The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-06-29

as the latter hurried past her in search
of remedies for scalds.
"Auntl aunt! there are two more of
them Seew
Miss Abigail looked out of the win
dow, then back at her mother, and stood
stock-still in genuine despair; then,
inspired with momentary strength by
the sight of the open wash-room door,
which they had not thought of shutting,
she hastened to close it, and hoisted the
beam again.
"That's no good" she said, hurriedly.
Here, Mollie, come and help me move
this secretary against the door. Mercy
on us, child, don't stop to be frightened
nowl" she added, as Mollie approached,
shaking in every limb with terror. Now
close those inner blinds, SO they
can't see in, and shut the sitting-room
door"
A fresh groan from the cellar, elected
by Grandma Richton's means, which
caused Bridget to suppose that the whole
household was being murdered, did not
add to Mollie's comfort. Miss Abigail,
having poured liniment hastily over
Grandma Richton's scalds, hurried up
stairs to watch the movements of the
approaching enemies. She and Mollie,
crouched behind the yellow curtain at
Uncle Prices chamber window, peered
forth. The men had reached the back
garden wall, over which they were leis-
urely climbing. They were rough-look-
ing, and evidently bent on depreciation,
for they occasionally paused to help
themselves to windfalls," and once
shook a pear-tree and filled their pockets
with the fruit with GOODNESS that caused
Miss Abigail silently to take down the
gun and hold it at arm s-length as she
brought it to the window.
ooh, Aunt Abigail, take carel 1t II
go OFF, exclaimed Mollie.
&c mean it shall, if they do much
MORE" rejoined the spinster, turning
the gun around with gingerly care.
You'd better get out of the way, Mol
lie. / might hit you just as like, or the
thing might explode. 1t hasn't been
used for years"
"You ought to keep hold of some
thing when you fire it" suggested Mol
lie, from the other side of the bed. at
will kick and throw you down. Guns
always do"
They're trying the back-door," an
nounced Miss Abigail, in an excited
whisper. "They only knocked once. l
wonder if those robbers in the cellar be-
long to the same set. They're shaking
the door, the villiansp
Two or three loud knocks sounded
through the house, and then the men
tried the nearest window; finding that
fast, another and yet another, while
Miss Abigail watched them from above
with fast-growing anger; they then
took leisurely survey of the house,
evidently undecided what to do next.
" l wish could hear what they are
saying" said the spinster, vexedly. al
heard all gone to church, The one in
the red shirt said it. expect they'll
get battering-ram next. "Pll keep
still as long as / can"
Instead of proceeding to any extreme
measures, however, the men lighted
couple of pipes, during which operation
they more than once laughed uproar-
iously. They afterward made circuit
of the house, tried every window, in
Guiding those in the sheds, and shook
the door vigorously; meanwhile Miss
Abigail and Mollie followed their course
through the chambers, the former still
carrying the gun. Having come back
to their original starting point, they
held another consultation, after which,
to the amazement of the watchers, they
went off to the barn.
"Pd like to know what that's for !"
CALCULATED Miss Abigail, at her wits end
" They'll steal the other horse, or else
they Ii get something and break window
up here and there's no knowing what
those men down cellar are about"
All was quiet for time, the stiffness
being only broken by the groans of
Grandma Richton. The intruders were
nowhere to be seen. Finally, Mollie,
accommodating from an attic window, dis
covered that they had entered the corn
barn by means of rear window, had
opened the door, and were sitting upon
two barrels smoking.
Mercy on usw exclaimed Miss
Abigail, glancing at the clock and then
sinking into a chair. "Here it's ten
minutes of twelve o'clock and Jonathan
and Marthy coming home, without a
thought of what's happened. Jonathan
1l~drive right round that corn barn as
sure as fate, and into the barn. THEY'LL
be laying in wait for him. They're
setting just where they can see the whole
length of the road, and they mean to do
the sly. They'll murder him and go off
with the plumber in our wagon-that's
alp
Mollie's cheeks grew paler yet.
But, aunt, you know we can rush
out an warn him when he's at the foot
of the hill; and he'll have Uncle
Nathan's pistols"
"Not he! l never knew Jonathan
Price to do thing the way he said he
was going to; and he's an old man-no
match for those two wretches. They
just mean to kill him and then have
their own way. There, they've shut
the corn barn door. told you So"
1t did seem mysterious that the two
men should have shut themselves in the
corn barn. Miss Abigail needed no fur
Their evidence of their evil intentions.
" Mollie," she said, solemnly, there's
only just one thing to do. You must
run across lots and meet Jonathan, and
tell him to bring two or three of the
Clark boys home with him. We've got
the Sc people in the cellar to dispose of.
Tell them to hurry, for if Bridget isn't
dead already, she's pretty near that. I'd
go myself, but l can't leave you here
alone. Pll let you out the front-door, and
you can kind of creep along behind the
walls"