The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1872-10-12

f'ha f"7f iHhr i..N'f fai u.H'l
mgfbar
stelalfm 'Ie raIrs r1 o.
itIas ftr tf.i.H lh.t ei|m 4
hHt sal nn down ,r'p ihe rallaf
fa fst tloesre'alfe. from tisIrbins
She vas gone hlta uHaui, ur Geo.
lut thga she return. ihadmf .euI
inr qp sIaita vhib .ln hl Ien
closed. ti19i wila orot ani ob the
loser ata.ra muddy footprint vas
iialiuctl, imprinted
Kitty heart stood ai.I with un
defined terror, a8 .hr remembered
The bag of twenty dollar gold pieces
Ia The blg bask chamber chest
Aud while shc iood thcrc. hold
ing ~ the table Tor support, she
could hear confused footsteps up.
stairs, and tIcmurmurof deep voices
Then thcrc was moro than one.
kittys FIRST instiuct--that Of defend
| ing her masters treasures 10 the last,
even were it with her lic-gaye way
to more practical considerations. She
thoagbt Of dying ont into the ROAD
and crying aloud tor help, but then
she remembered, with II pang Of de,
spair, how lonely was the desolate
hillside, with the nearest dwelling
full mile distant.
"What eau | do? on, what can |
do| thought Kitty, clasping both
hands OYER her throbbing forehead.
But while her thoughts run all in
a whirl, and her heart beat tempcs
tuously. the footsteps ncared the
stsirway--the unwelcomc guests
were once more coming come. In
stinctiycly Kitty shrauk behind the
! jagged brick projections Of the old
chimney Two stout-built, short
men, dressed in coarse gray, slouch-
ed down into the kitchen, with the
easy confidence Of those who imag-
inc themselves entirely without wit.
nesses. Kitty had never seen them
before, yet they seemed quite "post
ed as to the various rooms in the
struggling farmhouse.
"Como on, Jim, we'vo got all
we're likely to get in this coniouud-
ed cid shanty,' said one, balancing
his foot on one of the iron hrc-dogs,
"and besides, the folks will be home
presently"
"Sandy Bin afraid?' jecringly
called out the other, who was open,
ing and shutting the various cup
boards and drawers about the apart
ment, grcedily cycling their con
tents.
"Ilallo here's some silver spoons
"Stow 'cm away and let's be
moving" said Bill "Conlound this
bag il jingles like a string Of
sleigh-belIs" !"
"Wcll, come then" said the other,
discontentedly. 81 opinc five hun
dred aint bad days work; but
somehow | thought, from the looks
OF the crib, there might be old silver
or some such grabbings."
And they Ioungcd out, side by
side, with a cool deliberation that
was almost appalling to the trends
ling girl who lurked in the shadow
of the jagged brick-work.
But Kitty CIihord's mind had
! t.ca 4. wdrk while she stood there ;
her resolution was taken.
Hurriedly tying a shawl around
her head end shoulders, she sprang
out Of the house, by the back way,
and bastened through lonely piece
of woods which formed a short cut
to the road they must presently
emerge upon.
"Tbey would DO hidden away
somewhere long before ] could sum
mon help" thought Kitty. mo-
whateve. is done | must do my
self"
On either side the road was shut
in by stunted cedar bushes, min
gled with the clever growth OF the
cleaning silver-birch, and Kitty
knew she could keep in sight Of them
unseer.
al they should sec me, If they
should suspect my Grand" thought
poor Kitty, with thrills OF cold ter.
ror "Oh, it would be hard to be
murdered in these solitary woods
to have my master think | stole thu
gold, and Mr.. Silas----'
While the thoughts passed througl
her mind, the ring of coning foot
steps echoed on the hard lrozeI
ground. Kitty's conjecture hac
proved correct--they had taken tn
Hill road.
Onward, steadily onward, the,
pushed, Kitty contriting to keel
nearly parallel with them, thougl
she had 70 fight her way through
: matted vines and thorny bushes
! Fortunately the wind had risen, am
its mournful, rustliug sound througl
I the tree-tops hid the noise she una
:. voidably made, else her detection
a would have been little short of in
eyitable.
g But with every precaution th
r peril was great. AS she steppe
3 unconsciously upon the fallen branc
Of a decayed tree, it snapped be
!. meath her tread with a sharp, spin
1 tering sound The two men pause
!, to listen, seemed to consult togethe
an instant, and then turned quickl
0 toward the very copsc in which sh
Q was hiding.
b Poor Kitty. She sank uoiselessl
7 down like wounded bird, crouchin
s away in mortal terror. But, thong