The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-04
TheProblenl
By Ella Chsiloste Hammond
(copyrisht. 1917. Western Newspaper Union

|
For sir hours Eustace Warde had
crouched In the long grass and shrub
berry surrounding pretty bungalow,
moving from spot to spot cautiously,
furtively. He was bent on a 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 solilo-
quized, feeling that he was handling
| hard problem. II 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 rocking chair III the gar
den so as to command perfect view
of all the entrances and exits of the
house, was 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, gun by his side. was 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 / venture a rush for the |
housew
Warde could distinctly catch the |
sound of muffied snoring. The man lay
perfectly still, his face buried in his !
arm. Across 40-foot space Warde
glided. He darted through doorway
to find himself In narrow hall. Then
beyond its other end he made out
graceful feminine figure.
Miss Alice Boyden?" he spoke IN a
low tone. and 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 It's Enclosure. She was at once
aroused to manifest animation and ex-
element. The young man pressed close
to her side.
Beyond the grove yonder,' he said,
Il have horse and buggy. Don't de-
ay. The man outside is asleep, the
is on the other side of the
house and cannot observe your escape.
Gomez
His frank, open face pleased her. Be
'ides. did he not come from her sister.
Lucia. and under the directions of
4ucia's husband, who was lawyer?
md was she not practically prisoner,
she knew not by what sor-
lid plots and plotters?
Her father had died leaving fairly
urge estate. His half-brother. Hugo
Blair. dominated the town. Through 4
ne of his creatures. a judge, Blair had
cen appointed guardian of Alice and
ad been given arbitrary charge OF the
state. He did not intend that the rich
ickings should escape his clutches.
In a vast furry Alice followed the
irections of her helper and guide. A =
reat sigh of relief escaped her lips L
$ they passed the sleeping sentinel in
lfety. They reached the grove. The
DIOR came back TO that fair face. her
inning eyes expressed her deep graft G.
lde as the horse started up. pr
Warde took a lonely road, but they re
ere seen by quite number of per- -
ms. and he urged the mettled steed to -
S best pace. fearing pursuit. 1t was h.
st at dusk when they reached the en-
Id Of the one traversed road in that lol
Id district. Beyond II spread n 20 br
lie stretch of prairie. smooth as la
,or. Twenty different trails had been
oxen through the high pampas grass. Va
he horse was tired and Warde al =.
wed him to rest Then they resumed 80
cir journey. 10
"Look.- exclaimed Alice. an hour Mi
ter. tui
Perhaps two miles distant. and seem arr
gly directly on their trail. was an au- Va
mobile. Its rapid putting echoed 20.
nifty. but It's lights fiared Ike evil
p probing TO locate the refugees
1T is Mr. BIair's machine - fiuttereL