a thought whirled into her brain, and a 
moment later a shrill, angry, hysterical 
laugh came from her lips. 
“She knew where she could go! How 
simple Iam. Shaw will welcome her 
gladly. She’s with him by this time— 
his doors have opened to her. The lit- 
tle wretch! And I’ve been trying so 
bard to pity her.” She laughed again 
so shrilly that his lordship stirred and 
then looked up at her stupetied, un- 
certain. 
“Hullo!” he grunted. 
is it?’ 
“Oh, you’re awake, are you?” scorn- 
fully. 
“Certainly. Have I been dozing? 
What’s there to laugb at, my dear?” 
he mumbled, arising very unsteadily. 
“Where's Pen?” 
“She’s gone. She’s left the house,’ 
she said, recurring dread and anxiety 
in her voice. A glance at the dark- 
ness outside brought back the grow: 
ing shudders. 
“What—what d’ye mean?” demand: 
ed be, bracing up with a splendid ef: 
fort. 
“She’s left the house, that’s all. We 
quarreled. I don’t know where she’s 
gone. Yes, I do know. She’s gone ta 
“What time 
Shaw’s for the night. She’s with him... 
I saw her going,” she cried, striving 
between fear and anger. 
“You'’ve—you've turned her out?” 
gasped Lord Bazelhurst numbly. “In 
the night? Good Lord! Why—why 
did you let her go?’ He turned and 
rushed toward the door, tears spring- 
ing to his eyes He was sobering now 
and the tears were wrenched from his 
burt pride. ‘How long ago?” 
“An bour or more. She went of her 
own accord. You’ll find her at Shaw’s,” 
said her ladyship harshly. She hated 
to admit that she was to blame. But 
as ber husband left the room, bang: 
ing the door after him, she caught her 
breath several times in a futile effort 
to stay the sobs and then broke down 
and cried, a very much abused young 
woman. She hated everybody and ey: 
erything. 
CHAPTER VI. 
In Which Dan Cupid Trespasses, 
ADY BAZELHURST was right. 
Penelope was making her way 
through the blackest of nights 
toward the home of Randolph 
Shaw. In deciding upon this step, aft: 
er long deliberation, she had said ta 
herself: “Randolph Shaw is the only 
rea! man I’ve seen since coming to thé 
moundtains. | can trust him to help mé 
tonight.” 
It was fully three miles to Shaw’s 
place, most of the way over the nar 
row valley road. She knew she woul 
encounter but few tortuous places. 
The last half mile, however, was steep 
rugged and unfamiliar to her. She hac 
ventured no nearer to his home tha) 
Renwood’s deserted cottage, lyin. 
above and to the south of the road, al. 
aa at the base of the long hill on 
hose side Shaw had built his big 
nome. To climb that hill was no easy 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
task in daylight; at midnight, with the 
stars obscured by clouds and treetops 
there was something perilously uncer 
tain in the prospect. 
Only the Knowledge that patience 
and courage eventually would bring 
her to the end made the journey pos: 
sible. Time would lead her to the 
haven; care would make the road 4 
friend; a stout heart was her best ally. 
Strength of limb and strength of pur. 
bose she had, in use and in reserve, 
No power could have made her turn 
back willingly. Her anxious’ eyes 
were set ahead in the blackness. Hel 
runaway feet were eager in obedience 
to her will. 
“Why couldn’t I have put it off until 
morning?’ she was saying to herself 
as she passed down the graveled drive 
and advanced to meet the wall of 
trees that frowned blackly in her face. 
“What will he think? What will he 
say? Oh, he’ll think I'm such a silly, 
romantic fool! No, be won't. He'll 
understand. He'll help me on to 
Plattsburg tomorrow. But will he 
think I’ve done this for effect? Won't 
he think I’m actually throwing my- 
self at his head? No, | can’t turn 
back. I’d rather die than go back to 
that house. It won’t matter what he 
thinks. [’ll be away from all of it to- 
morrow. I'll be out of his life, and 1 
won't care what he thinks. Hngland! 
Goodness! What’s that?” She had 
turned a bend in the drive, and just 
ahead there was a light. A sigh of re 
lief followed the question. [It came 
from the lantern which hung to a 
stake in the road where the new stone 
gate posts were being built by work- 
men from town. Bazelhurst Villa was 
a quarter of a mile, through the park, 
behind her; the forest was ahead 
At the gate she stopped between the 
half finished stone posts and looked 
ahead with the first shiver of dismay. 
Her limbs seemed ready to collapse. 
The flush of anger and excitement left 
her face. A white, desolate look came 
in its stead. Her eyes grew wide, and 
she blinked her lashes with an awed 
uncertainty that boded ill for the sta- 
bility of ber adventure. An owl hoot- 
ed in mournful cadence close by, and 
she felt her hair was going straight op 
end. The tense fingers of one hand 
gripped the handle of the traveling 
bag, while the other went spasmod- 
ically to her heart. 
“Oh!’”’ she gasped, moving over quick- 
ly to the stake on which the lantern 
hung. The wind was rushing through 
the treetops with increased fervor, the 
air was cool and wet with the signs of 
rain, a swirl of dust flew up into her 
face, the swish of leaves sounded like 
the splashing of water in the air 
Holding her beart for minutes, she at 
last regained some of the lost com- 
posure. A hysterical! langh fell from 
her lips. “What a goose! It was an 
owl, and [’ve heard bundreds of them 
up here. Still, they do sound different 
outside of one’s own room. It’s going 
to rain. What wretched luck! Dear 
me, | can’t stand here all night! How 
black it is ahead there! O-o-o-h! Really, 
now, it does seem a bit terrifying. If 1 
only had a lantern it wouldn’t be so”- 
Her gaze fell upon the laborers’ lan 
tern that clattered aimlessly, uselessly 
against the stake. An instant later she 
had jerked it from its fastenings with 
a cry of joy. “I'll send it back when 
they go for my trunks. What luck!” 
Without a second’s hesitation she 
started off briskly into the woodland 
road, striding along with the splendid 
swing of the healthy Englishwoman 
who has not been trained to dawdle. 
Her walking skirt gave free play to her 
limbs Sbe was far past the well 
known “line in the road” before she 
paused to take a full breath and to re- 
capitulate. Her heart beat faster. and 
the sudden glow in her cheek was not 
from the exercise. Somehow, out there 
alone in tue world, the most amazing 
feeling of tenderness sped on ahead to 
Randoloph Shaw _ She tried to put it 
from her, but it grew and grew Then 
she blushed deep within herself, and 
her eyes -rew sweet with the memory 
of those stolen, reprehensible hours 
along the frontier’ Something within 
her breast cried out for those shining, 
gone by moments, something seemed 
to close down on her throat, something 
ARRAS RH 
She Started Off Briskly Into the Wood- 
land Road. 
flooded her eyes with a softness that 
rolled up from her entire being ‘Their 
line! Their insurmountable barrier! 
An absurd yet ineffable longing to fall 
down and kiss that line came over her 
with compelling force. 
[TO BE CONTINUED.] “al 
