Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-09-08

4N~hAJ oe hAo hcOAo, bhO iooe OhS
closing and locking the door be-
hind him. The first of the three
who had thus unceremoniously pre-
scented himself, from this fact as
well as from his gigantic figure and
peculiar bearing, appeared to be
the leader of The party, and it was
he who now addressed the alright
ed girl.
"Young wouman," said he, "we'll
just state our business in two
words, and remember, the first
show of noise, even to a whimper
on your part will fetch this" and
he presented an immense horse
pistol close to her cheek. Sand
now to it," he continued with a
grin smile at his companions. eff
you happen to have any odd
change or watches a-layin around,
we'll just take them along; and
first, my beauty" and he looked
sharply at her. "We three are
a-goin. to have a little fun and
then drawing her down upon his
knees he whispered few words in
her ear, then aloud, $50 now show
us to yer room like pretty lass"
Now Bessie Harris, unlike her
stalwart brother, was slight of
build, with the delicately veined
forehead and slender hands which
betoken q constitution none too
strong, and a decided tendency to
nervousness, and how it was, as
she afterwards said, that she did
not drop down dead at the mans
feet was more than she could pos
sibly comprehend. But drop down
she did not, and although her heart
for the moment stood still, and her
limbs seemed paralyzed with horror
the only line of action by which
to save herself flashed with tele-
graphic rapidity across her mind.
1t was evident the man expected
a scene, and his eyes fairly gleam-
ed with expectation of a determin-
ed resistance on her part, but at
this, perhaps the most critical
moment of all, Bessie made her
first move, and to the fellows great
establishment settled herself more
comfortably in his lap, and smiled
Ms sanity in his face.
"You neeu 1T be in such an ever
lasting hurry" she saiu, falling in
to his own style of lingo. "My
brother won't be here for hours yet,
and we might as well have some
thing to eat first. There is some
splendid old ale down cellar, and
cold turkey in the cupboard, and
I'll get them out at once"
"The eatin' and drinkin'," re-
turned the man with o coarse
augh, "is well enough, but, my
pretty, yer tryin' to come some
dodge or other, and l tell yer it
won't do"
"You're a FOOL" she retorted, and
putting her pretty arms around
his neck, she whispered: 81 am as
fond of fun as you are, but they
keep me so close l have but few
chances in that way" and she add
ed with archness itself: II don't
ike your two friends half as well
Is / do you"
AS the girl made no movement
TO leave his lap, the man believed
her, and had he been the most
noted beau of the period, with
belle at his feet, he could
not have shown himself to have
felt more highly flattered.
"You must come with me to the
cupboard" she laughingly con-
tinued, and, suiting the action to
the word, fairly dragged him across
the room to where it stood, and
from its depth quickly snatched up
, bottle of old rye her father had
Just purchased for medical pur-
poses.
"Smell that, all three of your
she cried, "and then say I'm try
ing to come a dodge if you can"
The excitement of the moment
had sent a crimson flame over her
usually pale cheeks and a new
brilliancy into her dark eyes, and
Bessie, always pretty, now looked
positively beautiful. The three
men, fully awake to the beauty of
her appearance, now laughed loud
y, and each taking pull at the
bottle, babe her do the same.
Although recoiling from the