The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-05-27


flying Again found myself out upon
the open road. running this time tire
lessly and with a new-found strength.
Evening had fallen. and here and
there passed toilers returning home.
One or two called after me. but kept
steadfastly on my way until the town
lights began to twinkle before me.
Then, here and there. stopped TO
make inquiries. fearing now at many
turnings to lose the trail OF him whom
pursued.
A lathered. foundered horse attracts
attention anywhere, and | easily
traced II to the heart Of the town IT.
self My last informant vaguely
thought il had gone through, but after
that | absolutely lost track. II might
have been abandoned in some field or
lane. II might have gone on to any one
of two or three towns; the fact re-
NAMED that II was gone. II was
agony not to go ahead. but folly TO
go ahead blindly. In the end | had
myself driven home, to work out there
plausible scheme CT pursuit, In
the country the night comes with
finality, the world is asleep. and he
who travels must travel alone and un-
informed.
CHAPTER TX.
Pursuit.
First OF all, | ate something; for,
now that | understood the blow, now
that panic had crystallized into deter
mination, recognized that. the more
serious the situation, the more need
there was that I should be at my top
level OF efficiency. Then seriously !
sat down to consider the matter.
After all, was certain or only one
thing. that Nancy had not left me Of
her own free will, and even here my
certainty was moral one. With
morning l must be ready to find her.
10 go straight TO her If could; or, at
any rate, must have some definitely
determined plan of action; nothing
much is ever gained by vague cast
ing about for trail. And as at first
| thought things over, 1t all seemed
for the moment blind and hopeless.
Then methodically | went back to the
very beginning of things. or a sud-
den remembered the curtains that
had stirred in Ephraim Bonds house,
that unknown eavesdropper at our
: first meeting, whose arm | had grasp
ed through the curtain folds and foun:
Unexpectedly strong. | remembered,
too, Nancy's nervousness at the ferry.
and the man In the brown derby hat,
who had driven up just too late TO
p catch our boat. How stupid and un.
{, noticing a man in love may be; now
/ was the first time that / connected
/ this impatient man at the ferry gates
with the skulking intruder OF the night
of our arrival, whose lost hat, rocking
in the empty road, had alone been
enough to cloud the happiness of tns
day for Nancy. Surely, thought.
here was the man.
| Here was the man; but how was I
further advanced? To be sure, had
seen him at the ferry, and had struS-
gled with him amid the glimpsing
er occasion had clearly seen his
face, nor could l call 20 mind any
memory of II. Yet, in all probability,
1t was he who had inquired about US
at the county seat. Here was a man
remarkable for nothing save a long
nose. The fact that the clerk was
very sure that then he wore cloth
cap, strengthened rather than weak
ened the probability. II the man
had struggled with, and who had lost
that brown derby as he broke away
from me, were the same, he would not
have gone about the country bare
headed. but would have stepped in to
local haberdasher's to make some
shift at replacing his loss. That ne
returned for the derby showed more a
commendable caution than anything
else; he must have been pretty GER
tain that had Nancy in my care, and,
as he was definitely planning to take
her away from me, risked a daylight
search OF the roadside rather than
leave such a workable clue In my
hands. And with the thought I got
TO my feet. After all, something was
left; need not start absolutely In tho
dark for upstairs in my bureau lay
the torn collar and tie, tangible wit.
nesses of our midnight encounter. 1
took the lamp from the table and
climbed the stairs in search of them.
The door o. Nahcy's room was still
open. How empty the house seemedl
| closed my own door behind me 10
shut out the new and poignant lonelI.
ness, and to lock myself in to that
familiar solitude to which had
grown perforce accustomed.
fNAaNt.n.a