The Holly chieftain., 1923-04-26
CHAPTER xxlI-consinued.

opened again. The closeness Of the
hall seemed choking her; she went to
the front door and threw 1t open. The
evening was clear and cool; but It
was not from the chill of the air that
she shivered as she gazed out at the
woods through which she had driven
with Hugh the night before. There
the hunt for him had been going on
all day; there she pictured him now,
in darkness, in suffering, alone, hurt,
hunted and with all the world but her
against him!
She ran down the steps and stood
on the lawn. The vague noises of the
house now no longer were audible.
She stood in the silence Of the eve
ming strained and fearfully listening.
At first there seemed to be no sound
outdoors other than the gentle rush
of the waves on the beach at the foot
of the bluff behind her; then, in the
opposite direction, she defined the un-
dertone of some far-away confusion.
Sometimes 1t seemed to be shouting,
next only murmur of movement and
noise. She ran up the road hundred
yards in its direction and halted
again. The noise was nearer and
clearer-a confusion Of motor explo-
sions and voices; and now one sound
clattered louder and louder and
leaped nearer rapidly and rose above
the rest. the roar of powerful mo-
tor-car racing with "cut-out" open
The rising racket of 1t terrified Har-
riet with its recklessness and triumph.
Yes; that was 1t; triumph! The far
off tumult was the noise of shouts and
cries Of triumph; the racing car, blar-
ing its way through the night, was the
bearer of news Of success of the
search.
Harriet went colder as she knew
this; then she ran up the road to meet
the Car coming. She saw the glare
of its headlights through the trees
past bend in the road; she ran on
and the beams Of the cars headlight
Strengthened and glared down the road
directly upon her. The car leaped at
her; she ran on toward 1t, arms in
the air. The clatter Of the car be-
came deafening and the machine was
nearly upon her when the driver rec
ognized that the girl in the road was
needless and might throw herself be-
fore him unless he stopped. He
brought his car up short and skidding.
"What is it?' he cried, as he muffled
the engine.
What is it3 What is it?" she cried
in return.
The man recognized her. "SIiss San
toiner
what is itT'
"We've got himr the man cried.
''We've got him!"
"HimY
Him! Hugh overton! Eaton,
Miss Santoine. He's Hugh Overton ;
hadn't you heard7 And we've got
him!"
"Got him!
where is Mr.. Avery2" he demand
ed. "I've got to tell Mr.. Avery"
She made no response but threw
herself in front Of the car and clasped
wheel as the man started to throw
in his gear. He cried to her and
tried to get her of /; but she was deaf
to him. He looked in the direction of
the house, shut of his power and
leaped down. He left the machine
and ran on the road toward the house.
Harriet started the car and turned 1t
back in the direction from which 1t
had come. She speeded and soon
other headlights flared at hers-a num-
Der of them; four or five cars, at
least, were in file up the road and
men were crowding and horsemen
were riding beside them.
She rushed on so close that she saw
she alarmed them; they cried warn
ing; the horsemen and the men on
foot jumped from beside the road and
the leading car swung to one side; but
Harriet caught her car on the brakes
and swung 1t straight across the road
and stopped It; she closed the throttle
and pulled the key from the starting
mechanism and flung 1t Into the woods.
So she sat in the car, waiting for the
captors Of Hugh to come up.
Where is heT she asked, them.
where Is he?"
They did not tell her; but reply
was unnecessary. Others eyes point
ed hers to Hugh. He was in the back
seat of the second machine with two
men. one IN each side Of him. She
stopped at the side of the car where
he was and she put her hand on the
edge of the tonneau.
"You have been hurt again, Hughr'
she managed steadily.
Hurt? No." he said as constrain-
edly. mo"
The car started, and she sat silent,
~ with her hand still upon his, as they
went on to her fathers house.