The Washington times., 1910-01-28
BY
ALBERT PAYSON TERTUNE

I D 4
ALBERT PAYSON TERTUNE
form OF well-kept open grove whose
unceTgrOwth was kept carefully
pruned away, apparently part Of some
country estate.
I could see the road. yellow and
dusty, ahead OF me- beyond the dark
tree trunks 7 hurried toward Il as
fast as I dared through the gather
ing night.
Then I halted, startled. For com
ing uncertainty toward me through
The shadows wassa white, silent fig
Noiseless, Infinitely graceful. in
garments th5-t glimmered ghostIIke
through the gloom, she came. ] stood
lrresolute. marveling. And she spoke
u was Hilda's 3 voice.
Hugh she called softly
j sprang forward from the inter
yenlng tree bolls and was face TO
face with her.
Hugh" the soft, wOndrolls sweet
voice was calling again
and then with gasp Of relief:
tn- you are neret Thank heaven ]
vas afraid 1 might miss you in the
You-you were looking for me7'' vas
all could stammer.
Yes" size answered. tremuIousIy, as
she took the eager hand ] had uncon-
sCiJESly extended Il was on the
veranda-aIone. I saw the baIlon as h
crossed above the lower woods and set
ued here ! knew It was you So I
But
I came" she said, speaking rapidly
| 10 drown the tremor IN her vOIre, ''to
warn you was afraid you might not
know, and might venture to 20 where
you would be seen l.
To warn me2' 1 repeated bIankly.
{ / doa.t understand To warn me q
Every one Is looking for you" she
painted 'Ielegrams have been sent
I eyeTy-'y mere All day 1ews Of your
/ flight has reached the police. once You
( were reported about Washington. then
Z over a Virginia town and agair-''
But wn= should every one be so ex-
e-se, cltsa over runaway baIioon?' I
] II isn't THAR she exclaimed You
must knew better They are looking for
You Tor Lhe-the-''
( She shUddered and could not 20 on.
or Karl Naughn's DEATH" ! supple
6 Silently she nodded her head.
Ell ne more 1 asked IT know
4 nothing that has happened in the a.
since j escaped from the Arlington q
. week ago
That same day." she said. "a gen
era alarm was sent out The papers
were iuil Of Il The whole nation is
pelng searched for you. But until Won
. appeared on the fair grounds thls morn
-'B Jne earth seemed 10 have swallowed
you up There was no clue T-1rs-,
. when sou IeaDed into the baIIoo0-
And that was why YOU looked At
{ me 50 Tangely when my ewes met
yours AZ the fair grounds broke in
; I thought i was only that Won mis-
/ Understood and that you supposed I
4 was making a sensational exhibition oF
nyselI for the fun of 1t"
/ didn suppose anything Of the
/ soTt- she denied. But, Oh. Hugh, why
I old you take such a risk2''
1 hung my head. II IS hard for q
white man 10 speak Of his poverty 10 a
/ 'The-the manager offered twenty dol
I lars. faltered, and had no money.
I Il vas that or staTve-"
A world OF panied. amazed sympathy
I was expressed in that Quiok-brea died
monosyllable- And my heart grew " arm
{ at the sound
That was my reason said I. n
. less 1 wished 10 starve or be caught, I
I haQ 70 nave money for food"
I DnieSs you wished to he caught - she
4 ecEOe q sudden change in her voice
/ Hugh, that IS what I cannot under
f stand. It IS nt like YOU TO run ava Y
and hide yourself. Not even from the
/ law or rom the consequences Of such q
1 terrible suspicion You seemed to me
{ the braveSt man I knew. I could not
I believe II when L heard YOU had fed
I instead OF staying TO confront your ac-
I CuSeTs- Why did you do IL, Hugh =
shall We say I was-afraid?" ?" 1 sug-
/ gested-
{ No she declared, we shall saw
nothing OF the sort You must have
/ had some other, stronger reason. What
was itT
7 1T is mans natural impulse 10 fee
from the results OF his crimes" I gen
/ eralized
But you have committed no crime
{ she asserted calmly
/ reEard the killing of Kari Vaughn a
7 do a horrible crime. But YOU did
not commit It"
+ She spoke with as much quiet Ger
+ tsinry as If stating that black was rot
I white.
what makes you say that2' I ee-
! manded. puzzled Have you heard any
I have heard nothing but what I
I have told YOU said she And I need
/ TO hear nothing For YOU did not kill
I Karl Vaughn That is enOngh for me-"
I Oh, the Gtyire, illogical. simple faith
I Of women VIII ever q man BE- born I
! wonder, who is half worthy'of f.?
But the-the evidence" I muttered.
/ a lump IN my throat and a most before
my eyes at ner wondrous trust
the evidence means nothing 10 me-"
/ she ScOffed- impatiently. 81 know yolf
/ And I knoS you did not kill 8Ir
I Vaughn I know you CoGis5 -sot have
done such a thing. Why do YOU try To
! pretend 10 me that you did? You are
/ Hugh Lee That is al the evidence I
need
Il have not found such f-.ith, no. not
7 in Israeli I half uncOnsci0 lsIy quoted
under my bre1Jh- A great awe was M
Z on me Before her simple unsverv az
I trust in my innocence could have
I knelt as at a shrine.
But she pursued. "why did you
/ run away2 You weren't afraid Of be-
I ing condemned by cirCumstantfaI evi-
! denCe. in spite Of your innocence. For
I you are not a man TO know fear; Ger
/ tainly not the man TO yield TO It There
I IS some other reas IN
/ She looked keenly Up at me through
I the ghOstly half light Then. as II she
read the truth in fire letters. she de-
/ clared-
And I know what that reason IS
( You are shielding some one else. Who
( IS it2-
NO. nor cried IN dread. 'eNol You
! are uttery mistaken I am shielding no