Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1879-12-25

ship in substantial ways. A great
heap of fire. wood was mysteriously
deposited within easy reach the first
night. Bags Of -four, quantities of
coffee and sugar, whole ham, and
quarter of fresh venison ikew Sc made
their appearance from some unex-
planned source the third morning.
Little was seen of the recipient of
these treasures, however. She had
only been on the street once, and then
only to purchase a few necessary ar
ticles. Upon that occasion she met
the reverential gaze Of score Of
ioungers and turned her head away,
pretending not to see, when Jovlal
Bill Carter smuggled huge package
Of candy into the child's capaclous
rocket. But aside from that she had
remained hidden from view, and the
miners knew as little about her on the
fourth day as they had on the first.
The twenty. third Of December WAS
unusually cold, even for that locality
As the frozen moon came ur over
distant crag, cutting with chilly hands
the dusky gloom, one might have fan
cied that he had suddenly been trans
planted into the Arctic regions. The
ground was covered with tain layer
of snow, which gIstened like bur
nished silver in the pale light. Here
and there along the sides Of the gulch
Of giant pines, standing like ghostly
sentneis threw spectral shadows
across the white expanse. The roar
cf Potato Creek, wrapped IN tbs icy
arms Of winter, was subducd to tiny,
muilled trickI1ns. And the wind,
gently signing through the passes,
played mollau melodies among nee
dies of pine and taS&els of heInlock.
In the main apartment OF the Mag
noia saloon, a party Of the boys were
sitting around table, upon whIc h
steamed large bowl, emitting fra
grant and aromatic odor.
"Whoever she mougLt be, observed
tall AMI rather angular parsonage
known to bis companions AS Long
Tom whoever she mought
be, she's alone, barriu that KID, and
unpertected beSi les. She's sick ly, 100,
and orter hev doctor. This ain t no
sort Of a place for a--a-inverld he
concluded, hesitatingly, removing his
heavy boot from the table and help
INC himself to liberal allowance of
the puch. Then, after a pause, he
continued: 81 wonder what ails TIE
ctitter, anyhow"
"a mans at the bottom Of it, gen
tlenen, YOU hear me, observed Jud 5e
Gashwlller from the other side of the
table, nodlinS conviction at each Of
his hearers in turn. "Take my " ord
for it, thers q man in it, as there al
lers is in any deviltry as robs some
poor woman cheek Of its bloom, and
her eye Of its light
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
! But when his round pate gIistend
. rom the effects OF good punch, and
his theme was woman, he was thought
, by the men of Mud Flat to have few
, equals. Therefore the little party
seated around the table were c)nsld.
! erably startled when, just as their IA
yorte orator had thurst his right
hand into his breast as a preparatory
gesture leading to more extended
tribute to the sex, Long Tom Rollins
leaned forward and exclaimed
IS See here, old man. How 40 you
o know all this?
e For a moment everybody was
e aghast. Whether they were aston
t ished at the suddenness of the inter-
t ruption, or at the halt-savage tone of
IS the speaker, or whether it occurred to
|. them that the Judge might possibly
j. have so far overstepped tie bounds OF
= prudence as to haye attempted "pnm-
d ping" the interesting stranger, may
Y never be known. But it is certain
that they were astounded into silence
$ Even Judge Gashwilder was observed
!. to lose his usual presence OF mind For
|. an instant his naturally serene coun-
r tenance wore an expression winch III
another would have been mistaken
for guilt. If the confidence which
!, the others had always placed IN b m