Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-12-25
MOLLY'S PRANK.

mare, her weary head resting on its
smooth coat. Her injured ankle and
wrist, her WEAKNESS and general DESC
lateness, conduced to a drowsy feeling
as she lay half asleep, sobbing, on the
body OF her favorite.
The warm drizzle beat UNDECIDED on
her uncovered head. her damp skirts
chung to her, and her injuries caused her
acute pain, but all she was conscious of
was "Mavourneen is dead, and l have
Killed her! l am to die here alone as
my punishment. Oh, if Claude would
only come for somehow the feeling
that Claude would come had become a
surety IN her mind. Nor was she mis-
taken.
She had just fallen into semi-con-
scious sleep when two strong arms lifted
her from her uncomfortable position She
| looked up-Claude had come!
He appeared very unlike the neatly
clad young squire the tenantry knew.
His black wavy hair hung in an unkempt
mass over his forehead; his clothes were
damp and dirty from his long ride in the
rain; but the most noticeable change was
in his pale features, which had a strange
ly haggard look His piercing brown
eyes looked down at the exhausted girl
IN way that sent thrill through her,
she knew not why.
Claude, Claude" she cried. throwing
her arms around his neck, forgive me -
My darling!" he whispered in husky
tones. How he longed to pour out his
love to her in perfect torrent of
words!
He lifted her carefully into his saddle,
and then, taking her in his arms, turned
his horses head homewards. The tired
animal, although weighted with double
burden, made good time on the return
journey. When but halfway home
wards they met a number of the Darce
servants bearing a stretcher. When they
saw their much-loved mistress alive, be-
ing borne home in the arms of young
Stanton, they could only weep for joy.
AT Molly's eager questioning, Claude
informed her that he had been searching
for hours but had never thought of the
Fence. Her father, when he had re-
turned from a fruitless search, said, $50
to the Fence, Stanton, go tc the Fence
Molly has taken the Fence. Go, and you
will find her dead! Like mother, like
daughter" He had ordered his servants
to take the stretcher to carry he- home
and had watched them disappear under
the wide gates at the end of the drive
| But when the last servant had gone he
turned to Stanton with a quivering face
and with a loud II knew it, I knew it u
fell fanting on the floor. When Stanton
had left him he had recovered from his
swoon, but to Claude's oft-repeated
statements that he knew Molly was not
| HaoA fha old ~ L. rln
| Lady Molly's tears were falling fast
as they neared the peat bog where they
had been shooting together but a few
days before. Seemingly the spot awak
ened memories in Stanton's heart also
for he stopped the tired horse and looked
down at Molly with a face full of love
1t was with difficulty that he suppressed
the longing to kiss those sweet lips that
were quivering with grief and exhaus
ton, but he contented himself by tight
ening his arm around her and urging hi;
horse onward.
Soon they reached home, and were met
at the gates by both the Darce and the
Stanton tenantry, each man bearing &
lighted lantern in his hand.
Refusing all offers to be relieved o.
his burden, Claude rode YEARLY up the
drive and carried Lady Molly up the
steps.
Those same lions which had seemed t.
frown at the tired girl as she climbed
the stairs YEARLY on the night of hel
adventure now appeared to relax then
battered faces into a grim smile of wei
come
AS reluctantly he laid his burden OF
the couch in the library Claude perceived
that Lady Molly had tainted from ex
haustion and pain. Leaving her in tn,
care of Betty, he again rushed out intt
the night. He was usually very careful
of his horse, but he mounted and forced
the tired animal to travel ten mort
weary miles to the home of the doctor
The CHEEKY physician was just retiring
for the night, but he quickly Responded
to Claude's hasty summons, saddled hi
horse, and rode off to the lodge
As he watched the portly form of thu
doctor disappearing over the hill CLAUDE
breathed a sigh of satisfaction and rode
slowly to his much-needed rest, for thu
first time that night discovering how
tired he really was.
1t was a bright sunshiny day whel
~