Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-02-24

<~A.As.S
Suddenly There Was Flash Of a
Whip.
past. Matt found himself holding her
bride, talking and listening with
breathless animation. She had not
been able to stay away longer. She
loved him and would say 1t before the
world. promise or no promise. 1t had
been unbearable. and she was twenty
three and her own mistress. and. oh,
had he succeeded In what they had
planned? No. he had not. 1t was a
bitter confession. but he had not.
They had got him out Of one thing aft
er another: had forced him to his
knees. He had been prosecuted and
hunted till he was well nigh crazy
Over all was another voice stridently
crying: LET 20 my daughters horse.
sir! Do you hear. sir? Let go my
daughters horse" voice vibrating
with passion and yet immeasurably
distant and as unconsidered as the
drone Of wasp.
Suddenly there were fash Of whip
and stinging blow cut across Matt's
face. Another fash. a scream. and he
had wrenched the whip from u wrin
kled old hand and was about to lash
out with 1t himself on that convulsive
and raging figure To his dying da'
he was thankful he threw 1t from HIN
instead, dizzily refraining as he real
lied It was Chris father and thnt h.
must not strike an old man.
Then the two horses took fright and
bolted. hurting Matt to the ground
from which he looked after them Of
one elbow, oblivious Of everything bu'
Chris safety. But she was as FOOD ;
rider as her father and as spirited a.
her own thoroughbred. She was keel
Ing her seat in that headlong gallo.
and, leaning back like little jockey
was Jerking nanfully at the curb. Bu;
nothing could have checked thos'
horses They were uncomfortable H.
their terror. Straining neck and neck
they diminished and disappeared. Ieav
ing Matt sick with fear.
Christine was not injured, and that
evening a plain, middle aged woman
came to the boarding house and gave
him this note:
My Darling-I am sending you this BY
my Swiss maid. Flexner. whom don't trust
too much. She Will tell you what l have
planned, for / am SO used up. so distract
ed, that cannot write It, though l have
tried twice. ] am at the end Of my cour-
age and everything. and II We don't snatch
at our happiness now We shall lose II for
ever. It was wicked OF him to strike you
Wicked, wicked. wicked! Let Flexner do
all the talking till you understand. Don't
think she Is devoted. It's because l prom
ised her 1000 dolls. and that Is fortune
IN her country. where l suppose she will
settle down and yodel for the rest OF her
days She IL very sharp. 30 be cautious:
oh, II I could only talk to you myself!
But I love you and she will show you
hov much AdIeu CHRIS.
p. S.-When I shall have paid the $loo
she insists on In advance I shall have W.
left
Matt pondered a moment and then
INQUIRED. "You are Fle1ner?"
"Yes. SIR"
"Win you please give me your mes
sage?"
my young lady wishes to do very
foolish thing" said Flexner. with
aisapproving pursing Of her mouth.
"She wants you to run away with her
tomorrow morning. You are to get
carriage, or, better, an automobile and
pick her up tomorrow morning at
o'clock at the Fair Oaks entrance.
Previously shall have packed small
portmanteau and placed 1t outside the
house, and all next day I will inform
her father that she is Ill and cannot
be disturbed. By this means you
roach marlborough without trouble
and get married. and then take the
train to New York. From New York
you will travel to San Francisco. and
there you stay, no matter how poor.
how starving. till the opportunity ar
rives to 20 to that place where you
have a friend-a very rich. queer man
whom once you served and who Will
take you back in employment"
"John Mort" said Matt to himself.
"She says It must be now or not Mt
all. for she cannot be SO brave twice
She says desperate people have to take
desperate chances. She asks you to
answer yes or no."
Matt made a hasty calculation. He
| had almost hundred dollars. This,
| with Chris $50, would easily get them
to California, with something to spare.
He told Flexner that his answer was
"Yes" and put into the word warmth
| that he hoped she would carry to her
mistress. She was to say that he had
$97 and would carry out his instruc-
lions implicitly; was also to say that
she was the pluckiest girl in the world.
At half past 8 Matt and Daggancourt
were at the gates Of Fair Oaks.
There was sound Of voices, Of feet
running, of muffled exclamations In
the dark. A slight figure murmured
pantingly, "Oh, Matt, Is 1t your" and
clung to him. In an instant they were
speeding through the deep defale again.
engulfed in the night.
Matt's recollection of his elopement
was both strangely blurred and
strangely vivid. he was tired to ex-
haustion, and so was Chris. Nothing
could keep them. long awake. not even
the ecstasy of being together. Yet that
dawn was the most imperishable mem'
ory Of bis life as he looked down ct
her, nestled beside him. with the
heavy lashes fringing her cheeks. She