Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1918-02-09
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moving from SPOT TO spot cautiously,
furtively. He was bent on n special
mission. whose issues were vital and he
dared not take any risk as TO being dis
covered and defeated In his design.
"The sister was right" he solllo-
quIzed. feeling that he was handling a
hard problem. 81 haven't caught even
fieeting glimpse Of the girl. She must
be In the house. though. and. just as
she wrote her sister, the place Is
guarded"
This latter fact was evident. Seated
knitting In a rocking chair m the gar
den so as 20 command a perfect view
OF all the entrances and exits OF the
house, was n portly. keen-eyed woman
who swept the prospect with probing
glance every other minute. On the
other side Of the house, reclining on
the grass, a gun by his side, was a man
past middle age. apparently the hus-
band Of the other watcher.
'He doesn't look as smart and Wig
liant as the woman" decided warde.
'Twice he has nodded. All he Is gone |
now. Dare I venture a rush for the
housef'
warde could distinctly catch the |
sound Of muffied snoring. The man lay |
perfectly still, his face buried in his
arm. Across a 40-foot space warde
glided. He darted through a doorway
to find himself In a narrow hall. Then
beyond its other end he made out
graceful feminine figure.
Miss Alice BoydenT' he spoke m a
low tone, ard as he extended an en-
velope toward the amazed girl he add
ed quickly: From your sister at Mel
Vile"
The hands of Alice Boyden trembled
as she opened the letter and hurriedly
perused its Enclosure. She was nt once
aroused TO manifest animation and ex-
element. The young man pressed clos5
10 her side.
Beyond the grove yonder.S he said.
Il have a horse and buggy Don't de-
ay. The man outside is asleep, the i
woman Is on the other side Of the r.
house and cannot observe your escape.
Come" f.,
Ills frank, open face pleased her. Be {
sides, did he not come from her sister.
Lucia, and under the directions Of
Lucia's husband. who was a lawyerp
And was she not practically prisoner,
surrounded she knew not by what sor-
did plots and plottersi
Her father had died leaving q fairly
large estate. His half-brother Hugo
Blair, dominated the town. Through
one Of his creatures, judge, Blair had
been appointed guardian Of Alice and
had been given arbitrary charge OF the
estate. lie did not intend that the rich
pickings should escape his clutches.
In a vast furry Alice followed the
Of her helper and guide. A
great sigh OF relief escaped her lips
ls they passed the sleeping sentinel in
safety. They reached the grove The
rolor came back % that fair face, her
shining eyes expressed her deep graft
ude as the horse started up.
Warde took n lonely road. hut they ,
we're seen by quite number Of per-
IONS. and he urged the mCttled steed 10
his best pace, fearing pursuit. II was
uSt at dusk when they reached the
nd Of the one traverSed road in that
Wild district. Beyond ii spread a 20 |
nile stretch Of prairie. smooth as a
loor. Twenty different trails had been
,roken through the high pampas grass.
The horse was tired and Warde al
owed him % rest. Then they resumed ,
heir Journey.
Look" exclaimed Alice, an hour
later
Perhaps two miles distant and seem
ncly directly on their trail, was an au-
omohile. It's rapid putting echoed o.
.uintly, hut its lights fared like evil
Eyes probing 10 locate the refugees.
ut is Mr. Blnir's machinew futtered
Alice In terror. "IIe will oyertake US.
)h, do not delay Let US hurry for
ward"
Warde had halted the horse. Now
he ran back about a hundred yards.
lie tlared dozen matches. He set the
grass blazing In dozen places. Then
h. leapod into the buggy and urged
up the horse. lie knew that the auto
mobile would not dare dash into the
advancing mass of flame. nor traverse
the hurued-over route where spark
might precipitate an explosion.
Warde was right They reached Mel
Vile in safety. Al once Alice was hur-
rled 10 another town and placed In
charge Of lady friend, and the law
yer prepared 20 legally dispute the jur-
isdiction of the scheming half-uncle.
He called upon Alice few days later.
II don't know what the result may
be In the courts" he told Alice grave
ly. 1T Is a pity there Is not some ia
Vored young man who could give you
his name and his love. That would
battle Hugo Blair"
Alice blushed. and perhaps with rea-
son. she had not ceased TO think OF
the clever and self-possessed young
man tuha hud raaauad her frou the !