Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-05-25

Let me nave my Daoy.
Dut every effort was frustrated. Again and
| again the strong hand of the robber thrust her
back.
"See, its sclothes will be on fire in Q minute, {"
said the man, putting the helpless innocent
closer to the flames. The mother looked into
his eyes She saw there the look of heartless
| determination. She became aware that the
cotton garments of the child were smoking
| with the heat.
"How shall it be9" asked the rutian "Hur-
| ~, or the child dies. have no time to waste
here"
Anything, anythiug-only give me my
| child,e she cried The next instant il was
handed to her; she sank upon the floor and
folded it to her bosom.
Come" exclaimed the man, touching her
rudely with his foot. "you have not told me
"In the box on the upper shelf, " she replied,
pointing to the closet.
The man found the box, placed on the table
and opened it, saying:
$50 far, we'll. 1t is nearly all gold will
pocket it, with your leave, or without your
| leave, just as you please" He filled his pock-
| cts with the gold coin and threw the bex in the
| fire. Then he came and stood beside her.
Put your baby in the CRADLE" he said, ''if
you wish to save It's life. / have other business
for you"
"What do you mean?" cried Milly, cycling
| the man with suspicion.
'Let me have him, - he said, trying to take it,
:" No, no; will put the baby in the cradle
myself. You shall not touch the poor little
thing. Now. SIR" she cried, almost choking
with excitement. what is it?" After having
laid the pretty infant on its downy place Of
rest, she stood erect and waited the reply.
" am going to kill you," said the man.
g Kill me" she exclaimed, her face growing
pale with terror. "Kill me? What have I
done a
Nothing, nothing, my dear, only you know
you baye seen me and you will know me
again And he advanced upon her.
"Oh, sir, let me live. Have you not done
enough to take my husbBnd's money. without
deprving him of bis wife too? / will never say
spare me.'
As she spoke she clasped her hands and
looked imploringly at him.
~ am sorry that L cannot safely grant your
request" he responded There is no help for
it; so come along out doors"
He reached out his hands to grasp Mily.' But
the instinct Of self preservation was strong
upon her. She evaded him, few to the chin.
ney-piece, snatched her husbands loaded rifle
from the hooks on which it hurg, cooked, snd
presented it at the breast of the robber. Her
motions were so rapid that before he could
prevent it, her fingers had pressed the trigger
and there was an explosion. But with equal
had passed over his head, and the next instan.
his grip was on her throat.
4" will teach you to handle arms he said
You would have killed me, would you? will
show you trick worth two Of that
" Mercy, mercy" cried the terrified woman.
There is no mercy for you," he ejsculated.
He dragged her into the entry, and dung open
the door ''Out with you into The snow
"Hold, what is this?' exclaimed a deep
toned voice. "Unhsnd that woman, you
scOundrel"
A powerful man stood in the doorway. He
dealt the robber a blow between the eyes
which struck him back into the entry. His
grasp Of Milly was relinquished, and she fell
to the floor.
80, sir," she cried to the conner, "save me.
This man has robbed us, and would murder me
that would not tell of it.''
"Fear not, madam, he shall not harm YOU"
responded the stranger. "Fellow surrender
yourself
'Get out of my way" cried the robber,
stranger with bowie knife Giving back a
few steps, the stranger seized the rObber by
the collar, whirled him around and threw him
on his face in the snow. The robber strug-
gied, bat tho stranger knelt heavily on the
small Of his back, and grasped his hair.
Lie still, )" said tho stranger .'Or I will
send bullet through your BRAIN
The rObber felt the cold barrel of pistol ut
his ear, and obeyed. Mllly quickly brought
ropes, at her rescuer's request, and the robber
was bound hand and feot.
1T was strange providence, the new
conner said, "that overlook me with a snow
storm on the prairie, and forced me an hour
ago to take refugein your smoke house, nearly
dead with cold.''
Milly acknowledged the truth Of the remark.
and she knelt and thanked her father in Hea-
ven for her deliverance.
The next day Mlly's husband came home.
and when he had been told all, he remarked
"This fellow was in the tavern at the village
the day sold my produce. 1t will learn me
lesson-never to let strangers know when
money is plenty with me, lest they shall be
tempted to crime, and bring ruin on me and
mine"
That day some sixty or seventy men gath
cred at the house Of Mr.. Dean. The robber
was recognized as a notorious horse thief who
had long infested the neighbOrhood. There
was summary trial, and then in logged 81
lence the wretch who would have burned
harmless infant and murdered faithful and
gentle woman, submitted to his inevitable fate
A rudely constructed gallows and a stout rope
ended his existence So en- the thinly settled
frontiers Of the West do they mete out Justice
to offenders against property and life.
About seventeen hundred dollars in bills
were found on the person of the robber, be-
| sides the gold he had taken from Mrs Dean
As there were no claimants for the bills, at the
! suggestion of the stranger, whose life had been
| saved from the anger Of the winter storm by
| the shelter he had found in the smoke house,
q thousand dollars of the seventeen hundred
were presented TO Milly in consideration of
| what she had gone through, and the remain
der was divided around '-
On that very spot there is now a thriving
4 town, and one OF the finest residences in the
place is that where dwells Milly Dean and her
\ hushand