The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-04-18

prints of the mans shoes by the side
of the carriage door. They were too
small for Strathgate's foot. He d.
vined that the prints Of the woman's
shoes in the soft ground we're made
by Debbie's feet. The other must have
been made by Lady Ellen's, although
what she was doing with a mans
shoe on he could by no means under
stand. He did not know in what
guise she had escaped from the hall.
He tried to follow the trail Of the
separate footsteps but lost it In the
hard ground. After a few moments
he went back to the carriage and stud
led the matter deeply, but could come
to no conclusion There we're only
two thoughts that gave him any COM
fort One was that he wa evidently
on the right track; the second was
that some one was in a state Of en-
nifty toward Strathgate. else how &C
count for the pistol bullet through the
seat This thought nightly encour-
aged him. He was puzzled to know
why the traces had been cut, but at
last decided that Strathgate must have
mounted the two women on N Of the
horses and himself on the other one
and have gone on In the direction Of
the first fight. If he had turned back
toward the hall Seton would have met
him. or would have heard from X in
some way, for the horses under such
conditions could make but slow time.
After a final search Of the interior
Of the carriage in which he wal re-
warded by finding a tiny bowknot OF
scarlet ribbon which he thought he
recognized as one that had trimmed
Mistress Debbie's gown. for it was a
color she affected, and which he
tucked carefully away in his pocket.
he mounted his horse and started
westward once more, This time he
went more slowly. 1t should be no
: trick to overtake two tired coach
horses heavily ~burdened, and lest they
might have turned aside or stopped al
different places, he resolved to pass
no farmhouse or no cross road with
M OuL OAdulAllnA IL UAClNNVA In NOAAN
. he made inquiries, but learned moth
ing. His mind began to misgive him
He must have overlooked some pos
sible hiding place, but he pressed on
An hour from the carriage he cam
( upon a bay coach horse struggling b
J the wayside, with certain portions Q
l harness dragging from him Here wa
another mystery. II there had bee
II two horses, where was the other
u Why was he abandoned in the hig
road not a soul being near? Tn
horse permitted him to get clos
I enough to enable him TO see that tn
: traces which dangled from his side
= had been severed by a knife. Their
could be no doubt that this was on
of Carrington's coach horses. Thel
= was n 70 evidence that 1t had been ri
den and Seton was puzzled. He roc
to the top of a little hillock and su
veyed the country. There was no pla'
Of possible shelter for a mile aroun
He was completely at a loss to u
~ derstand the situation, but conclude
to ride forward. He rode on for
~ hour. seeing nothing, obtaining
satisfactory answer to his question
It was hardly possible that three pc
pie could have ridden on one hori
There was no reason on earth, II tn
had started out on two, for abandoni
one.
1t was now nearly II O'Clock in t
morning. He concluded that he mi
have passed the fugitives on the "
and SO he turned and retraced
steps, ~pondering deeply. After h
an hours hard g~alloping he came
a little cross road. He had noticed
before and had been told that It
to the sea. Something checked h
in the road. He stopped to brea
his horse a moment and consider
w course when It flashed into his m
that perhaps the party in default
horses would endeavor to escape
boat. He knew that Ellen was an
nau complished sailor, and he cursed
stupidity that he had not thought
it before.
He galloped down the road and
'usu a few minutes came to a little fish
village. Some Of the fishermen
gone or for the days work in y
boats. but one g~rizzled sailor
nh modify pacing up and down the i
wharf. Refining his horse in on
49, shore, Seton hailed him.
MY man." he said, have you !
ts anything Of two or three people
women and a man inquiring for q
~ this morning.
.na,s NO" growled the man, but
a boat at this wharf, the best
in the haven, and when l come q
this morning at Ave o'clock she
- gone"
= ~ "Cone!" cried Seton, dismour
sna. from his horse in his exciten
my what do you mean?'
1870 aJust what / say, your honor,
ino turned the man. eshe was tied
there"-he pointed to n OF
e IN spiles-"and when | got up I was
aus first man down here at the wharf
: my was gone"
Were WAS there any message-any
nAn ANY sign?"
sne eNaught but this" returned the