Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-07-15

but even as I smiled dropped to sleep
again. The day was irresistibly drowsy,
and there was something delightful in
this wood-sumber, which even in deep
est Inconsistencies I never lost hold
Of. The last thing I saw, as my eye
lids fell, was IL broad ray of sun striking
a half-open parcel of forks and spoons
that lay in the grass-Mrs. Pendexter's
property, these, and careless enough of
the girls to leave them thus. But
what did it signify? No spot on earth
could be safer than these Summer woods
under the shadow Of New Hampshire
hills.
This was my first thought as I fell
asleep. I was aroused by sound of
voices which even my locked senses rec
ognized as unfamiliar. I opened my
eyes. Two men were sitting on the
ground close to me, but half turned
away. They were shabbily clad; one in
a velveteen coat and rough corduroy
trousers; the other, whose clothes we're
dark, had q red handkerchief tied
around his neck. This man had thick
beard, and wild, long hair yelling pair
of savage gypsy eyes. But it was tho
other face that frightened me most. 1t
was snug, shaven face, but with an
evil, cruel, furtive look, which do not
know how to describe. Faint with sud
denfear, l lay quite still. 1t seemed the
only thing to do. But, oh, where were
the girls? thought; and what would
happen if they came back?
"Give US that there basket off the
log" were the first words I heard. 1t
was the velveteen man who spoke, and
the other reached out his hand and lift
ed the basket from its place close to
my chin. 1 trembled lest its removal
had made me visible; but the girls had
arranged too artistically for that, and
the men suspected nothing. 1t took
only a moment to empty the basket
which kind Mrs. Pendexter had taken
so much time to fill.
"Not bad find" said the snug man,
turning over the cold mutton and hard
eggs, and speaking with his mouth full.
"Vittle up, partner. Mayn't have an
other chance, Lord knows when"
"Partner" accepted the invitation
cordially Our luncheon disappeared
down his throat in large morsels.
d" Halo! here's a gov cried the SNUG
man, making a sudden dive at the par
eel Of spoons and forks. He bit one of
the spoons with his teeth, rapidly count
ed them and dropped them into his
pocket, the other man looking on.
'Real?" asked he of the red neck
cloth.
No mistake. Eight of each. That
is twenty apiece. Stow away fast, or
some onell be a-coming." / hadn't
supposed that even a volt could stow
faster. but at this warning the motion
of the jaws were accelerated. As the
men ate, they talked. Their voices
were smothered, but l caught now and
then sentence.
DOG? Darn the dog! Easy silence
him."
eyes, but" Then lost the con-
text.
"You're sure as to the blunt?'
"Saw it handed over-seventeen hun
dred and odd in bills. Took it home
with him? Why, of course, you fool.
These farmer fellows don thang to banks.
tell you he wants it handy to lift his
mortgage next week. Sure to be called
for. Them Elkinses is always on time.
Very sharp gentlemen, Elkinses are.
"Stash your gab," said the gypsy.
"Folks coming. Offs the word"
The men jumped to- their feet, listened
q second. One of them snatched up a
shawl which lay over the supposed log.
the other crammed the fragments of the
feast into his pocket, and they were
gone, the gypsy's foot just grazing my
head as he went. I heard the girls
voices drawing nearer, but the long
tension of fear had left me so faint and
powerless that 1 could not stir, not even
when they came in sight and stood close
to me.
"My! isn't it warm?" cried Esther.
"Alice, you look half baked. Sit down
and rest. Here is q convenient old
log She caught sight OF the empty
basket which the men had flung aside,
and stopped short, with her mouth open.
eyes, said Alice innocently. 81
fancy we are all ready for luncheon
But where the luncheon ?" And where
is Dolly?
At this moment saw Marian making
preparations to sit down on me. Self
preservation gave me strength to stir
to roll over. The barks and ferns flew
in all directions. Marian shrieked; but
her arrangements for seating herself
had gone TOO far to be affected by this
sudden phenomenon. She came down
heavily and she and I and the shawls
and the ferns, fungi and MOSES be-
came complicated into confused and
undistinsuishabe heap.
This the girls considered the best
joke possible. With shouts of laugh.
ter they disentangled and picked us up.
But at sight of my face there was ex-
clamation:
why Queen Log, what is the mat
ter? Are you hurt? You are as pale
as a sheet. Don't stare so, Dolly. Do
speak. What is it?"
I tried to speak, but, instead, burst
into fit of nervous crying. The girls,
frightened and perplexed, thronged
around me. In the midst of their rap
id questions an awe-struck voice was
heard saying: "Where are the spoons?
] put them just here. I am sure I did.
And here iS fhe varv nank;n fhay wara