Year: 1870

L
slowly and cautiously opened, and a
lady, closely muffied in a long cloak
and thick veil, issued from it. 1t was
too dark for her to see to any dis.
tance, but after an anxious, searching
glance on every side, she fastened
along a narrow lane that wound past
the convent wall into the village, and
made her way to the place where a
post car was just about starting for
a town some thirty miles off. In a
very excited manner she made ar
rangementS for taking her seat up
on it; and the members of the little
crowd which had collected to see
the car start, INDUCED in many sur
misses as to who she might be-the
darkness and her close wrappings
prevented their distinguishing her
| features. At last, to her evident re-
lief, the car began to move, and was
soon out of sight of the group who
had watched it. About two hours
afterward, however, a rumor ran
through the village that nun had
escaped from the convent, and in an
8wer to the impatient inquiries of
those seeking her, it was speedily
discovered that a strange lady had
just left the place on the post car.
As soon as this was established, two
young priests mounted their horses
and set off in hot pursuit. The road
was very hilly, and as they spurred
their horses swiftly up one hill and
down another, they strained their
eyes to catch view Of the post car
on which the poor fugitive was es-
Gaping from her prison-house, but
they looked ia vain. The car had
got q good two hours start of them !;
and when they arrived at its destina-
ton, they found to their chagrin that
/ the freed captive had taken another
conveyance, and was far on her way
to small town some twenty miles
further from the convent. As soon
as they could procure fresh horses
| (for those they had ridden were stag
gering from fatigue the two priests
again set forward, eager in the chase
but the short December day closed
in around them, and still no traces
Of the runaway could he found.
Late in the evening they reached the
town where she had gone, and on in
| quiry found that she had certainly
stopped there, for the car on which
she had travelled was safe in the inn
yard, and she had not taken anv 9th
+ er conveyance. She was not, how
ever, in the inn; nor had she applied
for a room in any of the lodging
houses in the neighborhood. 1t was
/ too late to prosecute the search that
night; so, baffled for the moment,
the priests sat down to their supper
/ in q very bad humor, discussing many
plans Of operation for the coming
day and recording vows of punish
ments to come for the offender when
| she should be once more in safe
keeping.


Early the next morning a thorough
investigation Of the town, which was
quite under priestly control, was
commenced. Not a house from gar
ret TO cellar was left unsearched,
but without avail The fugitive had
evidently managed to get away.
But how? That was the question.
At last an old woman said she had
seen lady stealing along the shad-
ow of the houses late the night before,
that she had taken her way toward
the open country. 1t was plain that
the hunted creature had sought to
throw her pursuers off the scent by
proceeding on foot and alone through
the wild passes of the mountains.
Men with spark of manliness-
human beings with even the smallest
touch of humanity in their hearts
/ Christians with but the faintest glow
of Christianity within them-would
have felt an overwhelming pity for
the poor fraiI woman with such
| courageous spirit; who having been.
without a crime, held in bondage
worse than that Of the Israelites, fy-
ing from the scene Of her imprison-
ment-from grated windows and
barred doors-through the darkness
and wildness of a December night,
alone and unprotected, along rugged
roads and mountain glens. But no
such emotion of pity was felt by
those who dogged her terrified foot,
step. No; like blood-hounds thirst
ing for their prey, thes hastened up
on her track with a savage kind of
ferocious JOY that boded i'll for the
poor victim should she fall into their
hands. For several days the priest
ly detectives searched among the
retired glens of the highest noun
tains, climbed every rock, and press
ed into every Crevice that could af-
ford shelter to the smallest animal,
but still the pursuit was unrewarded.
Day by day, as disappointment sue
ceeded disappointment, the rage of
the pursuerS became fercer, and
their thirst to secure the fugitive
more strong and burning. Every
place that could promise a refuge
had already been examined, and as
they passed along, weary and infu-
rated at their want of success, the
stones on the mountain sides rolled
from beneath their feet into the rocky
bollows with mocking sound, and
the bare bleak tops of the mountains
seemed to look down on them in
scorn; but suddenly turning an acute
angle on the crest of one of the
range, narrow gorge came into
view, and in its remote depths mis-
cradle hovel appeared. A sudden
inspiration told the priests that at
last their quarry had been struck
and stealing like crafty reptiles on
their prey, they approached the cot
tage from different sides. There
was but one opening-the door
and when they came within reach of
it, they sprang together through it
into the only room the wretched
abode contained; and there, on a
truss of straw, in state of utter
exhaustion, lay the poor hunted crea-


ture whose doublings and windings


had left her at last, worn out mind


and body, completely at the mercy


of those who had so relentlessly
hunted her down.