The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-07-07
Ending Her
Freedom
By RICHARD BARKER SHELTON
Copyright, 1909 by Associated Literary
Press.)

By RICHARD BARKER SHELTON
Copyright; 1903 y Associated Literary
The Jingle Of the telephone in the
library interrupted Holroyd's peaceful
breakfast. Almost impatiently he arose
from the little table in one corner of
the screened porch-for, fair weather
or foul, hot or cold, Holroyd invariably
breakfasted out of doors while he was
at The Birches-and stumbled through
the open French window into the IL
brary. He caught up the telephone
from the table and shouted rather
impatient "Hello!" into it.
"Hello!" came an anxious voice from
the other end of the wire. rs that
you, Jimmy?"
Eyes. Who is this? oh. you. Anne"
said he as he recognized the
voice of his cousin, Mrs. Delmar.
What on earth are you calling me up
at this time of the morning for?
What? Trouble over there! What
sort of trouble? Has Billy sneezed
this morning? Is that IT,"
Listen, Jimmy, and don't attempt
any of your silly humor just now"
the agitated voice admonished. What
do you suppose that crazy child has
done now?"
What crazy child?"
Mora, of course"
"Oh," said Holroyd, not without a
sardonic chuckle as he realized Anne
referred to Tom Delmar's niece, Nora
Ormond, who was spending two weeks
at the Delmar's place, and who was in.
cidentally keeping Mrs. Delmar on the
verge of nervous breakdown in the
meantime.
What has she done, Anne? Set the
stable afire or accidentally shot one
of the dogs?"
"Will you be serious, Jimmy?" his
cousins voice demanded. Its no time
for levity. She has gone for gallop"
there was an impressive pause-"on
Blackfire," came the finish in tremu.
lous tones.
"What?" Holroyd shouted in unbe.
lief.
Don't you understand? tell you
she has gone for gallop on Black.
fire. She was up early this morning
and she went out to the stable and
bribed Tim into saddling that brute
for her. The cook saw her starting
out and so Nora bribed the cook, too
not to tell me; but when she was gone
over an hour, Jenny grew alarmed and
has just come to me and told me the
whole thing; and Toms away in town
and can't find Tim anywhere around
the place, and goodness only knows
what may happen to her on that
horse! Even Tom himself Is bit
afraid Of him. For heavens sake.
Jimmy, see if you can't find her. That
brute has probably thrown her some
where, and"
Holroyd waited for no more. For
all his lazy exterior he was a man OF
marked decision. His unfinished break
fast on the porch, the engrossing ar
ticle he had been reading in maya
zine as he slipped his coffee, even his
omnipresent cigarette case was for
gotten, as he ran out of the library
and crossed the trim yard to the lit
tie garage.
In a trice he had jumped, hatless
into the low black road car, and was
whirling down the drive towards the
roads at furious pace.
Nora Ormond had gone out on
Blackfire-Blackfire, a brute that had
a reputation extending over three
counties for his vicious temper and
his proneness to attempt murder OH
whoever was bold enough to perch on
his sleek back.
Just why the girl should have,
crowned her many wild feats since she
had been at the Delmar's with this
widest one of them all, Holroyd did
not attempt to argue with himself;
but 1t was eminently like her, he told
himself grimly.
She had gone for gallop on Black.
fire; that was enough to make him set
his teeth and groan inwardly. And
more than probably, somewhere be.
meath that placid autumn morning sky
Nora Ormond was-was-Holroyd was
afraid to think of the possibilities.
Where had she gone? That was the
most important question of the mo-
ment. Up the mountain road. most
probably; and with that point decided
to his satisfaction, he swung the
speeding car into the road that led. up
the slope.
He gave the car full speed and went
up the winding, narrow road at pace
that set the car rocking orally. Then
as he swung a sharp curve, he saw
her sitting on rock by the roadside
Her hat was gone; her hair was
rumpled; her brown riding skirt was
covered with. dust and badly torn
There was a cut just above her right
temple.