Smyrna times., 1908-05-20
When Lady Betty
Held the Candle.
By ORMOND GREY.
pyrighted, 1908. by Jessie Morgan.

SoS 1900
"JefTry." said my uncle when he
caught me sulking and demanded an
explanation. ali women are good at
heart. but all women are abnormally
uncertain. They will go their own way,
whether we like it or not. and perforce I
we must put up with their whimsies |
and make the best of it. If your cousin |
Betty is capricious, give her to under
stand that you would rather have her |
that way than not. Then she will no
longer have any desire to keep your
head whirling."
This was one day after Lady Betty
had trifed with my love and dignity.
and l had gone to Sir Hugh Rivington.
the dearest of relatives and the best of
patrons to declare that | should at
once sail away for Spain and offer my
sword as a soldier of fortune. | would
depart within week. and as for Lady
Betty. she might marry whom she
| pleased or die a spinster.
81 think myself that the filly has
romped long enough" continued Sir
Hugh as he laid a kindly hand on my
shoulder. and that the halter should
now be slipped over her head. But
how to do it, Jeffry-how to do it?
Indeed. let us plan"
And plan we did.
-Four DAYS after our planning the
Lady Betty set out for the country seat
| of the MarchiOnesS of LittletOn nine
leagues distant. there to tarry for the
space of two weeks. Naturally her
maid accompanied her. and besides the
| coachman and foOtman there were two
| armed and mounted servants to pre-
vent the knights of the road from com
ing too close.
Sir Hugh and myself were to follow
on horseback two days later, or so it
was understood. Scarce had we waved
the coach out of sight when the good
man pinched my ear in playful way
and said:
'The plan worketh thus far without
hitch or suspicion. The adventures of
the night wilt give thee a bride within
a month. Jeffry, the capriciOus filly is
battered"
At o'clock that afternoon, when
the coach had reached FeatherstOne,
hardly more than half the journey, the
capriciOus Lady Betty decided to re-
main there for the night. At sun
down she decided to push on to the
White Hart inn, two leagues farther,
saying it would be romantic to ride
beneath the stars of the summer night
Her great coach had rolled out of
the courtyard The last league had
been entered upon. and the night had
become fairly dark when an uproar
suddenly occurred That uproar should
have been caused by two pretended
highwaymen hired for the occasion,
and the guards should have fired a
shot or two at them and then fed, as
per orders, but, alas, for our well laid
plans against the maid!
Our hired varlets lost their way
and did not appear in time, and the
two that did come forward were genu-
!, inc members of the profession. Our
two merry thieves were to abduct the
Lady Betty and her jewel box and
hang on to them until meeting me on
foaming steed, and l was then to drive
them away in short order with pistol
: and rapier and rescue the damsel all
fOrlOrn.
In her gratitude and admiration, how
could she say nay when l asked that
the marriage day be named and thai
m there should be no more trifing?
N Fate ordained that my horse should
T.. cast a shoe and that l should be al
hour late at the rescue, and even theI
IN it was to learn that the Lady Betty
M suspecting my plans and determined
to balk them, had actually remained
behind at Featherstone and sent Onl!
A her maid forward in the coach. 81
Hugh and l had planned according t
military tactics, but a simple mait
had brought our endeavOrs to naught
The weather had changed, and tn
rain was pouring down, and yet
must ride back to FeatherstOne an
secure cOrrobOratiOn of the maid
story before could feel at ease Bac
, l rode to be told that when the coac
left the inn Lady Betty had taken t
horse to complete her journey by ar
other road.
If she had accomplished this withou
adventure. then l would have been
butt of ridicule indeed. Fate was wal
ing to play her shabby trick, how
ever.
The highwaymen who had stOppe
the coach on the east road had gallOl
ed away to the west by a crossroad
and as she reached this in her ride 81
fell into their hands. A hut in IL
woods, in which they were maxim
a temporary home, was close at han
and thither they conducted the frigh
ened and lamenting maiden, to shl
her up in the back room while they s.
down in the front one to eat, drink al
make merry over their plumber.
fInn wu1,