n--lovingly.

"Just now I am a poor little reprobate," she sighed ever so miserably.
"You are very good. I'll not forget."

"I'll not permit you to forget," he said eagerly.

"Isn't the housekeeper a long time in coming?" she asked quickly. He
laughed contentedly.

"We've no reason to worry about her. It's the pursuers from Bazelhurst
that should trouble us. Won't you tell me the whole story?" And she
told him everything, sitting there beside him with a hot drink in her
hand and a growing shame in her heart. It was dawning upon her with
alarming force that she was exposing a hitherto unknown incentive. It
was not a comfortable awakening. "And you champion me to that extent?"
he cried joyously. She nodded bravely and went on.

"So here I am," she said in conclusion. "I really could not have
walked to Ridgely to-night, could I?"

"I should say not."

"And there was really nowhere else to come but here?" dubiously.

"See that light over there--up the mountain?" he asked, leading her
to a window. "Old man Grimes and his wife live up there. They keep a
light burning all night to scare Renwood's ghost away. By Jove, the
storm will be upon us in a minute. I thought it had blown around us."
The roll of thunder came up the valley. "Thank heaven, you're safe
indoors. Let them pursue if they like. I'll hide you if they come, and
the servants are close-mouthed."

"I don't like the way you put it, Mr. Shaw."

"Hullo, hullo--the house," came a shout from the wind-ridden night
outside. Two hearts inside stopped beating for a second or two. She
caught her breath sharply as she clasped his arm.

"They are after me!" she gasped.

"They must not find you here. Really, Miss Drake, I mean it. They
wouldn't understand. Come with me. Go down this hall quickly. It leads
to the garden back of the house. There's a gun-room at the end of the
hall. Go in there, to your right. Here, take this! It's an electric
saddle-lantern. I'll head these fellows off. They shan't find you.
Don't be alarmed."

She sped down the narrow hall and he, taking time to slip into a long
dressing-coat, stepped out upon the porch in response to the now
prolonged and impatient shouts.

"Who's there?" he shouted. The light from the windows revealed several
horsemen in the roadway.

"Friends," came back through the wind. "Let us in out of the storm.
It's a terror."

"I don't know you." There was a shout of laughter and some profanity.

"Oh, yes, you do,