The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-04-18
He opened the door.

strange young woman, IN q large, hat,
and carrying a light suit case, fell into
his rms and hung around his neck.
The next instant Lord Jocelyn blushed
deeply, for he felt two soft lips i'm
printed on his own.
"Jack-dearest," she murmured;
then raised her eyes to his. He saw
the pupils dilate; she tore herself out
Of his arms and shrank back with a
cry of fear-more fear, in Jocelyn's
estimation, than the circumstances Of
the case warranted.
who are you?" she gasped.
Lord Jocelyn introduced himself
with difidence, but the young lady did
not seem to hear. She continued to
shrink away from him, until the wall
of the passage precluded further re
moval, and gazed at him in terror;
and, as he had deftly i%nterposed him
self between her and the stairs, in or
der to stop her in case she might be
tempted to flee, she made a left turn
and continued to shrink back and back
until they found themselves inside
Jack Stanfield's apartment.
where's Jack? Where's MI. Stan
field?" she cried.
Lord Jocelyn laid a hand soothingly
upon her shoulder. He was not Who'll
ly Indifferent to the charm of her ap-
p%earance; indeed, as he gazed upon
her he found himself admitting that
Jack had told the truth concerning
this; nevertheless it was a very pater-
nal manner that he adopted as he re-
piled:
"Jack will be back soon, my dear
young lady. Now compose yourself, I
beg, for you distress both of US great
ly. I assure you that your parting
will not be for long,"
Let me Co." she cried, and darted
past him. Jocelyn, entirely at a loss
to account for this singular behavior,
followed her into the hall, for, in her
haste, she missed the location of the
| stairway and came to a halt opposite
the large closet.
"Please-please do not be afraid of
me-" begged Jocelyn. And, as she
gazed at him in absolute fear, he be-
gan, deity, as he imagined, to explain
the circumstances. Suddenly he broke
of. The fair visitor was gazing with
a look of utter vacuity, at the opposite
wall. What was it she saw? Lord
Jocelyn turned to observe what she
was staring at.
Instantly he felt himself pushed
backward by a pair of singularly nus
cular hands-a minute later he heard
something click, and darkness envel-
oped him. The young lady had very
deity locked him in the closet.
Exerting all his force, Jocelyn
strained against the door. He felt it
give; he strained again, and it burst
open. He rushed out to the head of
the stairs, the Precipitation streaming
down his brow. If Stanfeld should
return and find that he had not kept
faith with him He heard the faint
swish of her skirts upon the last fight
and, hatless, plunged down in pursuit.
At all cost he must overtake her and
explain the situation to her. AS he
emerged from the door of the house
he saw her getting into a taxicab some
fifty yards up the street. She saw him
as she stepped in and called to the
driver. Jocelyn was too far off to
hear her words, but he could infer
them from the sudden squirt of the We
hicle. It started off in a cloud of dust
and began to make a record pace up
the road. Just then another taxicab
came slowly by. Jocelyn hailed it.
Follow that cab," he cried to the
>driver. "Catch 1t. There's a young
lady inside"
The driver grinned and, bending
down, remarked in an exasperating
way:
How much, boss?"
Twenty dollars" cried Jocelyn in
desperation.
I'm WISE" answered the driver, and
hardly had Jocelyn entered before he
was flung back upon the cushions by
the speed of the pursuit. Up the road
the vehicle raced in pursuit, nov sight
ing the young lady's taxicab, now los
ing it. Soon it became evident that
she was driving in the direction of the
Grand Central station and a cry of
thankfulness escaped from Jocelyn's
lips. If she went there they would
meet Jack Stanf1eld and explanations
could ensue. w..
But why had she .shrunk from him
in such unsimulated terror? Why had
she, in her desperation, locked him
into the clothes closet? Even in his
anguish Jocelyn found time to ejacu.
late:
ri knew that I was going to find an
adventure"
His calculation had not been an er
roneous n The flying taxicab turned
into F~orty-second street, dashed swift.
ly along the crowded way, to the i'm.
minent danger of sundry pedestrians,
and skimming the curb, came to a halt
in front of the station. Lord Jocelyn's
vehicle was only twenty yards behind.
He sprang out, tossed the money to
the driver and darted up the steps in
pursuit of the young woman, chased
her through the waiting room, and cor.
nered her in front Of the baggage
room. ...
Eileen looked at that moment like a