The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-12-04

| Old place on. the OuCSklrCS OF W1l0tell
to which Hume had succeeded some
months ago on the death of his father,
and which until that event he had Wis.
tied so seldom of late years-and con-
front this man with the truth.
| He had refrained because he felt
that he could not trust himself. be-
cause he feared that the man in him
might be stronger than the priest
when he stood face to face with
Olives ,betrayer.
| On the study table lay an envelope
addressed to Philip Hume. In it was
cheque for twenty pounds that only
two days since Hume had written out
and handed to the rector for some
church fund, unasked. Stephen Ruthen
was returning the cheque. He could
not use it now, Of course. ...-.
He had heard some news concern
ing Philip Hume that day-it was in
every ones mouth in the village-of
| a fracas that had taken place late
On the previous night at the club at
Fellsgarth between young Jack La
thom and Hume. It had been in the
| direction of, Fcllsgarth that Hume was
| motoring when Olive recognized him.
Stephen had not heard definitely
what the quarrel was about; but the
two men had been forcibly separated
by friends though not till young La
thom's fist had left it's traces on the
others face. The story was widely
discussed in Fellsgarth, where the two
mon wora VOL known
Except for the delirious woman toss
ing restlessly in fever, and the village
nurse, the rector was alone in the
house. Hilda was out-over at the
! church school room, where there was
! sewing meeting; and the one serv-
| ant the Ruthens kept had acconpa-
MED her. 49,. ...
+! Stephen had not told Hiida yet
! about Hume; but he must tell her,
of course soon. Perhaps she cared
/ for the man, he thought with a pang;
it was only right she should learn
without delay his real character.
He crossed over to the windows and
somewhat during the night, and all
day the snow had been falling. 1t
was beginning to lie thick on the
roads, and the air was white with the
great feathery flakes. BY the hedge
| rows the snow was already mounting
in drifts. *., -.
Stephen walked back to the Preside.
| At least his beloved was in safe shell
| ter this bitter night. He shuddered
to think how she might have fallen
ill among strangers; he shuddered as
he thought of tn culture, when Olive
had recovered her strength and fac
ulties, and confronted the man who
had dealt her that irreparable wrong.
But he resolutely put that thought
away from him. The future to the
future! 4.s
1t suddenly struck the rector that,
! in spite of the cheerful fire Of peat
| and coal, his room was unusually cold
that an icy draught was. in some
comprehensive way, sweeping in
under the door.
He went out into the hall to investi-
| gate the cause. The outer door was
standing wide open, and the snow was
/ driving in. The door must have been
open some time; the mat just inside
the hall was thickly white.
How curious it was! He had seen
| the servant shut the door as she and
Hilda went out-he distinctly remem-
bered that-and no one could have
gone to the door since, yet surely if
it had been dashed open by the wind
he must have heard the sound Puz-
zled, he went to close it. when sud-
face.
TITS impossible" he muttered to
himself, challenging that vague fear.
Nevertheless that same thought sent
Stephen Ruthen running upstairs
towards the sick room in nervous
haste.
Up TIE two short flights-and there
a glance told him chat that vague
fear was fact.
The door of Olives room was ajar,
and through the crevice he saw that
the bed was empty. The nurse, a
countrywoman without much training
or experience, hastily called in on the
emergency, was lying in the armchair
fast asleep. Her fingers still encir.
cled an empty glass that smelt Of spir.
its.
The bed was unoccupied! Where
in heavens name was Olive gone?
He glanced round the room quickly
Olives heavy cloak was missing
In his desperate haste and fear he
did not pause to awake the nurse
Plainly she could tell him nothing
Like one in panic he raced down
stairs; he caught his hat from the
hall rack as he ran to the front door
No sound, no sign Of life. A death
like stiffness lay over the dreary. un
broken except by the recurring gust.
of wind that rose at intervals from
the silence to scream among thu
ghostly trees and died away again in
to muttering lull.
He bent to search for footprints II
the drifted snow outside the door; blu
. the white flakes were falling so thick
, ly that any traces of footmarks wer,
. ,sOon 0h19farafnd