The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-15
BY DONALD ALLEN.
tCopyright, 1911, by Associated
Il b. 4

tASQpfEiEnt, 4SI1s NS sAsSNNiAtSd
Literary Press,
II was O'Clock in the afternoon
On certain day when Miss Ethel
Elaine left the manor house known
Is The Willows for a walk down
fhe highway and then turn to the
5xft into the hills. There vas cave
there among the rocks and scrub
pines, and IL was her intention 10 pay
IL a visit.
AT Just the same hour. on the same
afternoon, Mr.. Hugh Wentworth left
The manor house known as The
{ Popiars for a walk UP the highway
and then turn to the right into the
hills. There were cartridges among
the pines. and he had his gun along
10 make victims He was accompan-
led by bis dog. II wasn't high bred
dog ana thing AZ beauty, but he
had a mission 10 perform before get
ting of the earth.
The distance between The VIII
lows and The Poplars was two
miles. There wasn't a willow within
three miles OF The Willows and
there wasn't a poplar within four
miles of The Poplsrs. Miss Blaine
has just returned home from a year
scut West. and MIR. Wentworth had
been civil engineering in the South.
Miss Ethel found the cave all right.
5 II wasn't much OF cave. One Sit
ring down in ii was only four feet
from the entrance.
There was romance there. however.
One could sit down on stone and
hear the pines whispering, the squir-
ress chattering and the partridges
csncking. One could think OF the In
dian maiden who committed suicide
there rather than wed a rich young
-M-<
thieves had used that cave. Gallant
knights had slept there and cooked
their ovn breakfast of bacon and
eggs while out on tours TO rescue
dasrsels ali forlorn. Lovers had sat
there and pledged their vows.
No place could have been better
adapted To meditation. True, a sort
ut animal odor chung to the cave, but
enc could think of the past and won
der over the future. Many girls have
q, mediate on street corners and in
hack yards. Miss Ethel had sat in
The cave meditating for a long half
hour. and had become sleepy over It.
when the dog of destiny aroused her
Hc uttered bark close by, and she
heard human voice not far away
crying out:
$50 EN-, Rover, Go for it. old
boy."
Al the back end Of the cave there
MAS small tunnel between Jagged
rocks The girl thought she heard
Il 4tir back there. and the animal
odor became more pronounced.
Hunt him down--hunt him down.
cried the voice as the dog barked
and whined.
The dog appeared at the mouth OF
the cave and glared and growled at
the girl. He had seen girls before.
but never one In cave. She wasn't
Ola his masters land. but she was in
ambush and suspicious person. And
the dogs master, who seemed to be
delayed by the tangie, shouted again
60 in. Rover--go in. by George,
i believe it's a fox, After his scalp.
old man.
Then a red fox. whose den was al
the back end OF the cave. and who
had been keeping tab on the CIR
from the first. made a rush for free
dom. At the same moment the dog
made n rush into the cave.
Miss Ethel rose up, to be knocked
down again. and while the animals
were fighting beside her body. up
came Mr.. Wentworth and biazed
away with his shotgun. He was an
excitable young man. lie put as
many hiibtS INTO Inc uoB IN ne IlO
into the fox, and at least one struck
the girl In the hana~and assisted her
materially to scream out. Dog and
fox wrangled away into the pines to-
gether and the partridge hunter
stepped forward and exclaimed.
Heavens above. but I've killed a
girl"
'sNo, you haven't was the reply
ms Miss Ethel arose and held out her