a 
less is near at hand She rides, you 
know—I mean dem you! Wouldn’t 
have her see you for a fortune. Not 
another word, sir! You have my or- 
ders. Stay off or [’ll—throw you off!” 
This last threat was almost shrieked 
and was plainly heard by the two. 
horsemen. 
“By Jove, he’s facing the fellow,” 
said the duke to the count, 
“Hes eet Shaw? Parbleu!” 
“T’ll send some one for that watch 
Don’t you dare to touch it,” said his 
lordship in tones barely audible. Then 
he loped off to meet his friends and 
turn them back before they came too 
close for comfort. Randolph Shaw 
laughed heartily as he watched the 
retreat. Seeing the newcomers halt 
and then turn abruptly back into their 
tracks, he picked up the watch and 
strolled off into the woods, taking a 
short cut for the dirt road which led 
up to his house. 
“I had him begging for mercy,” ex- 
plained his lordship as he rode along. 
“J was on his land for half an hour be- 
fore he would come within speaking 
distance. Come along. | need a drink.” 
Young Mr. Shaw came to the road in 
due time and paused, after his climb, 
to rest on a stone at the wayside He 
was still a mile from home and in the 
loneliest part of bis domain. The Ba- 
zelhurst line was scarcely a quarter of 
a mile behind him ‘Trees and under- 
brush grew thick and impenetrable 
alongside the narrow, winding road. 
The light of heaven found it difficult 
to struggle through to the highway be. 
low. Picturesque but lonely and som 
ber indeed were his surroundings. 
“Some one coming?” he said aloud, 
as Bonaparte pricked up his ears and 
looked up the road. A moment later 
a borse and rider turned the bend a 
hundred yards away and came slowly 
toward him. He started to his feet 
with an exclamation. The rider was a 
woman, and she was making her way 
leisurely toward the Bazelhurst lands. 
“Lady Bazelhurst, I’ll bet my hat,” 
thought he with a quiet whistle. “By 
George, this is awkward! My first 
trespasser is in petticoats. I say, she’s 
a beauty—a ripping beauty. Lord, Lord, 
what do such women mean by giving 
themselves to little rats like Bazel- 
hurst? Oh, the shame of it! Well, 
it’s up to me If | expect to ‘make 
good’ I’ve just got to fire her off these 
grounds.”’ 
Naturally he expected to be very po- 
lite about it—instinctively so. He could 
not have been otherwise. The horse- 
woman saw him step into the middle 
of the road, smiling oddly but deferen- 
tially. Her slim figure straightened, her 
color rose, and there was a—yes, there 
was a relieved gleam in her eyes. As 
she drew near he advanced, hat in 
hand, his face uplifted in his most win- 
ning smile-—savoring more of welcome 
than of repelience 
“I beg your pardon,” he said; “doubt- 
less you are not aware that this is pro- 
scribed land.” 
“Then you are Mr. Shaw?” she ask- 
ed. checking her horse with pvremedi- 
eee 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
tated surprise and ati emphasis that 
puzzled him 
“Yes, madam,” he responded gravely, 
“the hated Shaw Permit me.” and 
he politely grasped the bridle rein. To 
her amazement he deliberately turned 
and began to lead her horse, willy nil- 
ly, down the road, very much as if she 
were a child taking her first riding les- 
son. 
“What are you doing, sir?” she ex- 
claimed sharply. There was a queer 
flutter of helplessness in her voice. 
“Putting you off,” he answered ta- 
conically. She laughed in delight, and 
he looked up with a relieved smile 
“T’m glad you don’t mind I! have to 
do it These feuds are such beastly 
things, you know. One has to live up 
to them whether he likes it or not” 
“So you are putting me off your 
place? Oh, how lovely!” 
“Tt isn’t far, you know—just down 
by those big rocks Your line is there 
Of course.” he went on politely. “you 
know that there is a feud” 
“Oh, yes: I’ve heard you discussed. 
Besides, | met Tompkins and James 
this morning Pardon me, Mr Shaw, 
but I fancy I can get on without be- 
ing led) Would you mind”- 
“My dear madam, there is no alter. 
native. I have taken a solemn vow per- 
sonally to eject all Bazelhurst  tres- 
passers from my place You forget 
that lam, by your orders, to be thrown 
into the river and ali that Don’t be 
alarmed! { don’t mean to throw vou 
into the river ” 
“By my orders? It seems to me that 
you have confused me with Lord Ba 
zelhurst.” 
