Macon beacon., 1922-09-22
CHAPTER xII-continued.

ne turned IeTceIy upon neE' IL
Scotland!" he shouted. I'm done with
this country A mans thochts turn In |
his old age to his homeland. To Aber-
deem"
Molly was awed by the old mans
fanatical enthusiasm. "When shall we
go?" she asked.
"Thls autumn, lass - before the
SHOWS fall. But" he clutched her
by the arm-"yell say nought about
ttr
"But you must arrange with the COM
pany for a new factor and, II he isn't
trained"
His clutch became convulsive. mot
word! !" he cried fercely. "Hayena |
done weel by the company? 1t won't
be the sufferer. II they thOcht was
, going away they'd-not word, lass!
Promise mel Molly, lass, ye Wilma go
back on me now?"
"No, won't go back on you,' she
answered
But she did not like the Idea Of
stealing away, although the company
would suffer little And then there
would be the forfeiture Of his pension.
But she dared not bring up that sub
1ect in view Of his evident Obsession.
After a while they began to make
preparations. They spoke Of the jour-
ney as being weeks, instead OF months
away. Then came night when the
factor tapped at Moly's door. She
dressed quickly and went out Of her
room, to see the whole skyline ablaze.
Clouds Of smoke were whirling down
on them. Suddenly rig with two
horses came dashing across the portage
and drew up at the door.
Molly recognized Lee Chambers and
Hackett, and turned and faced them,
though her heart was beating with
fear.
"Weve come for you, Miss McDon-
aid" shouted Lee Chambers. "The
fires across the muskeg, and there
won't be anything left of this store in
twenty minutes. Come along"
He shouted and gestlculated wildly,
and seemed hardly master Of himself.
Mcdonald started and looked out
through the smoke clouds. But as
they approached the girl she drew
herself away.
"It's not true!" she cried. "The
1lre's on the other side. Why should
- you come for us?"
81 tell you you'll be burned to Gin.
der inside of fifteen minutes!" yelled
II Chambers. "We've got no time t.
waste. We're going to drive you out
of danger. Come alongW
II II won't comet" cried Molly. "Don't
20 with them, father. He's not speak
4 fng the truth! Look at his facet"
4 Hackett pushed Chambers out of his
A way and strode up to the door. ~
Il guess that's true enough, what yor
\ said. Miss Mcdonald" he said. "Tht
fire amt this side-but Will Carruth
! ers is dying. They pulled him out o.
\ his shack. He's in bad way. Mebb'
he'll just live till morning. He's call
ing for you"
"Will-Will burnedl" gasped Molly
Cooking at him with eyes of horror
ITS gospel TRUTH" cried Chambers
"He can't rest till you go to him."
"Then why did you tell us an IN
truthw asked the girl, searching hi
face as If to read to the bottom Of hi
soul.
Because we wanted to break
gently" shouted Hackett. He seize'
her by the arm. eve haven't no tim
TO waste!" he shouted. HE may dt
any minute while we're talking here.
"He didn't send you," cried Moll
with sudden conviction. "Why shoul
ne have sent you? We won't go
You're lying! Let me go!"
She pushed her father back into tn
store and tried to bolt the door u
their faces, but they set their shou
dsrs against 1t and broke through
Molly ran to her room; they wer
there almost as soon as she. Sh
screamed. She heard Mcdonald
feeble shout cut Off as Chamber
grasped him by the throat. And the
she was struggling madly In Hackett
arms.
Course you" he shouted, with
string Of vile oaths, seizing her by tn
hair and dashing his fist into her fac
She fought back like tgress, brok
from him, and, snatching up the watel
pitcher, smashed 1t across his heat
cutting his face with the fragments {
porcelain. He grasped her by tn
throat. She chung to the bed, tn
table, to the door, screaming the Will
until his fingers tightened on he
throat and the room swan black
around her.
She was family conscious Of ga
thrust into her mouth, Of being ca
ried, struggling, out Of the store, {
being lifted into the rig Then she r,
vived to find herself huddled upon tf
floor, her father bending over her wit
his wrists tied, and mumblRg in h,
ear The engineer, seated In front I
them, was driving furiously along II
trail southwark. Hackett, with or
leg thrust out On either side Of II
vehicle, was wiplng the blood from 4
face.
Desperate as she was, Molly woul
X have tried to leap from the rig b,