, 1882-02-17

shall shn. the Office soon"
This was a lie but inmv pressing need
| did not hesitate. The man impressed
me unf.Worablv. Short. stout. roughly
and almost raggellv clothed, with a
heavily bearded face. and A thicklv
matched head. coarse. rourA hands. A
reddish nose and sharp. haNky eyes. he
appeared like tramp: and a tramp |
dreaded.
For few moments he crouchai before
the fire in silence, while [. growing more
and more nervous. slvly drew the table.
drawer omen. so that nv pis.ol was with.
in reach, and tappeL incessnntlv with
the kew of nv instrument Without, the
rain fell in sheets, tine roar of the thunder
shook the air. and the sulphurous glare
of the lightning at times dimmed both
my lamp and tue fire.
"Anv chopin nigh about this,
miss"
The question startled me.
ANY what?" said T shortly.
Amy choppin'-wood cuttin'. I'm a
chopper by trade. nm I want work
THOUGHT I might oct it on th, roal, Nv
axes outside now" he added in a lower
tone.
His axel
At the words n sudden chill went
through me: Il blood.colored mist
seemed to rise before nv ewes: I felt nv
ewes ouiyerinq, and. written in the yery
air, appeared the horrible sentence:
"The unknown murderer is still nj
lsrger
This SLAYER of children. this fiend of
the axe. was mt nv iresidel
ought to have tainted. In justice to
my sex | should have done so; but did
not. To faint, to waver even, meant
death. The table was between us, his
terrible weapon outside and my pistol
close at hand. If but kept my wits,
the chances were in my favor.
The man looked at me curiously. | re-
membered his question.
"No-yes," 1 stammered. "There's
chopping at Buckthorne-work, /
mean"
Nom, not fer me!' he replied,
quickly. I've just come from Buck
horne"
He was surely the one.
l slipped my left hand into the drawer
and grasped the revolver. If he stirred I
would shoot him as he sat.
But he did not stir-only watched the
great flames leap and roar about the log
in the chimney as the prairie wind
above shouted to them-only bowed his
head lower and still lower, until his
heavy locks fell and swayed, a fringe of
black between his luddy face and
the more ruddy fre-only dozed, but
never stirred.
And as watched him. wondering
meantime, if I must thus sit until day,
dawn a SLIGHT noise attracted me. There
was a soft football at the door, and then
Il onened and with a little moan. an
other visitor entered-a woman,
with a clad crv T greeted her md
onickIv thrnsting NV weonon info NV
nocket T arose to meet her. She ad-
yanced, almost staggering,
cob for the love Of heaven" she
cried give me shelterI T am lostp
caught her in nv outstretched arms
or she wonld have fallen. The chopper
snrono from the bench.
"9erel Sit herr" he said quickly. and
his gruff voice was softer. Poor thing p
Together we placed her before the
glowing fire. She was weak, and almost
Unconscious. but together we chafed her
hands. and dried her wet and bleeding
feet and ut last her great ewes opened
again.
'sWhere am 70" she said. YEARLY look
inc abont her.
SSafe nv dear madame" replied.
sooth;n1lv USafe with mo Tbis ia
telepranh office, in Centerton."
"TelegraphP WhereP To whom?"
she cried starting nm wildly her great
ewes cleaning with a strange fire: then
She paused. with her hands at her head,
"Ob 7 am 40 wearyl so wearvl T beg
YOU let me restr' and sank again TO her
seat.
"Surely, Won NAV rest-rest all night.
IL Won will" said I. full of svm patby: