Evening star., 1909-04-25
By BRAN STOKER.

to failure. The time seemed to fly so
fast the miles to be SO long. She even
began to feel nervous doubt as to
whether she could even be able to send
word to her father East of Corsock the
nature of the road is confusing TO a
stranger. There are bye-roads leading
south and up northwards into the noun
tans; and Urr Water had to be crossed.
Joy began to lose the perspective of
things; her doubts as to whether she was
on the right road became oppressive.
Somehow things We're changing round
her. Look where she would she could
not see the hill tops that had been i,er
landmarks. A mist was coming from
the right hand-that was the south. where
was Solway Firth Then she gave up
heart altogether. There came TO her
Woman'S breast the reaction from all the
| happy excitement of the day. 1t was too
| bright to last. And now came this shad-
ow of trouble worse even than the mist
which seemed to presage it Oh. If
only he We're with her now He.
=" Strange it was that in all the day
| she had not once spoken to him by name.
| Dear" or darling seemed more suit
able when her hand was in his: when he
an ecstasy of delightful remembrance
She was recalled to herself by a
| sudden Jar: in her momentary forgetful-
ness she had run up bank.
! 1t was A shock to her when her eyes
opened to see how different were her sur
roundings from her thoughts Those
| hours when they sat togethec where the
sunbeams stole through the trees would
afford her many comparison In the time
| to come. All was dark and dank
and chill. The mist was thckening every
instant: she could hardly see the road
ahead of her.
| However, she had 10 60 on. mist or no
| mist: at least till she could reach some
place whence she could telegraph to her
I! father. With a pang she realized that
she must not wire also 10 him as she
| would have loved to have done. 1t would
only upset and alarm him. poor fellow.
and he had quite anxiety enough in think
ing of her already: with heavy
heart she crawled along through the mist
steering by the roadbed as we'll as she
could. keeping a sharp lookout for cross
roads and all the dangers Of the way.
| The time seemed TO ny, but not the car.
The road appeared 10 be endless. Would
she never come TO any hospifaole place
1t was a surprise TO her when she came
on stra aging rows of cottages and found
herself between double rows of houses
painted over the door she saw Crock
e;ford Post Office" In her heart she
thanked God that she was still on the
right read. though she had only as Set
| come some dozen or more miles II
| seemed as If a week had passed since she
left Dairy and She drew up to the
post office and went in. There she sent
a wire: - :.
mist; am going on however, but must
arrive very late. SO do not be anxious
about me Love to mother and Aunt
Judy and dear daddy. JOY"
When she had handed IL in she looked
at her watch. II was only half-past {
O'Clock.
IL was still. therefore. on the verge OF
possibility that she might get back IN
time She hurried out. Several people
had gathered around the motor. WHICH
was throbbns away after the manner ol
| motors, as though impatient TO get tG
rea. work. A policeman who was amons
: them, seeing that she was about To sc
on suggested that she should have hel
| lamps lighted as ii would be protection
as we'll IA help to her in the mist. she
was about to say that she thought II
would be better not for she did not
know anything about acetylene lamps
and feared TO expose her ignorance. wheI
he very kindly offered TO light them fol
] her.
.''Tis no work for bonny leddy. ht
] said in self justification of bending his
e official dignity to the occasion. She fell
I that his courtesy demanded some expla
4 nation, and also that such explanation
e would, by accounting for her being al
1 alone. avoid any questioning. So said
[ sweetly:
Thank you so much. officer. ] reall.
do not know much about lamps myself