The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-12-11
7Fks Foresssrs .ii'assE,ef.

house ii Which, ii 1919, dwelt q
forester whose nAine Aas MoSksi. He
had throe childron tho efdest was a
| giii ~ seventeen, handsome, stsong
and resoiatc. .
Won't You be fiightened IN these
,unsettlcd times2" asked her father.
when he with her mother and the Swo
younger children Wcre starting On
Uhristnas morning 10 20 ~ church.
"Fnghtened?' said the brave citl
laughing. "Up-stairs hang ycpr
guns two doubie-barreiel."
"16ke GIRO, Kate" said the fs.hoi,
they ,aro loaaed with bali"
"Ah the better for that, said Che
gill Sultan is With nae too, and he
always knows his man, aud I shall
Shgt up end hat tho windows down
stairs.'
As thoy loft THO h3uss, she sosi,h
70 close and bar all Tho windows on
the ground Roor.
Then she not only locItcd and Bolt
cd tho dooi, but piacod a hoop of
blocks and wood fssainst II inside,
mud calling tho great dog 10 her in
the kitchen, sho hogan % prep,rd icr
cooking the family dinner, as n . +
mother Ind directed Whoa th,s
WIS arranged she went upstairs, aud
carried all the powder which her
father Kept in a large stone jar into
the upper room, ahd the h,llldts, too
Of which her fathcr Ind h large snip
Iplv.
OUTSIDE, thc snow iaid thickly up.
on The trees and the grouhdi The
cold was cutting aud severe.
Merkel wns n well 10 DO man: hut
considered much richer that lie really
was.
Kates parents nra brothers might
Just have reached Wilhelm, when she
ssw half-fipzen old ,pan, leaning on
his staf, approach the house. She
redisrsea how lie tfemblea at the
hpst, and how disappointed he look
cd when In saw al thu shutters
closed, as il no one was at home.
His snow-white beard nesrly
covered his ftce, and sesmed to reach
almost up to the cap Of foSskih which
he wore ON his head, with the FOX
tail hanging down behind,
The girl pitied tho old man. He
cannot get oh TO Wilhelm FOR his
legs seemed acareely able TO carry
him now and in this weather he ran
~ great lanser of being frozen to
death
She went 10 the window Of the
second story, and asked him what
he wanted.
"Ohl my good child he cried ont
with 4 fsiht voice, II want to warm
myself, for am thoroughly frozen I
cannot get any further on my way TO
Wilhelm, for have not tasted food
to-day -
Tho kind heart of tho maiden was
softene1 aud overcome.
Shc hastencd down stairs, moved
away her means of defense, and optn.
I'd tho door HIT scarcely was the
old man IN the room. when Hho lock
cd the door again, little thinking that
she had now to defend herself against
AZ enemy yitlin. She showed the
old mnn into tho warm room, and
made him cit down In her fathers
armchair, which stood near tho large
stove,
"Something hot will he tho bost TO
warH and revive you sho said kind
| ly. "There is some coffee, which we
only drink on Sundays and festival
days, left I will warm it for YOU"
1t seemed strange that the great
dog, Sultan, ran about in en- angry,
excited way, growing aud showing
his teeth from the time the old mau
had entered tho house. Only with
difficulty could she keep him quiet
And now, when she went into the
kitchen to get the coffee ready, the
dog pressed up closer to her, and
looked distrystfqlly at the old man,
who was resting in the armchair.
The dogs strange conduct made
her suspicious. As in many old
German houses, there was an open
ing in the wall, q sort of window
With a slide between the kitchen aud
the room inhabited by the family,
through which the dishes were pass
ed from one TO the other.
The window was just behind the
arm chair, and since this morning,
when the mother had put the coffee
and milk pots through it, it had been
left half open.
With gentle tread she went up to
this window, and looked into the
room. What she beheld there in
deed filed her with horror
Before her eyes, the old man took
of the fur cap, aud the white beard,
too, raised up his bent'doyp, power
less figure, and row there stood be-
fore her quite . different man than
the ONE she ip her pity bad admitted.
The first Yas totterpg, hall 'frosen
old map-this was . strong young
man, of savage and wicked appear
ance, and the smile Of Joy at his
successful trick, which passed over
his face, lad an expression which
filed the girl . heart with terror
SO overcome was she at this change
ip her guest that for q few moments
she had no idea how 1t would be beat