The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1909-04-16
Hidden
Perils
q, MARY cECM HA
CHAPTER XXI.
~ MARY e c HAY

i ~ ~ ANA p us 1HtAE&Fsss Ief4Nt1g ~ Fts
naent. with ghe bride stili in his hand.
"Dh thai ! bad bren alone. Wait one
Inorsant. Stand aside for aae moment
He took isonrAe's whip from The
ground. and with ii III his hand. moved
a few pacea nearer 10 Winier6el1, leadins
the painting marc then be stood again.
dropped tia bit. moved aside and gave the
animal n sharp eat across the netk.
The sext is9osrsent she was galinrtins
hofa~ward, The resns hanging looee, the
saddle sfnp9y--a frightened. riaerless
mare. with whom her masters secret was
SAFE.
drea "a then her eyes wandered back to
Asaol. AZ he turned again. with the mn.
natural calm still on his face. BUT be-
fore be had joined her she had fallen on
her knees reside Rourke and hidden her
face m II she dared see no more.
"I0rrain. be strong just for a little
longer" said Athol. In his new tones Of
still authority. III you faint ell hope is
over. Move away. ms darling. where
Jon cannot see"
Il will not faint. will stay here
He met her pleading eyes and read their
stsadfastness.
Thank aod that IL il you who were
here with ne-~if any one he said. in a
low, concentrated tone. as he stopped and
gased searchinsly into Rourke's mot ion
less face.
Lorraine waited breafhiessly until he
slowly rose again and drew a long breath
OF relief. Near Rourke's onts:retched
hand he laid the whip he had been using,
but everything else he left untouched.
Then he went back a few steps TO the
spot where lay the PROSTATE form of
Hortsn Newies. md bending. took II up
u his arms. Lorraine. still kneeling he
side Rourke's watched him. half bewil.
dered. The whole nature of the maj
seemed changed. Yet all that he did she
instinctiyely knew to be the best. while
she still trembled Ia every limb 10 see
the calm and strength which he could
show at such q Tins a. this.
Slowly he bore Horton Newlev s imam
Innate form along the drive in the direc-
ton Of the farm. following the track OF
the galloping horse, for fifty PAGES or
more. Then he laid il down in the cen
ter OF the avenue. just as Ii had lain
above when be had come up too late, the
face upturned and the marks Of the
horses feet so plainly visible on the dark
dress.
When this was done Athol brought
Horton Newley's hat from the spot where
be had fallen and placed IL near the
rsostrate form. Then he joined Lorraine
sgain. and she rose and stood beside him.
whiting for his words, her fingers locked
1ogether. looking misfiiy at him, with "a
fearful palIor on her face.
Lorraine, he brave, my darling. for a
Few minutes longer." be said. and even
Ghe could not guess at his mingled suffer
Ing as he looked from the miotionlesS hg-
ure On the gravel TO her white. Devil
dered face. Go back to Winterield at
once. Run In terror and alarm the
household. Send a mounted messenger
Into Kumley for DIR. Thorne. then on into
Alton for DIR. Meredith. Say that Mr..
Trenham has been thrown. and that the
horse has frampied Mr.. Newley. That
= all. Send another man for your father
and Mr.. Spencer"
But" she faltered. her eyes piercing
the distance as she spoke. literally star
tied. too. by her own voice. Mr.. Spen-
Ger was to be there, YOU said. at the
lodge. Athol."
lie started. looked forward with bent
brows and quickened breath. knowing
well thai the little window in the lodge
which faced them was the window Of
Miriam's III the curate had been
through those few awful minutes !.
Athol shook the thought from him as he
might have shaken an infectious touch
and turned to Lorraine again.
do you understand? Rourke was rid
Ing 4 young horse which had been doing
for several weeks. You saw ii
g~alloping home riderless, and here Rourke
lies. and there Newlcy. DO you quite un-
Il quite understand" she said, the az
ony Of understanding quite as great as
he agony Of telling had been to him.
And then she turned away and ran like a |
frightened child toward the farm.
In his own room ut Wintertieid they
hid Rourke Trenham. in that silent hush
which rested on the house. Motionless. !
md almost b~reathless, with faded lips
md = deathlike pallor on his face. with
closed and still, as they are rarely
Dtili except in death, he lay until the
weary hours Of that long night had almost
.ped. Then there came . change-almost
lm~perceptible; but 4 change which Athol. !
- intent and watchful, caught in q mo
nenf. The feeble pulse luttered . little, +
Rourke's eyes opened wide upon Athol's
1cs. then closed neutrality-suspicious. A.
Z n slumber now. Athol. moving his
hAnd slowly while hs kept his watching /
p~osition beside the bed. took . small vial /
lrom hie breast pocket. He dropped 4
lev drops Of the d~ark-c0lored 6uid II
upon = lump Of sugar. and eau
placed this between Rourke's lips. |
Then the sls~p grew deep 40 death once
Dore, and Rourke lay white and motion |
lsss again, in the still Inconsistencies
which locked 70 terribly like death.
When Athol left the room for the first
dme that morning be found Lorraine
waiting in the hall, expecting him to come.
Il am going to the NARROWLY" she
lid. . hs tool her cold rand into his
Gloee grasp. and rested his tired, hanss- |
a eyes upon her face. now that l have
AA~A 49,. Ah~