nothing more to be done.
1t was, indeed. shortly before three
o'clock that our carriage groaned and
screeched its way down the steep descent
into Polleven village. At the inn we
soon discovered the direction of DR..
Weston's cottage. and, taking the advice
of the landlord as to the roughness of the
track thither, We left our carriage and
started off on foot After Il stiff climb
of three-quarters of a mile between rug
ged cart ruts running with water from
the winter springs, we emerged into
little glen. sparsely wooded. At the
| further end, built on the higher ground,
we caught "A momentary glimpse of
| building which We took to be the place
We sought. From our right, low, boom
! ing reverberations told of distant break
ers on Il rock bound coast.
1t was | who first saw her. a glimpse
of white amongst the bare skeletons of
the stunted trees. Then at the turn Of
the path we met her. Her face was pale
as fine linen, her eyes fixed and CLASSY.
her arms with her c.enched hands rigid
by her sides She might have been the
ghost of some great lady who had died
by cruel wrong. SO bindly did She walk
that | believe she would have passed
us if Graden mad not sprung forward
and barred her way.
She woke as a sleep-walker wakes,
with Il Shuddering surprise. "Who are
your she asked family, If she had
not grasped the branch of a tree, think
; she would have fallen.
t Are you relation of DR.. WestonsY p
asked Graden very softly and kindly
/ His daughter"
t And you go?"
ITO kill myself Oh, no." she burst
r out as she sprang forward. 1T is No
b good You cannot help me. The villain
o sits in the porch, waiting and watching
e If delay, he will kill-my father-my
= poor old father, who is so Ill! Let M,
go-to the clif-let me go, l say"'
. Graden slipped his arm round hel
waist, and from his great height looked
II down at her with those honest blue eve,
It of his that made every child his frienC
n at once
Il am old enough to be your father
It dear" he said. you can trust me. can
:; you? Yes, yes, knew it, Now tell IN,
e what have you to doT
y. He is waiting in the porch" she an
lie swered him. IF he doesn't see me throw
l. myself over the cliffs, he will kill father.
lie Gould he see us coming by the patti
y which brought you here2'
Is oh, yes; above this glen it is opel
As moor right up to the cottage"
L is there way to the back Of III
RS houseY
d, Yes; but there Is no time"
l. mat Is foolish talk. Come, tell me-
o. About two hundred yards back on tn
Of track you followed here there is a littl
spring amongst the rushes. There is
s path, a short cut which the boys fror
I'd the village sometimes take that lead
y into the clump Of frs by the garde
OF wall. The wall is quite low-and the
III Oh then-you could get straight Int