The Lake County star., 1877-04-05

| ugnl ieet WAS hoe mofo inuOcent or zeal
less.
A man in the road
1t might be Jake, her fathers sawmil
hand, or it might be one of the farm-boys
or it might be neither. Why should sh
care?
And yet, as the man drew nearer, Mill,
walked more slowly, and her heart begal
to beat, she could not have told why
She could see him more distinctly now
and never had her eyes fallen OF
anything like that before.
almost wish had the dogs will
me-" she said to herself, with shudder
"What horrible loking man I though
the tramps were all gone!
More and mole slowly walked Milly
for, as the hideous human form drew
nearer, a pair of blazing, hungry, wild
beast eyes gloated fiercely and triumph
antly upon her through the matted lock
which hung from under the battered fel
on his head.
GA darter of his, reckon" growlet
the tramp. "It's all the same, anyhow
some rich mans gal"
A wild scream burst from Milly'
whitening lips, and she tried to sprinl
past him; but his long arm caught he
as she went by, and, in an instant, hel
shawl was wound around her head.
"No more screechin" growled the hoarse
deep voice, "though there's nobody nigl
enough to hear ye."
Nobody?
Then why was it that the lash hat
fallen 80 suddenly on the good horst
Gilbert Morse was driving, just beyont
the turn in the road?
A scream from vigorous lungs goes fal
in frosty weather, and the whip fell
more than once.
Milly struggled hard, even in that
grasp of iron, but her strength was fail
ing fast, when wild, angry shout rang
down the road and the tramp loosed his
hold for moment.
"Don't meddle, youngster," he began,
as a fiercely plunging steed was pulled
up in a furry of snow at the roadside.
The answer came from. the loaded
end of whip, square between his eyes.
A thinner skull might have been
cracked by it, and, even on his brazen
forehead, the blow brought him to bis
knees.
Milly Van Week was free, and she
almost instinctively bounded into the
cutter.
There was no room to turn, and Gil
bert Morse gave his trotter the reins, for
he saw the tramp was feeling among his
rags for something which might have
danger in it. He longed to stay and
finish his work with his loaded whip,
but there was Milly.
"Oh, Gill" che exclaimed, show
shall I get homer
"The sawmill road" he replied; "the
track has probably not been broken, but
the snow isn't Deep"
eyes, but it has," said Milly. "They
were hauling logs yesterday"
"Safe enough, them" said Gil. "But
amt / thankful l came along, just
then"
"Did father tell you / was out this
way? l knew you would come to see me,
first thing. And how you have i'm
proved"
Milly's excitement was taking form
that could not be unpleasant to her COM
panion; but deep cloud was settling on
his face, Notwithstanding, and she
checked herself suddenly to ask him:
"But what can be the matter? He
did not hurt you, did he?"
"No, but your father has, Milly. 1
can not stop at your house. Your faith
er has forbidden me. Something between
him and mine about the election.
When we get to the gate, you get out
and go in. Perhaps he'll get over it
soon, and don't want to make him any
worse, just now."
A wise young man was Gilbert Morse,
in spite of Milly's all but fearful pro-
for the sight of his daughter
returning home in such company
aroused old Squire Van Vleeck to the
utmost.
1t was even an aggravation that Gil
so deftly pulled up just long enough for
Milly to jump out, and then raised his
hat 80 politely to her father as he drove
away.
So choked with wrath, indeed, was the
bitter old man that he could not find
words to express himself, and, before he
had recovered his utterance, Milly was
rapidly recounting to her mother her
awful peril from the tramp, and the gal
liant manner in which she had been res
cued by Gilbert Morse.
The squire could not help listening,
although it seemed good deal like
at first.
But Milly had bruises to show, as we'll
as her torn shawl and disordered dress,
and in a moment more the old man was
striding up and down the room like
tiger in cage.
ion my own land In my own
woods Ny own daughter! he gasped,
at intervals; and then stopped in front
of her, with: "Did you say Gil Morse
him DOWN."
eyes, father"
"And saved ye3"
eyes, father; and he brought me
home in his cutter"
"And ] drove him away like dog or
q tramp this very afternoonl" roared
the squire. "Tll drive them all away.
I'll shoot 'em on sight. They'll burn me
out of house and home next"
Milly's mother had her arms around
her, almost hysterically. but her excite
ment was calmness itself compared to
the all but ludicrous frenzy of the old
man.
Lack Of love for his own had never
been charged upon him, whatever were
his other faults.
The events of the afternoon had not,
moreover, been of sort to induce any
unusual quietude in the blood of q young
fellow like Gilbert Morse.
His expected supper and evening at
Squire Van Weeks having been 30 un-
ceremoniously put out of the question,
his after-tboughts equally forbade an i'm
drive home, for that would be
ten miles at least.
Just over the hill, and less than three
miles from the Van Vleeck homestead,
was pleasant country hostelry, and
there Gil naturally betook himself for
supper and horse-care.
This attended to, he said to the land
lord, an old acquaintance
Gal, can you keep q secretG"
"Did, once" replied AL"
/" Then lend me your shotgun" said
Gil. and. with the reaueat he added An