, 1912-12-12

mountain side. before It occt,rred IN
ner mat this last flight was nor onlv
senseiess but rerilous. Size even laugh.
81 a. nerself for a fool as she recalled
. telltale hand bag on the porch and
.ne uamnlng presence Of a Bazelhurst
lantern In the hallway.
Ihe storm which had been rse5pS
fsrther down the valley was al last
wniriing up to the hilltops, long delav-
Gu as II In gleeful anticipation Of
catcnlng her alone and unprotected.
me little electric saddle lamp that she
carried gave out a feeble glow. scarce
opening the way in the darkness more
tnan ten feet ahead. Rough and irk-
some was the road, most stubborn the
wall OF wind. The second threat of
tne storm was more terrifying than
the hrst. At any instant It was likely
TO break forth in all its slashing fury.
she knew not whittier she went.
Even as she lost hoart and was
ready to turn wildly back in an effort
70 reach Shaw's home before the
oeiuge the lightning iashes revealed
to her the presence of a dwelling Just
on the road not 200 feet ahead. She
stumbled forward, crying like a fright
ened child. There were no lights. The
q looked dark, bleak, unfriendly.
Farther up the hillside still cleaned
the little light that was meant to keep
Renwood's ghost from disturbing the
Of old man Grimes and his
wife. She could not reach that light,
that much she knew. Her feet were
hundredweights, her limb almost
devoid OF power. Grimes hut appear
ed to be a couple of miles away.
With a last, GREATNESS effort she turn
of the road and fioundered through
weeds and brush until she came to
what proved to be the rear of the
darkened house. Long. low. rangy, 1t
reached off into the shadows, chilling
In Its loneliness. There was no time
left for her to climb the flight of steps
and pound on the back door. The rain
was swisbing In the trees with a hiss
that forbade delay.
She threw herself, painting and ter
ror stricken, into the cavelike opening
under the porch. her knees giving way
after the supreme effort. The great
broke as she crouched far back
the wall, her hands over her
ears. her eyes tightly closed. She was
from wind and rain, but not from
the sounds OF that awful conflict. The
lantern lay at ner feet. sending its ray
out into the storm with the senseless
fidelity Of a beacon light
Penelope" came a voice through
the storm. and u second later a man
into the recess. crashing
against the wall beside her. Something
told her WIN II was even before he
dropped beside her and threw his
strong arm about her shoulders.
He was crying something into her
ar wild. ~incoherent words tha seem
to have the power to quiet the
storm. And she was responding-she
knew that eager words were falling
from her lips. but she never knew
they were responding with a
that vas overwhelming her with
Joy. Lips met again and again. and
there was no thought of the night. OF
the feud. the es,'apade. the Renwood
ghost. or Of augbt save the two warm
living human bodies that had found
zach other.
The storm. swervine with the capri
mountain winds. suddenly swept
their refuge with sheets of water. Ran
doIph Shaw threw tho ~raincoats over
mis- companion and both laughed hys-
.~erically at their plight. suddenly 70
"We can't stay herer' be shouted.
I'VE can't go out into It." she cried.
Where are weY"
"Renwood's.' he called back. Their
was untenable. BE was