The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-01-04
RAPIDLY SHE TRIED TO FORM A MENTAL
PLAN OF ACTION.

PLAN OF ACTION.
find her. She waited quite time, but
be did not come, and at last, with a
sigh, she remembered the blackberry
pail and rose to her feet.
1t was a large pail holding five gal
Ions, and was much less than half
filed. Not caring to retrace her steps.
she crossed the open and pressed on to
a blackberry patch farther away, one
to which they seldom came. The day
was blistering hot, and when the last
glistening berry had heaped the pail
she lifted it with tired purpled fingers
and started home carrying In her heart
the feeling of a disappointing day.
1t was quite a distance to the farm
house. and the girl hesitated, consider
ing which would be the shortest route,
finally deciding upon a path not much
used at that point, but soon communi-
eating with the country road.
She had gone but a short distance on
the path when a crunching step in the
woods startled her. and q minute later
a man stepped out from the trees,
started at seeing her, grinned amiablT
and walked to her side She stifled the
first impulse to scream. There was no
one near to hear, and it might be dan
gerous to show fright. So plucky Mar
tina concealed her alarm and walked
quietly on her way.
"Lemme carry the pail" he said.
Its too heavy for YOU"
Il can carry it." said Martha
Maybe you can, but l will" he re-
sponded and took it from her.
Rapidly she tried to form a mental
plan of action. She could not shake off
the instructive feeling that the man
meant harm, yet she knew the abso-
Lutte futility of crying out or trying to
run from him. If she could keep him
from molesting her further until the
path joined the county road she would
be reasonably safe, az wagons and
buggies passed there quite continually.
He began TO talk. inquiring about the
principal farmers around the vicinity
-wb5 they were the best roads, the
distances to towns-and she answered,
never ceasing to be painfully alert,
never Stacking speed.
Here, quit that PAGER he suddenly
exclaimed roughly, putting one arm
around her waist in a firm grasp. "You
needn't try to run away from me, and
| I'm not going to run with you Cut IL
out
Her heart almost stood still. Then
it flashed upon her that, somewhere
near. another path ran from this one
| deper into the woods toward a desert
| ed little cabin. That it stood open she
! knew. That the door could be closed
| and barred she also knew, having once
| taken refuge there in a rainstorm with
| party of pienickers. Her eyes, now
strained TO unnatural keenness. discern
ed the break in the shrubbery where
the second path began, not far ahead
/ Just as they approached it, with a sud
den movement she tripped him. IN
/ guarded. sending him sprawling over
the pail of blackberries as she wrench
ed herself away and dashed down the
turning path. tearing along at a speed
under any other circumstances impos
sible.
She had a start of several yards
before he regained his footing ant
madly rushed after her She ran till
pain throbbed in her side and her eye,
SWAN. never faltering. Then il seemeG
to her that she was lifted to insensi
bility and sped on without volition. con