The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-04-30
LADY ATHLYNE
Copyright, 1908, by BRAN STOKER
Entered at Stationer's Hall-An rights reserved



motion restored her courage. When in
about half an hour she began to note
the cottages and houses grouping in
the suburbs of Dumfries she got eIated.
She was now well on the way to Eng
land She knew from experience that
the road to Amman, by which they had
come, was fairly level. She did not
MIND the mist so much, now that she
was accustomed to it: and she expect
ed that as it was driving UP north
wards from the Firth she would be
free from it altogether when she
should have passed the Border and
was on her way south to Carlisle
In the meanwhile she was more
anxious than as yet. The mist seemed
to have settled down more here than
IN the open country. There were lights
IN many windows in the suburbs, and
the street lamps were lit. 1t is strange
how the perspective of lines of lamps
gets changed when one is riding or
driving or cycling in mist or fog. If
one Kept the center of the road it
would be all right; but as one keeps
of necessity to the left the lines be-
tween the lamps which guide the eye
change with each instant. The effect
is that straight lines appear to be
curved; and If the driver loses nerve
and trusts to appearances he will soon
come to grief. This was joys expert
ence of driving in mist. and shs
naturally fell into the error. She got
confused as to the right and wrong
side of the road. She had to fight
against the habit of her life, which
instinctively took command when her
special intention was in allegiance. She
knew that from Dumfries the road
dropped to the southeast and as the
curve seemed away to the left from
her side of the road She thinking that
road. naturally inclined towards the
right hand, when she came to a place
where there were roads to choose
There was no one about from whom
70 oc1- f1a r1,n IN
descend from the car to look for
sign-poSt. The onus of choice was on
her.and she took the right hand think
ing it was straight ahead. For some
time now she had been going slow, and
time and distance had both spun out
to infnitude: she had lost sense of
both. She was tired, wearied to death
with chagrin and responsibility. Ev-
erythinG around her was new and
strange and unknown, and so was full
of terrors. She did not know how to
choose. She feared to ask lest the do
ing so might land her in new embar-
easements. She knew that unless shd
got home in something like reasonable
time her father would be not only
deeply upset but furiously angry-and
all that anger would be visited on
Him. Oh she must get on 1t was toe
frightful to contemplate what might
happen should she have to be out all
night and after having gone
out with man against whom her
| he owed him SO much!
The change in the road. however,
gave her some consolation; 1t was
straight and smooth, and as the wind
| was now more in her face she felt that
she was making southwark. But her
physical difficulties were increasing
The wind was much stronger. and the
mist came boiling UP so fast that her
goggles got blurred more than ever
Everything around her was becoming
wet.
For few miles-she could only guess
at the distance-a1l went well, and she
slowly and carefully: she did not mean
to have any mischance now if she
could help it. 1t would not be SO very
long before she was over the Border.
Then most likely she would be out of
the mist and she could put on more
speed.
Presently she felt that the car was
going up a steep incline. When it had
been running swiftly she had not felt
such. but now it was apparent. It was
not a big hill however. and the run
down the other side was exhilarating.
though the fear of some obstacle in
front dampened such pleasure there
was. Even then the pace was not
fast; ordinarily it would have been
considered as little better than rapid
crawl. For a while. not long but SEEM
inoIv more than long, the road was up
midtown till she saw in the dimness
of the mist glimpses of houses, then a
few CLEANS of light from the chinks
of shut windows. Here she went very
slowly and footed often. She feared
she might do some harm: and the
slightest harm now might mean delay.
She breathed more freely when she
was out in the open again. That cpl
sode of the arrest and the prolonged
agitation which followed it had I'M
nerved her more than she had thought:
and now the mist and the darkness
and the uncertainty were playing
havoc with her. 1t was only when she
was long past the little place that she
regretted she had not stopped to ask
if she were on the right road. There
was nothing for it. however, but to go
on. The road was all up and down. up
and down: but the surface was fairly
good, and as the powerful lamps show
ed her sufficient space ahead to steer
she moved along. though it had to be
with an agonising slowness. How diff
ferent it all was, she thought. from
that fairy-charoit driving with Him in
the morning. The road then seemed
straight and level. and movement was
an undiluted pleasurei For in
slant she closed her wearied eyes as
she sighed at the change-and ran off
the road-bed.
Happily she was going slowly and
recovered herself before more than the
front wheels were on the rough mass
of old road-scrapings. In a couple of
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