American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-05-25

saw that there were enough of them to
overpower the men in the house, even
if they were awake and armed.
"My room was separated by long
corridor from my uncle's. cropped for
the door, my teeth chattering with cold,
when the freight, flashing up below,
showed me sight which held mo mo-
tionless.
"They were already in the house
The kitchen was full of sturdy fellows,
all armed, their frieze coats covered
with snow, their faces swathed in black
cloth.
"The kitchen was separated from the
house by long passage. They made
no effort to keep quiet, therefore, but
began to drag out the provisions, talk
ing loudly, and in their natural voices.
AS yet they had not seen Kit or Patsy.
The idiot lay sound asleep on the warm
hearth, but Kit. had raised his head, and
his keen, pale face turned quickly from
one to another as they spoke.
"'They'll murder him!' 1 thought,
but my lips were glued together with
terror. Kit, helpless as a dead man,
was cool and calm.
"'Be jabers,' said one, .weM hey
somethiu' to ate, before we 90 fur the
build mans money! 1 didn't know how
near starved was afore, but the sigh,
of this mate makes mo sick
"'Ye're fool, Pat Grady. There.
enough silver In his chest to kape us for
a year! Howly Mother, what's hereP
as another fash Of fire light showed the
coffin.
elm here, Michael Crawford said
Kit, quietly. ITS you, is it, that kerr
ries on this workP'
: s.'How dar you call ME nAmep blus-
tered the rufiian, changing his voice.
Pm no Crawford he added, with q
terrible oath.
"'I know you. And you, Pat Grady.
And you, Robert Flynn. There's not
one of you couldn't name, and bring
to the gallows tomorrow
"O'Grady sprang at him with smoth.
cred yell, brandishing knife.
exits face turned CHASTITY pale. Life,
suppose, was as dear TO the poor frag-
ment OF man as it is to you or me-
But his eyes never blanched.
eyed murdher me, Patrick Grady
Me?'
"The knife shook In the murder
hand. I'D murdher nny informer,
said the tnah, sn1lenly.
"'I'm no informer. I'll never open
my lips, boys, on this nights work, j
it's The last. But if you touch . hair Of
the Squire's head, or 60 in the house ar
inch, I'll hang every man of yeesi'
"He raised his corpse-like head, and
shook his skinny hand at them. I've
been in many battle, but I never saw
such desperate courage as was shown by
this cripple in his coffin. The idiot
Patsy, reused by the noise, scrambled
to his knees, and stared terrified about
him.
1.-THE men stood paralyzed. The
superstition which taught them to pro-
tect these two helpless creatures wa,
strong enough to hold them motionless,
even in the face of Kits threats.
"'Make an end of it!' growled Craw-
ford. Put bullet in his SKULL
"Not man moved. Kit, with ter
rible effort, raised himself higher in his
coffin.
"'Come, an do it yerself, Michael
Crawford! Kill the cripple and the
innocent, if ye dare. There's mightiel
One that's watching yell pointing sud.
denly to the stormy sky, seen through
the open door.
"The men stared at him, and at the
driving storm, with visible terror,
Michael began to whine, after the fash.
ion of his class.
"sYe know ye're safe, Kit; an it's
not an informer ye'd be, that's sler
undher our roof, an dhrunk wild us?'
"sI1l never mintion yer names, il
yees let this be the last ov it. Take that
mate wild yees, an two of the fiitches
I'll make it right wild the Squire. He
never let hungry man go from his
dure.'
"'Thrue fir you. No more he did
Fore the Howly Mother, wen &c
straight home.'
"They'll rob the next house, said
Kit, dropping back exhausted. But
did the best could
He was right. By daylight came
the news that they had attacked the
house of a wealthy gentleman neal
teEn, who was prepared for them
F11pswas desperate fight; the ring
leaders were arrested, tried, and hung
and the band broken up. Then l tolo
my uncle how the poor cripple and in
nocent, whom he had taken in from
charity, had protected him, as no arm
could have done"
The Majors story brought forth many
criticisms from the children. But Ton
came up behind him, and said, quietly
"I think r understand the moral o
Kits life, sir, and 1 will try to apply
it."-Youth's Companion.
~ n