The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-08-22

now, and never had her eyes fallen on
anything like that before.
"I almost wish had the dogs with
me she said to herself with shudder.
"What a horrible looking man. I
thought the tramps were all gone"
More and more slowly walked Milly,
for, as the hideous human form drew
nearer, pair of blazing, hungry, Wild
beast eyes gloated fiercely and triumph
antly upon her through the matted locks
which hung from under the battered
felt on his head.
ga darter of his, I reckon" growled
the tramp. "It's all the same, anyhow;
some rich mans GAL"
A wild scream burst from Milly's
whitening lips, and she tried to spring
past him; but his long arm caught her
as she went by, and in an instant her
shawl was wound around her head.
"No more screechin'," growled the
hoarse, deep voice, though there's no.
body nigh enough to hear ye."
Nobody?
fallen so suddenly on the good horse
Gilbert Morse was driving, just beyond
the turn in the road?
A scream from vigorous lungs goes
far in frosty weather, and the whip fell
more than once.
Milly struggled hard, even in that
grasp of iron, but her strength was fail
ng fast, when wild, angry shout rang
down the road, and the tramp loosed
his hold for moment.
"Don't meddle, youngster," he began,
as fiercely plunging steed was pulled
up in furry of snow at the roadside.
The answer came from the loaded end
of a 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 his
knees.
Milly Van vleeck was free, and she
almost instinctively bounded into the
cutter.
There was no room to turn and Gilbert
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, Gil |" she exclaimed, show shall
get homer"
1.-THE saw. mill road," he replied;
"the track has probably not been bro.
ken. but the snow isn't Deep"
"Yes, but it has" said Milly. "They
were hauling logs, yesterday"
"Safe enough, then," said Gil. "But
amt ! thankful came along, just
then !"
"Did father tell you I was out this
way? 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. I
cannot stop at your house. Your father
has forbidden me. Something between
him and mine, about the election. When
we get to the gate you can 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 his Milly's all but fearful
pre- testations, for the sight of his daugh-
ter returning home in such company,
aroused old Squire Van Vleeck to the
uttermost
1t was even an aggravation that Gill
80 deftly pulled up just long enough for
Milly to jump out, and then raised his
bat so 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
romance at first.
But Milly had bruises to show, as we'll
as her torn shawl and disordered dress,
and in moment more the old man was
striding up and down the room like a
tiger in cage.
"On my own land! in my own woods!
My own daughter!" he gasped at inter-
vals; and then stopped in front of her,
with: " Did you say Gil Morse knocked
him DOWN."
eyes, father"
"And saved YEP"
"Yes, father; and he brought me
home in his cutter" ....
"And I drove him away like a dog or
tramp this very afternoon - roared
the squire. "Ill 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 almost 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 a sort to induce any
unusual quietude. .
His expected supper and evening at
Squire Van Weeks having been 80 un-
tremendously put out of the question,
his afterthoughts equally forbade an i'm
mediate drive home, for that would be
ten miles at least. ....... s..
just over the hill, and less than three
miles from the Van Vleeck homestead.
was a 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:
"Al, can you keep secret ?"
"Did, once" replied AL.
'Then lend me your shotgun" said