The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-02
Do keep still. Youth spoil al if you
move.


your eyellu, so that you can take iooh
at yourself. You can't think how beau
tiful you are."
The witches had covered me all over
with dust colored shawl, and had COW
cred that with sods and MOSES and
strips of bark to stimulate ahalf-decayed
trunk, scattering pine needles over all,
and sticking into interstices, ferns,
lichens, and fungi, till, as Amy said, 1t
did look precisely like log. Lastly,
thew threw down shawl III careless
folds, set lunch basket on my chest,
and stood off to see the effect, which
they declared to be wonderful.
"No human being would guess" said
Esther. "You'd impose on Leather
stockings himself. Oh, girls, do call
Alice and Marian. They must be salts
fed before this about those wretched
trout. Don't breathe word, but just
ask them to sit down on the log and
make themselves comfortable.
"Onm me! Thank you" said I, speak
ing as well as l could through mouth
full of hchens.
"Oh, they sha'n't really sit down.
Lie still-quite still, dear Dolly. Don't
move an inch, please don't promise
that You won't. twill be such fun to
cheat Alice"
VERY well. won't. But be quick.
I'm comfortable enough now, but all this
blanket, shawl and bark may grow I'M
pleasantly warm. / never realized be-
fore just how Daphne felt in the laurel.
Good-by, Daphne. Good-by, Queen
Log. Wen be back soon." With ring
ing laughter, off went the girls, Esther
lingering to give final touch to the
hchen over my left eye. smiled to my
self at the odd position, but even as 1
smiled 1 dropped to sleep again. The
day was irresistibly drowsy, and there
was something delightful in this wood
slumber, which even in deepest uncon-
sciousness 1 never lost hold of. The
last thing / saw, as my eyelids fell, was
broad ray of sun striking half-open
parcel of forks and spoons which lay in
the grass-Mrs. Pendexter's property
these, and careless enough of the girls
to leave them thus. But what did il
signify No spot on earth could be
safer than these summer woods under
the shadow of the New Hampshire hills.
This was my thought as 1 fell asleep.
/ was aroused by sound of voices which
even my locked senses recognized as un-
familiar. opened my eyes. Two men
were sitting on the ground close to me,
but half turned away. They were shah
billy clad; one in a velveteen coat and
rough corduroy trousers; the other,
whose clothes were dark, had red
handkerchief tied round his neck. This
man had thick beard, and wild, long
hair yelling pair of savage gypsy eyes.
But it was the 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 sudden fear, / lay quite still.
1t seemed the only thing to do. But,
oh, where were the girls I thought;
and what would happen if they came
back9
"Give us that there basket off, the
log I" were the first words 1 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. trembled lest its removal had
made me visible; but the girls had ar
ranged too artistically for that, and the
men seemed to suspect nothing. Ii
took only moment to empty the basket
which kind Mrs. Pendexter had taken
so much time to fill. Not bad find, u
said the SNUG man, turning over the
cold mutton and hard eggs, and speak
ing with his mouth full. "Vittle up,
partner. Mayn't have another chance
Lord knows when"
Partner" accepted the invitation
cordially. Our luncheon disappeared
down his throat in large morsels. +" Hal.
10 here is got" cried the SNUG man,
making sudden dive at The parcel OF
spoons and forks. He bit one of the
spoons with his teeth, rapidly counted
and dropped them into his pocket, the
other man looking on.
"Real Z" asked he of the red neck
cloth.
"No mistake. Eight of each. That.
twenty apiece. Stow away fast, or some
one'll be a-coming." hadn't supposed
that even wolf could "stow" faster
but at this warning the motion of tn,
jaws was accelerated. As the men ate
they talked. Their voices We're smoth
cred, but l caught now and then sen
tence.
"Dog? Darn the dog2 Easy silenc,
him."
Yes, but" Then l lost the con
text.
You're sure as to the bluntl"
"Saw it handed over-seventeen hun
dred and odd in bills. Took it home
with himl Why, of course, you fool
These farmer fellows don't hang tc
banks. 1 tell you he wants it handy tc
lift his mortgage, next week. Sure tc
be called for. Them Elkinses is always
on time. Very sharp gentlemen, El
linses are"
"Stash your gab," said the gypsy
"Folks coming. Offs the word. :"
The men jumped to their feet, list
ened second. One of them snatched
up 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. 1 heard the girls
voices drawing nearer, but the long ten.
sion of fear had left me so faint and
powerless that could not stir, not ever
when they came in sight and stood close
to me.
my isn't it warml" cried Esther
"Ahce, you look half baked. Sit down
and rest. Here is convenient old log. ,
She caught sight of the empty basket
which the men had flung aside, and