Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-02
CHAPTER K,
The eewiIderment Of strathoat.

also headed by different routes.
CHAPTER x.
The 1ewiIderment Of Strathqate.
AS my Lord Darlington rode with
increasing satisfaction and Sir
Charles Seton sailed in growing
sense of self-congratulation in that he
alone was on the right track, my lord
of Strathgate was full of bcwilder-
ment. Like Darlington, he, too, made
inquiries at every posting station, at
every wayside inn, from every passer-
by, as to the whereabouts of the two
who had escaped him, and everywhere
he had been met by an absolute lack
of information.
Strathgate, by hard riding, reached
Portsmouth about nightfall. Caring
ton was not to arrive, although he
pressed on all night, until the follow
ing morning. Strathgate was morally
certain that the people he was chas-
| ing could not have reached Ports
mouth before him.
Darlington, plunging along on ex-
hausted, half-foundered horses, the
leavings of Strathgate, lost the COM
parative cheerfulness of the morning
and worked himself up into such a
fury that if he had come across the
earl he would probably have killed him
out of hand without giving him a
chance for defense.
! To hearten up her young friend
! E11n,, yo,,t foo flo 1,o1 Ia
matter. She pointed out to her how
comfortable and free from pursuit, OF
interference, they would be when they
boarded the New Eagle at Portsmouth;
what a pleasant voyage they would
have back; and made various other
suggestions to cheer her young com
rade and to fight down the growing dis
may in her own heart. 1t was only by
constantly holding up before herself
the picture of my lord and Lady Cecily
in each others arms in the arbor that
she kept herself to the pitch of he,
adventure.
She found herself thinking wistfull,
of the happy days of the past; of the
many pleasant cruises which they hat
made in these very waters What {
gallant, devoted, royal lover he hat
been! How she hated Cecily Caring
ton! She looked at herself and tool
mental inventory of that she coult
not see and wondered how he coult
for moment prefer that weak ant
vapid creature to his wife.
And yet it is probable that Ellel
had never loved Darlington as she dit
while tossing about in that little opel
boat, lonely speck upon the sea
munching dry hard bread and drink
Ing tepid water and trying to console
: the whimpering little maiden by he
side.
And it is possible, too, that Lor,
Darlington never realized how mucl
he was in imminent danger of losin.
and how much the loss meant to hin
: as he plunged along through the dark
ness on the way to Portsmouth.
Ellen had advanced much farther Of
her journey when she ran into tn
calm which later overlook Seton.
All Ellen's ready money, except wha
she carried on her person, had bee
left to Darlington in the cheque O.
). her desk, but she still retained COZ
) troll Of several stout merchantme
which had come to her from her fathe
and the New Eagle was the best q
them. Once she set foot ON the dock
) of that ship, she would be perfect
safe. Meanwhile, as she had bee
up practically all the night before, sh
: felt that she must have some slumbe,
She furled the sail of the little boa
turned the tiller over to Debbie wit
Q instructions for her to let the shallo
drift and to waken Ellen in two hour
|: by the watch.
It was very lonely and miserable fo
poor Debbie. She was flying lik
Ellen from that she loved best, bu
unlike Ellen there was no reason o
): earth for her to break away. 1t wa
only the constraint put upon her b
the stronger will that had brought he
to this wretched pass. She sat id
in the stern sheets, holding the tile
while the tears trickled down he
pretty red cheeks. She wished thu
. she were anywhere else under heave
than in this boat. She looked {
Ellen almost malevolently, surveyin
her slight and boyish figure with
venomous glance and the thought the
: since clothes of the other sex so we
became her, Ellen should have bee
born a man.
Poor Debbie felt very wretched an
very lonely tossing idly about in til
quiet seas under the calm stars. Sh
wondered If Sir Charles did really Low
her as she had more than once ind
Gated, or whether he were like til
faithless Darlington and the insidiou
Strathgate.
There was nothing to do except