The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-18

surged back to NJ Id with it,
such an intolerabls e Eleanor's
danger, as gave win 10y feet.
don't know how roe Aem, or wha,
I said, but the time oo1d almost be
counted by seconds, before crowd Of
people, in every stage Of undress, and
grasping al sorts of weapons from rifles
to curling.irons, were trooping along the
corridor IS noiselessly as they might.
Alec Stuart sface-Isawinthel Ii ght ofthe
candles the frightened servants held
was whittier than Eleanor's had been
when I woke to find her bending over
me.
Just As the door crashed back under
Uncle Philips hand, we heard within a
sharp click, and . loud oath, in rough,
startling voice; and then we could see.
A man stood directly before the fire.
place, his figure outlined blackly against
the dying flame; 3 dark, low:browed,
crouching figure, across whose lowering
forehead IN ugly cut showed, from un.
der . pushed.up bandage; . figure
whose right hand clutched a
short sharp knife; its blade
flashed in the Pickering light.
His eyes were fixed in sort Of terrified
fascination on Eleanor, toward whose
bedside he had evidently been moving,
when, at the click Of her pistol, he had
raised his eyes, and stood paralyzed.
Eleanor was sitting upright in bed, her
long bright hair falling all about her,
her hand Il noticed, with the strange
strained interest in little, irrelevant
things we feel 50 often when we are in
pain or fear, how oddly that white
hand, and the light lace wrist.ruflling
above it, contrasted with its grim con-
tents!) firmly grasping her shining,
deadly little weapon. Her finger was on
the trigger; and her finger did not
tremble. That her aim was a good one,
the crouching figure, stopping midway
in its stealthy approach to the bed, did
not seem to doubt.
OF course that is all there is to tell.
After that it was only q momentsry
struggle of one man with many; and
then he was bound and taken away.
And Eleanor sent back the money Of.
fered her for his capture, to be used for
the benefit OF poor prisoners. "It was
horrible; it was like taking blood
money!" she said. Yes, of course it
was Burroughs; you knew that from the
first, did you not? He had been skulk-
ing about the outbuildings q day, it
seemed; and had taken advantage Of an
open door and en- empty kitchen to
find his way up to the great room he
supposed unoccupied. He had meant
to avsil himself OF the storm that night,
to make good his escape with whatever
small valuables in the shape Of trinkets
or plate he could lay his hands on.
And of course Eleanor tainted, when
the reaction from the intense strain
came? No, she did not faint, though
she turned q little weak and white. It
was l who tainted, when I realized her
safety, and saw Alec Stuart on his knees
ut her bedside, thanking God that no
harm had come to her.
While I was recovering consciousness,
l discovered that Dick Francis was chat.
ing my hands and calling me blessed
little heroine. remember feebly laugh
ing at the notion of person Of my re-
cent behaviour deserving that title. And
of course Eleanor married Alec Stuart?
OF course. And Dick and l ''stood up"
with them, as the phrase went in those
days; and ''stood up together twelve
month later, at the same altar-rail, only
this time hand in hand. Do you ever
see Eleanor Stuart now? My dear,
Eleanor went home to the High Coun-
tries long ago. Her life in this world
was not long, to have won such love,
and done such good and beautiful work.
And Alec Stuart followed within year.
He was man to do his whole duty to
the last; but think he must have been
glad when it was done, and he could 60
home to Eleanor.
And that is quite all my story. And
when you remember that, as said in
the beginning, it is the only adventure
that has befallen me in all my five-and.
fifty years, it does not seem much of an
after aldo you think it
does, my dears?-Galey's Lady's Book.