Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-15

I could be murdered in this lonely
place.
looked at the woman. Her face
was broad and stolid, and she was look
ing sharply at me from under beetling
brows, with little, beady, black eyes. l
glanced with sinking heart at the dog.
His head was stretched out between his
huge paws, his eyes, red and horrible,
gazed at me most steadily. 1 shud-
dered.
as it afraid of the dog ye are,
ma'am? All. thin. niver fear. Sure
he'll not touch We urless I give the
word, and thin I'd not give groat for
yer life. All, he's good dog, is Rory.
Perhaps ye'd like to know how that
same dog saved me life, ma'am?"
And then, not waiting for an answer ::
Ye see this is the only place of the
kind for three miles round, and 1 does
o nice little business here. But Satur-
day is me day. I gives a nice little
lunch of chowder, and bread and cheese,
and that brings 'em all here. You may
be bound I rakes in nate little pile OF
silver.
"Well, one Saturday night, after a
roaring business, / closed me house at
u o'clock, as is ME custom, and then
went up to ne little room under the
roof to count me money. We wouldn't
think there was room up there, would
ye, ma'am? Well, there is, thin. It's
little enough, but it's there, with lit
tie windie and a shed under it that
slopes nearly to the ground, Well, l
seated meself at q little table, and l
took out me money. I put the dollars
(there wasn't many of them) by them
selves, the half dollars by themselves,
the quarters by themselves, and SO on.
"Well, there it was, all out on the
table, shinin' most beautiful, when
holy mother of Moses! what should I
see en- the floor forninst me, but a mans
shadow! / turned, and he clntched
me. He was strong man, but l am
strong woman, and a desperate one then,
too. I had worked long and hard for
that money, and 1 fought for it. 1 was
holding me own pretty well, when the
comb fell out of me hair. Down it
come, and before We could say Jack
Robinson, that villain twisted his hand
in it. He pulled me head back, l saw
the CLEAN of knife, and just closed
me eyes and put up little prayer to
the Virgin, and in that instant there
came crash of glass, a rushing sound,
and that dog had me gintleman by the
throat.
"Well, ma'am, I held on to the hand
that held the knife and called 'poiceH
and for once they came when they were
wanted. And that mans in the peni-
Tertiary now, serving out q term OF
years. But tell me, ma'am-was it the
Virgin, think you, sent Rory?"
81 have not the slightest doubt of it.
And now, my good woman, am very
grateful to you for the seat at your
warm fire, and if you will allow me to
give you trife you will please me very
much. Unfortunately, I have but
small amount with me. See," opening
my portemonnaie wide-"only 80 cents.
You are quite welcome to half Of it."
She came and looked in the porte
monnaie as I held it open, one of the
Unlocking men in the adjoining room
slouching to the door and looking also.
She took the money. snapped her
fingers again, and the huge beast arose
and left the threshold clear.
With beating heart I left the room,
and once more stood free and IN
harmed but in Gods pure sunlight and
fresh air.
And now was I in any danger, I won
der, or did I only imagine their faces
were sinister and their actions strange?
Well, shall never know now, for [ have
no desire to visit the Four Corners again
in order to ascertain.