ver from East Hatboro' to-night," said Northwick. "I am going
back there to get the morning train." This was the way he had planned,
and he felt the strength of a fixed purpose in returning to his plan in
words.

"But it's three miles!" Adeline shrieked. "You can never get there in
the world in time for the train. Oh, why didn't I tell Elbridge to come
for you! I must go and tell him to get ready right away."

"No, I'll go!" said Suzette. "Adeline!"

Adeline flung the door open, and started back, with a cry, from the
dark, van-like vehicle before the door, which looked like the Black
Maria, or an undertaker's wagon, in the pale light.

"It's me," said Elbridge's voice from the front of it, and Elbridge's
head dimly showed itself. "I got to thinkin' maybe you'd want the
carryall, and I didn't know but what I'd better go and hitch up,
anyway."

"Oh, well, we _did_!" cried Adeline, with an hysterical laugh. "Here,
now, father, get right in! Don't lose a second. Kiss Suzette; good-by!
Be sure you get him to East Hatboro' in time for the four-forty,
Elbridge!" She helped her father, shaking and stumbling, into the
shelter of the curtained carryall. "If anybody tries to stop you--"

"I'd like to see anybody try to stop me," said Elbridge, and he whipped
up his horse. Then he leaned back toward Northwick, and said, "I'm going
to get the black colt's time out of the old mare."

"Which mare is it?" Northwick asked.

VII.

On his way home from the station, Elbridge Newton began to have some
anxieties. He had no longer occasion for any about Northwick, he was
safe on his way back to Canada; and Elbridge's anxieties were for
himself. He was in the cold fit after his act of ardent generosity. He
had no desire to entangle himself with the law by his act of incivism in
helping Northwick to escape, and he thought it might be well to put
himself on the safe side by seeing Putney about it, and locking the
stable after the horse was stolen.

He drove round by the lawyer's house, and stopped at his gate just as
Putney pushed his lawn-mower up to it, in his exercise of the instrument
before breakfast.

Elbridge leaned out of the carryall, and asked, in a low confidential
voice, "If J. Milton Northwick was to come back here, on the sly, say,
to see his family, and I was to help him git off again, would I be
li'ble?"

"Why?" asked Putney.

"Because I just done it," said Elbridge, desperately.

"Just done it?" shoute