Barbour County index., 1910-01-12
CHAPTER Ix.-continued:

precautions, in a night meeting with DON
oVan.
CHAPTER Discontinued: >
do you mean to tell me that you
have not talked with your father-that
you have not seen him here?" l be-
sought.
Eyes; 1 have seen him-once, and
1T was by accident. 1t was quite by ac-
cident."
Yes; know Of that; ''i'f'' .'f'' =
Then you have been spying upon
me, Mr.. Donovan!" .-.o.
"Why did you tell me that outrage
ously foolish tale about your chess
game, when l knew exactly where you.
were. at the very hour you would have
had me think you were dutifully en-
gagged with your aunte It seems to
me- my dear Miss Holbrook, that that
is not so easy of explanation, even to
my poor wits"
THAT was without purpose; really
It was! l was restless and weary from
/ so much confinement; you can't know,
how dreary these late years have been
for 'us-for me-and wished just
once to be free. I went for long
walk. into the country. And if you
saw me, if you watched me"
I gaZed at her blankly. The thing
could not have been better done on
the stage; but Miss Pat was walking
toward us, and put an end to the
talk - ~ u lt.. y,5i -. -.
81 came upon him by accident-I
had no idea he was here" she per:
sisted -
10 'You are not growing tired of u.s."
began Miss Pat, with her brave, beau
tiful smile; you are not anxious to be
rid of us?"
81 certainly am not" I replied. 81
can't tell you how glad 1 am that you
have decided to remain here 1 am
|, quite sure that with little patience
we shall wear out the besiegers.; Our
position here has, you may say, the
strength Of it's weakness 1 think the
policy Of the enemy is to harass you
by guerrilla methods-to annoy you
and frighten you into submission"
YES; believe you are right" she
said slowly. Helen had walked on,
and loitered beside Miss Pat.
st hope you have had no misgivings
Miss Pat, since our talk yesterday"
Ess} "None whatever" she replied, quick
ly. Il am quite persuaded in my own
mind that l should have been better
off if 1 had made stand. long ago. 1
don't believe cowardice ever pays do
you?"
She smiled up at me in her quick,
bright way, and was more than ever
/ her slave. '.t is.'= -G1h- "
Miss Holbrook, you are the bravest
woman in the world! believe you are
right. / think l should be equal to ten
thousand men with your spirit to put
heart into me-"
~'Don't be foolish" she said, laugh
ing. tBut show you that 1 am not
realty afraid, suppose you offer,to take
las for . drive this evening. Think it
wonld3 be well for me to appear to-day,
just to show the, enemy that we are
not driven to. cover by our little ad-
venture in the launch yesterday"
Certainly! Shall we carry out
| riders and a rear guard?"
fNot a bit of it. think we may be
able to- shame my brother out of his
evil intentions by our defenselessness. I"
We waited for Helen to rejoin us.
and the drive was planned for five.
| Promptly on the hour, after a day of
activity, on my part in cruising the
lake, looking for signs of the enemy,
we set forth in an open trap, and
plunged into country roads that trav-
| ersed territory new to all of us. l car
ried lima along, and when, after a
few miles, Helen asked to take the
reins. changed seats with her, and
gave myself up to talk with Miss Pat.
7 The girls mood was grave, and she
wished to drive, fancied, as an ex-
cuse for silence. The land rolled grad
ually away into the south and west.
and we halted, in an hour or so, far
from the lake, on a wooded eminence
that commanded long sweep in every
direction, and drew into the roadside.
lima opened a gate that admitted us
to superb maple grove, and in a few
minutes we were having tea from the
hamper In the icheeriest mood in the
world. The sun was contriving new
maryels in the west, and the wood
that dipped lakeward beneath us gave
an illusion of thick tapestry to the
eye.