The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-15

; IL CunfU tLeIl you auHHt, nut WE sIiIll
not be long now. Another two hours,
perhaps. You had better try to Sleep
II prefer to see where am going"
she answered..
fare you very cold?' was the next
question, In not unkindly tone, and
he bent across and pulled up her rugs.
II am very sorry for all this" he
added.
III that were true you would end
| 1t, Mr.. Merridew."
NO. That is out of$thc question"
why? j will do anything you ask
except one thing"
"There is only one thing now for you
| to do. II am to save your life"
ut Ia the money you want Take It.
l Will freely make over everything to
you--eyerything but give me back my
good name andSmy liberty
IF 1t were possible 4 would do 1t.
But 1t is not. In the first place, you
trlcked SO recklessly: and. In the sec
ond, your friends would Interfere to
prevent any such arrangement as you
suggest"
Olive made no reply; and when they
were close to the top OF the hill he con-
tinued: You don't believe that am
sorry I cannot do what you WISH"
You have made 1t very difficult for
me to believe anything you say"
Yet 1t Is true. / will do this.
Marry me- and then make certain ar
rangements about this money, and
Will swear never to see you again"
He paused as IL expecting a reply.
and when she did not speak no added:
Think 1t over. 1t Is the best way
out" Then he gave himself up again
to the work OF driving, and they tore
on at an even greater speed than be-
fore.
olive tried to impress on her mem
Dry the nature OF the country through
which they passed: but II all appeared
to be the same. An endless chain of
tages. with here and there n hamlet
or insignificant townlet to break, or
rather TO vary, the chain.
After long time she observed that
tho country grew wilder; they climbed
hills oftener, and ran over long
stretches OF moorland. Hare and there
some disused workings and deserted
shafts showed. with few untenanted
cottages spread around. A wild. deso-
late district. with rough roads, over
which the car travelled Mt n slow rate,
and even then with many jolts and
shakings.
The eerie solitude and deserted as
pect OF everything oppressed her. and
when at length Merridew turned the
car into a side road toward lonely
house standing near TO one of the de-
serted shafts. she shuddered.
why do you come this way?' she
asked, with a shiver OF foreboding.
we are at the end Of our journey"
he said. and nodded toward the house.
She gazed at it, chill and cold. with
a anna ~ I'D NOV Ui,k l,n,,
brought me to this fearful placer"
There are no young men here to
worry you from opposite windows.
You Will stay here until You consent.
You can Judge of yonr chance of get
ting away"
She shut her eyes and clenched her
hands In dread. and when she opened
them her heart gave a great leap of
fear. She recognized woman who
car stopped at tho lone house on the
moor.
1t was the hag who had claimed her
as her daughter at Sheffield
CHAPTER xxxIII.
olives Jniler.
Numbed with her long journey. worn
with the effects of tho drug they had
given her and distraught with the
alarm engendered by her surroundings.
Olive sat on the side of the he'd In
the roughly furnished room to which
she was taken, prey to almost ago
nizing misery.
The place had evidently been hur
redIy prepared for her reception. 1t
was nearly as bare as prison cell.
A pallet bed, a wooden table, rush
chair, an iron washstand and enam-
elled ironware, strip of carpet on
the floor and small looking glass
hanging on the wall completed the
furniture. A glance at the window
showed her that 1t had been partly
bricked up and set of bars built In
recently.
1t was prison; nothing else; and
fact. Its only good point was that 1t
was all scrupulously clean.
When Olive had been alone some
minutes Mrs. Tisley- entered with a
basin Of warm milk and some bread.
She set 1t down On the table and left
the room again without speaking a
word.
Olive was famished with hunger. and
ate wat was given her with eager
ness Then she lay down on the bed.
She was utterly wretched and despair
ing. but her body craved rest. and In
n few minutes, despite her anguish,
she was fast asleep.
The midday sun was pouring through
herfbarred window when she awokc7 to
find Mrs Tisley standing by her side
calling to her.
Mr.. Merridew wants to speak to
YOU" she said. Get up
Olive rose and washed her face and
hands, While the woman waited Il
am ready" she said then.
Come. them" and she was taken
downstairs to a room where Nlerridew
was sitting and smoking as he waited
for her.
Ie rose as she entered, and waved
the woman hack out OF the room as
he placed q chair for olive. She saw
thatait was a rush chair and new, like
that In her bedroom. Clearly every
thing had been hurriedly purchased
specially inview OF her arrival.
Have you thought of what pro-
posed on the way here?", he asked
"No. have been asleep"
well, think now"
'.Tell me again, &. i have been too
dazad by all this to remember clearly"
.I said that If you would consent
to go through the form Of n ceremony
81 marriage with me would agree to
leave you at once and never see you
again. 1T is the best way out Of your
trouble.''
''Why do you wish to marry me?"
yY ~. n. Tll.,..>