The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-04-25

w - NaAAA1A az 80
course, he realized that Lord Caring.
ton would enter the game as soon as
he could get within reach OF the table.
but Strathgate was as brave as he
was vicious. and ne rather welcomed
the added player,
II he had known, and. indeed. Il did
dawn upon him after q time be would
have the more enjoyed the fact that
his own rapid progress greatly min
dered Carringtons advance Indeed
toward the latter part Of the after
noon he threw many obstacles in the
way Of a possible pursuer, on the
chance that It might be Darlington
or even Seton-by securing all the
post horses that were worth anything
at every station and mounting h~ostlers
and post boys on them, with instruc-
tons to ride to the next station at his
expense, Consequently, while Strath-
gates progress vas faster and faster.
Carrington's advance became slower
and slower.
S~trathgate. by hard riding. reached
Portsmouth about nlghtfall. 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. Indeed, he had
made a record-breaking trip from Car
rington. so he was not hurried in his
preparations for the night. A bath. a
royal supper, clean clothes. all Of
which his money and his rank made
easy to procure, greatly refreshed
him.
Therefore, although he had been up
all the night before and wanted sleep
badly, he determined to make some
inquiries before he went to bed. He
found, to his great surprise, that the
New Eagle, which was the name OF
the ship owned by the countess of
Darlington, had sailed that morning
So far fortune favored him, for Lady
Ellen would arrive at Portsmouth, he
thought, and find her ship gone.
He enlisted the service Of the land
lord and secured a number Of mer
whom ne posted al the various inns
with instructions to notify him i'm
! mediately in case Ellen and Deborah
! arrived. He could give al accurate
description of the two, and he fell
/, that he had thus spread a net which
they could not escape. Then he wen
comfortably to bed and slept the sleel
: OF the very weary, II not of the con
!, science free.
Darlington, plunging along on ez
2 hausted, half-foundered horses, tn
, leavings of Strathgate, lost the con
= parative cheerfulness Of the mornin
: and worked himself up into such
:. fury that If he had come across tn
: earl he would probably have killed hill
!, out of hand without giving him
- chance for defense,
- The only one thoroughly Statistic
4 with the situation was Seton, and eve
his dash eastward was stopped. for ii
= wind, which had held briskly for Il
10 greater part of the day, died out abo,
pightfall and left the gallant capita.
n helplessly tossing In the short wayi
II of the channel He could only que
ID that Ellen in her boat had not y
- been able to reach Portsmouth al
entirely escape him. Capt. Seton VI
a a man of energy and resource, and
N the use of a judicious system
- bribery, he induced whitley and Il
q two boys to break out the oars. I
81 himself completed the quartette, al
through the long hours of the nigf
the four, with short intervals for re!
urged the little boat after the I
gitiyes.
SO far as the objects Of all this RI
ing and sailing and mad chasing we
a. concerned, although success had
tended their efforts up to this time,
could not be said that they were eth
he Of them particularly happy In t
Nd first place, the sun beating down up
the unsheltered boat-although I
ao winter season was approaching-w
of very hot. In the second place. ha
bread and water were not exac
20 Injuries. Time was when Ellen col
,re have eaten them without dissatisf
oh ton and have even been thankful Il
she had them, but that time b
passed. Although her spirit was
70, great as ever, the luxurious living
Darlington had naturally affected |
I'd. taste. And Debbie had had no expt
n ence of that kind at all. The young
nov manifested a disposition to repros
he the elder. only checked by Ellie
srs stern and mandatory method of
Nv missing the subject.
To hearten up her young frie'
'or. Ellen put a brave face upon the VIII
matter. she pointed out to her h
,ed comfortable and free from pursuit,
"a interference, they would be when u
boarded the New Eagle at Portsmou.
90 what a pleasant voyage they wo
have back; and made various oil
hat suggestions to cheer her young &C
o. rade and to fight down the growing
may in her own heart. It was only
= constantly holding up before hers
the picture of my lord and Lady CeC
5Iv In each others arms in the arbor I
she kept herself to the pitch Of
be adventure.
Che fo,,d ho~-,lf tht,lfnr Mate,