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Sick with
she was supposedly fleeing!
teal‘ and disappointment, she recalled in
disgust, littered an incoherent entreaty
to be taken back in the care of Mrs.
Leigh, and then collapsed in 3. dead
Cl‘-IEL was Carried for some dis-
tance in an unconscious condition.
and upon awaklng from her stupor be-
<-ame aware of 9. voice telling her that
she need not be itlnrmecl. and had better
calm herself. Cnnlplelcl)’ ovrrcome ll)’
realization of her pllzlit find by the
seeming perfitly of r aim resumed
her aiuieal ta Itlverdale's gallantry, but
without effect.
‘pun nrrivol at the vilin Muriel was
handed over to trim care of a nous
keeper, who ministered to her needs with
every care and solicltude, while childlnb’
her for being so foolishly afraid, nnd
even congratulating her upon being so
fortunate as to have won the favor of
this rich and powt-rful gentleman. She
was. indeed, treated with every possible
consideration by Illverdale and his ser-
Vnnts. with the one exception of being
provented from milking any attempt to
escape
She was gently coerced to join her
host at a sumptuous dinner, served pri-
vately, with every appointment of HIV-
ury and elegance, during which he paid
his amorous addresses with extreme ar-
dor, and assured her oi’ absolute safety
with him it only she would respond to
his advances. Owing, however, to some
strange instinctive aversion, she felt so
completely nausentr-d with abhorrence of
this man, that, in spite of his lngr:tti:t-
ting manner and exterior polish,
9.
o be released form enlorccd
detention in his house.
Iliverdnle drunk copiously of cham-
pagne, which he also tried to press upon
Muriel. She refrnlned, however, and to
her great relief, steadily increasing in-
toxlcatlon caused his overtures to grow
frained entirely from pressing them fur-
ther at the moment, and allowing the
lethargy of toxic sleep to overcome him.
Muriel retired to a handsomely lur-
nlshe-:l chamber, replete with every pro-
vision tor comfort. and as soon as the
housekeeper who conducted her thither
Attempted exit
house being out of the question. she tried
the window fastenings, and discovered
be extinguished, she cautiously opened a
window overlooking a, owe-r garden,
climbed out upon the ledge. hung for a
moment by the hands from the edge of
tions-she followed a series of gravel
paths lllru the garden and finally r led
the main drive lending to the entrntlco
of the grounds. and thus escaped into
the highway.
, lVitlt trembling limbs she ran until
roadside, thinking
trunk and let the car
streniztli, however, gave out completely,
and she stumbled before reaching it.
"DON'T distress yourself. There is
need for nlarm. This is not
Tliverdale. Don't be so frightened. You
are perfectly safe. but we must hurry."
ese words, repeated in a quiet and
gentle voice. seemed to blend weirdly
with the beginnings of returning con-
sciousness as Muriel awoke to find her-
self held in the arms of Maurice Dar-
lington. ller emotion upon realizing
the truth. was equally compounded of
pleasure and surprise. As soon as the
latter feeling had found some slight
expression, she inquired in utter be-
wilderment as to how he had effected
the rescue. Placing her quickly in the
machine, he explained as they drove
away thnt, impelled by misgivings as
to her safety after he had left the old
mansion, had resolved upon inter-
ference with Rlverdale's schemes at all
hazards, ha subsequently absentcd
himself from his regiment. returned to
the woods and lain in wai
dale would have conveyed her, as he
had previously done with others.
0 had seen
and had
ness. he had perceived signs of alarm
at the villa, where lights began to ap-
‘pear in several of the rooms, one of
CHICACO
which showed a window conspicuously
open, and the iiousckee-pt-r iind otiicrs
moving about excitedly within. As-
suming that her flight had been d's-
covercd, he had at once started the
car and tukcn the only road leading
rom the villa, where soon he had
found her unconscious form.
on the mnrnini: following this
Maurcie lllltl Muriel reached 11
n many Xnllcs from the River-
daie estate, and the girl was placed in
a Care of tie llotel-keeper's wife. who
comforted her with i-eirosilnient, while
Maurice busled himself with arrange-
ments Ior continuing the journey to
l s own home, where he intended leav-
ing Itlurlel under the protection of his
mother. pending investigations into tho
mystery surrounding her identity. With
all delicacy ho had refrained from
questioning her regarding the past.
concerning which she earnestly wished
to remain silent. and he also fol-eboro
to take any advantage of her misfor-
tune, for the purpose of declaring his
love. For this gentle consideration Bile
was deeply grateful.
for the youn oillcer was in no way
ess than his feeling toward her.
the afternoon of the same day.
while Muriel rested in an upper room,
commotion
the frame hotel. Looking from the
VVll'id0lV. Muriel perceived to her cun-
sternallon that Morgan Riverdnle was
demanding instant search of
Tracking the car by the tire-
Dattern in the dust, and making nu-
. y
Mu P THIN
>’
,,...q-r-
Hill Body slid to the Ground. .
rnerous inquiries on the way, he had
followed its route with little diillculty.
