The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-01-01

| ~ = I'D.
Susan" said Florence as sac came
into breakfast after her exhilarating
ride, did you hear pistol shots last
night?.'
/ Il heard some noise, but wac %
sleepy I didn't try to figure out what
it was"
Did you, Jones?"
Yes, Miss Florence. The shots
came from the street. A policeman
came running up later and said he
saw two automobiles on the run. But
evidently there wasn't anybody hurt
One has to be careful at night now
adays. There are pretty bad men
abroad. Did you enjoy the rider"
Very much. But there were spots
OF blood on the walk near the corner
"Blood?" Jones caught the back Of
a chair to steady himself.
Yes. So some one was hurt. Oh
let's leave this placei" impulsively-
Let US go back to Miss Farlow's.
You could find place in the village,
Jones. But If I stay here much longer
in this state of unrest l shall lose
faith in everything and everybody
Whoever my fathers enemies are,
they do not lack persistence They
have made two attempts against my
liberty, and sooner or later they viii
succeed. l keep looking over my
shoulder al the time. II / hear .
noise jump
Miss Florence, II thought it wise,
you should be packed OF to Miss Far
lows this minute. But not an hour OF
the day or night passes without this
house being watched. / seldom see
anybody about. l can only sense the
presence of a watcher. At Miss Far
lows you would be far more like .
prisoner than here. / could not ac-
company you. / am forbidden to de-
sert this house"
my fathers orders"
Jones signifed neither one way nor
the other. He merely gazed stolidiy
at the rug.
THAT blood" She sprang from her
chair, Mortified ct was his! He was
here last night and they shot
him. o."
There, there, Miss Florence! The
man was only slightly wounded He's
where they never will look for him.
Then Jones continued, as with an, ef-
fort: Trust me, Miss Florence. IL
would not pay to run away The
whole affair would be repeated else
where. We might go to the other emo
of the world, but it would not serve 10
in the least. 1t is not question OF
escape, but of who shall vanquish the
other. There is nothing to do but re-
main here and fight, fight, fight. we
have put four of them in the TomDs,
to say nothing of the gunner. Thai
is what we must do-put them In q
safe place, one by one. till we reach
the master. Then only may we
breathe in safety. But il they watch,
SO do we There is never a moment
when help is not within reach, no mat
ter where you 60. So long as you 90
not deceive me, no real harm shall be-
fall you. Don't cry. Be your fathers
daughter, as l am his servant"
Il am very unhappy" And Flor
ence threw her arms around Susan
and laid her head upon her friends
shoulder i
Poor child" Susan, however, rec
ognized the wisdom of Jones state
ments. They were safest here.
The morning rides continued. To
the girl, who loved the open, it was
glorious fun. Those mad gallops
along the roads, the smell of earth and
sea, the Jingle In the blood, we're the
second best moments of her day. The
first? She invariably blushed when
she considered what these first best
moments we're. He was brave young
man, good to look at, witty, and al
ways cheerful. Why shouldn't sha-
like him? Even Jones liked him
Jones, who didn't seem to like any
body. 1t did not matter whether he's
was wise or not; worldly point OF
view was farthest from her youthful
thoughts 1t was her own affair: hex
own heart.
Five days later, as she and the rid
ing master were cantering along the
road, enjoying every bit of 1t, they
heard the beat of hoofs behind. They
lrew up and turned. A rider was APP
them at a run. 1t was tho
head groom. The man stopped his
lorse in cloud of dust.
"Sir, the stables are on fret"
"Fire?"
All the riding masters savings were
invested in the stables. The fact
hat he had solemnly promised never
o leave Florence alone, and that he
ad accepted generous bonus slipped
rom his mind at the thought of hre-
terrible word to any horseman. He
yheeled and started on at breakneck
peed, his head groom Gathering be-
ind him.
Florence naturally wondered which
two courses to pursue: follow them,
hen she would be perfectly helpless
, aid them, or continue the ride and
i've at least one horse from the ts1-
" of seeing flames She chose tie
tier. But she did not ride with the
lrlier xest. She felt depressed. She