The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-10-15

l -
haired rufian was sufficiently attracte
: to induce him 10 present his moon-lk
countenance at one Of the stable wiz
dows. 3
: Without heed to his frantic gesture
and loudly .shouted words, l fled back
the house and sank, nearly fainting, o
the chintz sofa, with both hands claspe
over my eyes.
II declare for t, though, that wa
real gritty" was Betsey's admirin
comment, as she hurried to bring th
camphor and red lavender to my res
cue.
mamma, will he kill usp" whispere,
Donald, who was timid child an
chung close to me.
"Shall I cut off his head with nv til
sword, mamma?' bawled Tommy, tn
+. irrepressible.
"Betsey," I cried, rousing myself II
the paramount necessity of not fainting
"place yourself at the window. Watcl
for passers-by-'
Yes, 'um."
"Explain to them our dreadful pre-
dicament," went on. "Summon hell
the instant it appears; and, above ali
keep every door and easement locked
and bolted, lest that fiend in human
shape should break loose and attack us
There's an old rifle upstairs in the gar
ret, isn't there, BetseyP" l added, Will
q sudden inspiration.
eyes, 'um," said Betsey; "but il
amt just in first-rate workin' order
I calculate"
"There isn't either stock nor lock to
It, mamma" chimed in Tommy. 81
loaded it with ashes, last week, and but
in pebbles for bullets, and it wouldn't
fire off worth cent?
"But there's the carving knife and the
potato-pounder, mamma" suggested
Donald.
looked at the clock. Only eleven!
It would be six hours, at the very near.
est, before my husband would return
from the city. Suppose was q
lonely and seldom-traveled neighbor.
hood, mere branch from the main thor
oughfare which traversed the valley like
. gigantic artery, and the hypothesis
was by no means so very unlikely as it
might seem-that there should be abso-
lutely no passers-by between that time
and this!
Z" Betsey," said I, 'sthis won't do. l
believe my hair viii turn white with this
terrible agony of suspense!"
"Ma'am?" said Betsey, who had the
Shakesperian faculty Of ''not marking
withal.' .
Either you or l must 60 for help,"I
uttered, very distinctly.
IF it wasn't for goin' right past the
barn-door, wouldn't mind, (" said Bet
sey.
"It's fastened, Betsey," l pleaded.
"But them there wooden buttons
doesn't amount to nothing" said Bet.
sey. "And only s'pose he jumps out at
me?"
Twas just about 10 reproach Betsey
with having none Of the elements of the
Heroine in her composition, when little
Donald, who had posted himself in the
garret-window to watch, came tumbling
head over heels into the room, with
Tommy close behind.
'Mamma! mammal" they shouted,
in chorus; "there's somebody com.
ing, and we guess it's Deacon Gadsley,
on horseback, riding back from the
train"
"Stop hint" ] gasped- ''for mercy's
sake, stop him!"
"He's a-makin' straight for the barn,
ma'am," said Betsey. who had stretched
the skinny length Of her neck further
out Of the window than dared to do.
!" He's heard that fellers hollerin'. He's
unbarring the big doors! Land o. lib
.e,ty!'-with long BREATH there
Comes the poor, crazy creetur out, with
. hop, skip and jump! Wal, II Deacon
Gadsley likes to risk It, I Wouldn't
II have heard Of instances" | said,
family, "where some one particular
individual exercises unbounded inilu.
ence over the mindo Of the insane, and"
At this moment, however, Deacon
Gadsley himself Knocked briskly at the
door. l made haste to open IL.
"Be 70 all crazy here!'' said the dea-
con, with broad smile upon his sun
burned countenance. 'sIf re Amt, what
In the name Of al creation possessed "
to shut up my son Hiram in the barnt"
: Your son Hiram!" / gasped, leebly.
"Was that your son Hiraml IL
thought il was-an insane man."
"W1atr" rosred Deacon Gadsley.
"Bstsey said that you shouted out, q
you rode By, Tell your mistress to call
the children in-there's an insane man
ii tho barn!'"
GOOD Js-fusalem!' - cried tho deacon.
slapptng biz knee, chow folks viii get
things twisted around! I never said no
such thing. What did ny wss, There's
: tame ldns6 IN tho barn. Two prom.
I'D one 70 than boys d yours, ever
dnce they came up here, and this morn.
IN our Hiram fetched 'em . regular lit
. oosDet. And there he 4, munchin,
CLOVER. down thers, With Hiram holdin'
o. 70 his rope. And you s'posed Il was
. crazy man! I'D, b, hs! Well. that
dos beat alt 10, no, ho!"
Tho deacon'D cachinaions echoed
Through my little parlor Ike the rover |
berataons q . thunderstoem. I looked |
rspeoacAiully q Bstsey, q ths primal !
OAnnA a. An fhA ,.anSN That L-.~1 4