The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-09-16
ny JOHN A. MITCHELL
Copyright. 1911,
by John A. Mitchell.

Then she was startled by q sud
den change In his voice. In Q
rougher tone he demanded:
Where? When! Just now?"
81 was running from that man
that thing" she shuddered,
and closed her eyes--"who held
me back there--and-and tried to
kiss me-"
Held you! And tried to kiss
youl"
She nodded. Back there. Base
born holding him."
THAN Lovejoy said nothing but
he turned away. In three long
strides he reached a pile of slaves.
They were a little thicker than
hoe handles, and were intended
for q wire fence. Calmly. but
with no loss of time. he selected
one.
Then he hurried away. Run
ming with an easy, rapid gait
along the Hateful path, he disap-
peared among the trees.
Judging time by Octavia's
hopes and fears. he was absent
many hours. At last-30 minutes,
perhaps-her straining eyes
caught glimpses. between tree
trunks, OF an approaching spot OF
crimson. Her forgotten sun
ihade, Next appeared Baseborn,
hen the man. In Baseborn's va
led career he had never received
20 warm a welcome.
"What did you do to that
nam" Octavia asked.
when | discovered him he was
.rying to bandage an ankle that
Baseborn bad crippled" said
Ethan "Then he picked up his
own stick with one hand and
waved vicious looking knife with
the other.
"Then the human brute and
your humble servant came down
to business 1t really was not q
fight-merely punishment. He
was slow, and scared"
Then followed other business;
condolences and con-
fessions. He confessed that after
his intoxication over the photo
graph, his love had suddenly turn
ed to Ioathing when she snubbed
him that first day, in the ferry
boat. He also confessed to year
OF misery. His mother, after her
Octavia, had gone
to italy and he, without meeting
her, had been called to America.
And SO Octavia's message, in a
wandering letter, had never
reached him until he saw his
mother four days ago. And dur
ing all these months" he said, 81
made a gallant effort to forget
and despise you"
mo, no, darling boy! Please
don't say that"
but l did, And so deep was
my hate, SO bitter my contempt,
that on getting from Mumsey even
that frigid little message, / start
ed off at once and travelled day
and night to get here"
Then Ethan looked at the high,
far-reaching walls, the ivy-clad
b&ttlements. the terraces and
Elizabethan gables.
at ID hard to believe that you
should be willing to exchange
such q home for-for me-" he
said.
''For you! Why, darling boy,
for you I would leave the world
behind! But tell me, in America,
shall we live in one of those lit
tie houses have read about,
made of wood and painted
white?"
''Only the richest OF Americans
live In those houses.
ours will be log cabin, with
Indians shooting arrows at us
through the chinks."
However rough the cabin or
wide the chinks or many the ar
rows. l shall be contented."
Octavia smiled. But the smile
died quickly away and her eyes
rested sadly on the castle. THAT
/ tremble for it."
"Oh, don't say my dream is
you are repenting al
ready"
mo. I shall never do that! But
you don't know my grandfather"
Ethan smiled, as IL relieved.
"Oh, is that all? Then no human
power shall partt US. / am yours
and you are mine, and what is
mine 1 hold. Have no fears"
As the Duchess of Linsmere
was to dine with them the next
evening, Octayia decided to defer
the dreaded interview. On second
thought, however, she changed
her mind. For the Duchess of
although mother of the
sutton favored by both families,
was kinder. gentler and more for
giving than her own iron-hearted
To her father she had
q letter the previous
afternoon.
After dinner the old earl went
for his smoke, leaving the three
ladies' In the library. Baseborn re-
with the ladies. Sentence
Of death had been hastily cam
ceied after his exploit of yester-
day.
Octavia fired the opening gun.
II am engaged to be married"
Auntie George. always erect
even In repose-leaned forward, a
Joy In her mirthless eyes.
The face OF the duchess also
frightened. for nothing was dear
or 10 this mother than her sons
happiness. In n low voice almost