Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-04-15
CHAPTER XVlII.-(Continued.l

well, laddie, you've had fortnight
of it, said Joe, as the eight or nine
men who formed the masculine por
ton of Mr. Chatterton's company
swung along the hard, dry road.
Sorry you joined?"
Il think was in luck's way to get
the engagement said Jack.
He would not have had two such
pleasant weeks to look back on if he
had adhered to his first intention
probably with the result of running
into the arms Of the police on the
lookout for him at Liverpool.
These first two weeks of the tour
had brought Jack Lathom a growing
sense of security. No photograph of
him had appeared in the newspapers
he had dreaded that-the interest
of the public seemed to have been
diverted from the case of the murder
Of Philip Hume, widespread as that
interest had been; another crime had
taken it's place in the columns of the
press; the Wildfell tragedy was al
ready dropping out of the public
mind, though once or twice when he
had been in the company of the other
actors the talk had turned on the &C
cused man who was still at large, and
on the murder-the incident of the
marked card found in the dead mans
hand appealed to their dramatic in
stincts-and Jack had wondered, with
little chill feeling, what they
would have thought could they have
known who he was, especially as all
seemed to believe that the accused
man must be guilty.
Though the night was sharp, the
walk was pleasant enough along the
country roads after the houses near
the station had been left behind,
where the hedges and trees were
bursting into green and the almond
trees were already in blossom.
Presently they began to come to
houses again-the outskirts Of Len
dial, the town where they were to
play; scattered big houses, standing
in wide grounds.
One house, standing far back from
the road, was inclosed in a high wall,
a great dark gloomy place, with
scarcely a light in any of the win
dows showing through the trees, as
the party came to narrow wicket
gate and stood for moment looking
through. Some distance down the
road great gates of fantastic irOnwork
opened on a carriage sweep that led
to the silent, isolated house.
''Those gates are always shut-shut
and barred like a prison-as if to
keep out would-be intruders on a mys-
terry. You don't know who lives there,
l eXpect?' remarked Chatterton to La
Thorn as if they walked along. But
there's not town Or village in Eng
land where the chances of it's owners
living for the next seven weeks are
not being eagerly discussed"
Then this is Mr.. Strangway's
placer" cried Joe, interested
The manager nodded.
"a man whose life hangs on
thread" he said. There are thou
sands of pounds depending on this
mans life all over the country-on
his living for the next seven weeks.
Halloa! What's this?"
Almost as he was speaking, the
sound of horses hoofs was borne to
their ears along the windy road, COM
ing towards them, making the group
look up quickly, two people on horse
back riding furiously, riding as though
life and death hung in the balance.
The men moved hurriedly aside.
In the moonlight Jack Lathom saw
that the rider in front was a girl-a
girl who, in the first moment, remind
ed hims strangely of Hilda; a girl
scarcely out of her teens, with a slim,
slight, graceful figure, and of striking
beauty, whose face was white and
drawn as if in great distress or fear.
That's his daughter" whispered
Chatterton, as she drew realm near
the gate. There weere fecks of foam
about the horses mouth indicating
the pace at which it had been ridden.
AS the man following clattered up,
a man with a professional air about
him, Jack went quickly forward to
open the gate which barred the girls
way. But it was locked Almost as
he realized that fact an old man ap-
peared down the drive, as though he
had been waiting for them. He fun
bled with the key of the lock-
ooh, quick-quick!" cried the girl
eXcitedly, in an agony of impatience,
as the old mans clumsy fingers
seemed to be an endless time in doing
their work. why did you lock the
gates at such time as this? Quick
-auick!'