The inevitable meeting between the
two men at once took place. Maurice.
exasperated by failure of iils plan, ile-
nounced his former host as 9. cad and
R. common kldnaper, drew a revolver
and recommended that Rivordale im-
mediately withdraw his obnoxious
presence. The latter. unarmed, replied
with similar insult, and then flew
the iaurlce with bare ilsis.
Without really intending ‘to shoot,
Maurice tightened his grip on the gun.
iverdaie's grasp relaxed and his body
slid to the ground in a heap. Tile )'Olin;;
ofllcer stood petrliled, and for several
seconds remained staring aghast, hold-
ing the still smoking weapon in his
n
:7
rv
The hotel-keeper rushed to support
lilverdztle. while the police and a. sur-
geon were instantly summoned. As :1.
.2’. -:‘L..
tho her fondness"
was wrestling with some
.-E.,- ‘ii '
is
L E D G E R
crowd gathered round, Maurice half-
dazed at what he had done, waited
passively. and moments later
ailowt-d himself to be disnrmed and ar-
Tl'Slt't1 uiiiluut a Word. In the Yl"ii‘.‘AfI-
tlino, Muriel, who had witnesscd the
scene from her window, sank with a
in . to the iloor. Iliverdnie was (‘ur-
ricd in and put to bed, while Maurice
was lnnrclled art to the police station,
0 detained pending instructions
from his regimental headquarters.
‘ ml days elapsed b(-fore certain-
ty of Iliverdale's recovery was estab-
lished, nnd the time was marked by such
ncute suffering on the part of Muriel
that she also seemed likely to suc-
umh serious illness. Distracted
with grief and anxiety for Maurice, she
remained closeted in her chamber. 3.
prey to the most poignant regret that
he should have riishly risked so much
for her sake. the gravlty,of his
situation made her forget for the mo-
menttile embarransmt-ntof he:-own. n
the meantime P.lvordale‘s irascible na-
ture was undergoing the intolerable ir-
ritation of enforced restraint, his own
physician absolutely forbidding removal
r excitement until the condition of the
wound should permit it. The result of
this trying detention was an increase
.-
o
',A,,..-n.-.’-M7. -r-vow--... ...
of Jealous hatred toward Maurice. and
a. morbid stimulation of tho desire for
revenge
As for the young onlcer himself. in-
carcerated in the local jail on acllargo
of felonious assault, the hours crawled
by with interminable wearlness, On
account of some oiilcial delay at head-
quarters. to dispute between the
military authorities and the local po-
no immediate decision was made
in regard to Maurice, and he was com-
pelled’to wait patiently for news of
his probable fate. lie fully realized
the desperate nature of his ruse, which
had now developed a complication not
previously considered. it appeared
that in recognition of former military
services) Morgan Riverdaie still rc-
tained nn honorary colonclcy in the
United States Army, in virtue of which
he planned to lnVe Mfturico arraigned
upon the double charge of desertion
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7
rid of assault upon a superior oillcer.
Willie the older man was not in uni-
form at (he time, the opinion was held
by many that his lniluence woul nev-
ertheless contrive that the technical
ciiurge preferred against lliaurice.
in addition to that of <l(‘ht‘I‘llDl‘i, which
now appear‘ to lime been delib-
erate. In any case the penalty for de-
Eerllon during vlar time is dealli,
the Accidental wounding of l:iverciaie-
which was of course rcported as an at-
ttlclt-wouid destroy what little chance
the iiccuseci might have otherwise of
mitigation of the sentence. Is in-
detention
while on leave. was now
tended plea ‘of unexpected
from duty,
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rendereduseless bythe fact that, owing
to the disastrous occurrence related.
sevemi days had elapsed since he ha
absentcd himself, originally with the
intention of being missing for only a
single day and night. He had done this
for ths,sake of rescuing an entirely
unknown girl from the designs of an
unscrupulous libertine.
e had now incurred, and
mercy he now found himself in conse-
quence. ..
URIIZUS request torafew minutes‘
talk with Maurice being denied,she
wroto him a. pitcous note, expressing
lie!‘ utter misery on his behalf, and im-
plorlng his forgiveness for involving
him in such a calamity. After sealing
the letter with locket seal.
which she always carried on a chain
encircling her neck. Elle llanded it in
at the police station, where an olllccr
promised to deliver it to Maurice. As
soon as she had gone. however, he tool:
the note to Riverdale, by whom he had
been bribed previously to intercept any
communication between the lovers.
When Itiverdale received the missive
into his hand his eye caught the scat
with which it was fastened, and he
suddenly stopped short in the opera-
lion oi’ op ing the envelope. Sli'lT(‘d
Q
strange interest. and then let his hands
sink slowly to tho bedclothcs. still hold
ing the unopened letter. while his gaze
remained fixed on vacancy for several
Y"lnU“‘5- Finally he read and destroyed
the note. but the wax impression of
the seal he preserved for further ref-
CTQHCE. ‘
Maurice was shortly afterwards dis-
X
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