The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-07-30
CHAPTER xxxlI.
The Danger Zone.


It was early afternoon when the
girl came out of the railway station
at Lendal-barely an hour and half
distant from Fellsgarth by quick train
into the quaint, struggling High
Street of the old-fashioned country
town, where ancient houses, with bulg-
ing upper stories that seemed to be
perpetually whispering gossip to each
other across the narrow thoroughfare,
huddled closely together clannishly,
as If proud Of their century or more
of years. At the station Hilda had
ascertained from a porter the direc-
ton Of Mr.. Strangways' house; she
walked through the sleepy High Street
consumed by a fever of suppressed ex-
element. What would the next half
hour bring her?
Hilda, in spite of her brothers ef-
forts to dissuade her, had adhered
resolutely to her determination to 60
to Lendal; she had declined his offer
to accompany her. Mr.. Hume had
spoken positively Of his conviction
that Jack was hiding in or near Mr..
Strangways' house, aided by Miss
Strangways and the doctor in attend
ance at the Grange. The weeks Of
fntolerable suspense since the day of
her lovers escape from Wildfell-
weeks that had not dragged by with.
out leaving some of their traces on
the girls face, robbing it, If not of it's
beauty. of its old brightness and ami
nation and color-followed by this un-
expected news, had prompted the re-
sfstless impulse that Hilda had acted
on to come to Lendal to seek out Miss
Strangways. The overwhelming de-
sire had swept over her to see Jack
Lathom again, If it were possible, or at
least to assure herself that he was
we'll and in no present danger of re-
arrest.
There were son,e gaudy bills nut
tering on dead wall. Hilda saw that
they were theatrical bills; the heading
was "Chatterton's Theatre Con-
sumed with impotence as she was,
yet she paused to glance down one Of
the long strips with a sudden inter-
est. From what Mr.. Hume had told
her, Jack had been playing with this
theatrical company-news that had
for the first time lifted q corner Of
the tmpenetrab1e veil that had fallen
between her and her lover since the
night Of his fight from Wildfell.
Some distance down the street two
men came out of a small barber's
shop. walking In front Of her, who she
felt sure, with quick thrill Of in
terest, must belong to the theatrical
profession, and probably belonged to
the company in which Jack had been
playing; their appearance was dis
tinctively suggestive Of the footlights.
In Mr.. Chatterton's advertisements
for "artistes' he always required that
APPLICANTS must dress we'll of the
stage; and perhaps it was due to a
laudable desire to live up to this
managerial requirement that the
taller Of the two men walking down
the street in, front of Hilda wore q
long fur coat (that had undoubtedly
seen better days. If not quite recent
ly) in spite Of the day being oppres-
sively close; sand shoes and a cloth
cricket cap formed the pleasing ex.
tremes Of the remaining part of his
attire. He spoke in adeep and meas
ured booming voice that had such q
carrying" quality that, though the
two men were some little distance
ahead Of her, the greater part Of what
they were saying reached the girls
ears distinctly.
well, whatever he's done or hasn't
done, Joe, I'm not going to say word
against him." the taller man was re.
marking. you and l were in parlous
straits-fortune's footballs. In very
sooth-that day he came to the res