“Heaven has given me Keener per- 
eeption, your ladyship. I have seen his 
lordship ~ 
“Ah, may I tnauire whether he was 
particularly rough with you this after- 
noon ?”’ 
“T trust | am too chivalrous to an- 
swer that question.” 
“You are quite dry.” 
“Thank you. I deserve the rebuke, 
all right.” 
“Oh, [| mean yon haven’t been in the 
river ” 
“Not since morning 
too fast for you?” 
“Not at all One couldn’t ask to be 
put off more considerately.”’ 
“By Jove,” be said involuntarily, his 
ndmiration getting the better of him. 
“I beg your pardon.” with slightly 
elevated eyebrows 
“Do you know, you’re not at al! what 
l imagined you’d be.”’ 
“Oh? And I fancy [’m not at all 
whom you imagined me to be.” 
“Heavens! Am |! ejecting an inno- 
rent bystander? You are Lady Bazel- 
hurst ?” 
“f am Penelope UVrake But,” she 
added quickly, “lam an enemy. 1am 
Lord Bazelhurst’s sister.” 
“You—you don’t mean it?” 
“Are you disappointed? I’m sorry.” 
“] am staggered and—a bit skeptical 
There is no reseinblance.”’ 
“IT am a bit taller.” she admitted 
earefoliv. “It isn’t dreadtullv immod- 
Am I walking 
est, is it, for one to hold couverse with 
her captor? 1 am in your power, you 
see.” 
“On the contrary, it is quite the 
thing. The heroine always converses 
with the villain in books. She tells him 
what she thinks of him.” 
“But this isn't a book, and I’m not a 
heroine. | am the adventuress. Will 
you permit me to explain my presence 
on your land?” 
“No excuse iS necessary. You were 
caught red handed, and you don’t have 
to say anything to incriminate yourself 
further.” 
“But it is scacely a hundred feet to 
our line. Ina very few minutes | shall 
be hurled relentlessly from your land 
and may never bave another chance to 
tell why I dared to venture over here 
You see, you have a haunted house on 
your land, and I’— She hesitated 
“T see. The old Renwood cottage on 
the hill Been deserted for years 
Renwood brought his wife up here in 
the mountains long ago and murdered 
her. She comes back occasionally. 
they say; mysterious noises and lights 
and all that Well?" 
“Well, ['m very much interested in 
spooks. In spite of the feud I rode 
over here for a peep at the house. 
Dear me, it’s a desolate looking place 
I didn’t go inside, of course Why 
don’t you tear it down?" 
“And deprive the ghost of house 
and home? That would be heartless 
Besides, it serves as an attraction to 
bring visitors to my otherwise un 
alluring place [I’m terribly sorry the 
fortunes of war prevent me from 
offering to take vou through the house 
But as long as you remain a Bazel 
hurst I can’t neglect my vow Of 
course, I don’t mean to say that you 
ean’t come and do what you please 
over here, but you shall be recognized 
and treated as a trespasser.” 
“Oh. that’s just splendid! 
Pll come tomorrow.” 
“T shall be obliged to escort you 
from the grounds, you know.” 
“Yes, I know.” she said agreeably. 
He looked dazed and delighted. “Of 
course I shall come with stealth and 
darkly Not even my brother shall 
know of my plans” 
“Certainly not. he said with alac 
rity. ‘They were nearing the line.) 
“Depend on me” 
“Depend op you? Your only duty is 
to scare me off the place.” 
“That’s what I mean Pll keep 
sharp watch for you up at the hannt- 
ed house.” 
“It’s more than a mile from the 
line,” she advised him 
“Yes, | know,” said he, with his 
friendliest smile. “Ob. by the way. 
would you mind doing your brother a 
favor, Miss Drake? Give him this 
wateh. He er-he must have dropped 
it whila onrsnine rer” 
[To BE CONTINUED.] 
Arrogance dims the luster of the most 
brilliant intellect and dulls the edge of 
the sharpest wit. 
Perhaps 
SS” 
Sener errr mt rae nmr ees a ee ec en re ee eT eS 
—————EE——————————EEEE 
ae nee e+ Oe RE TET SE A ETS SET SEITE 
