Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-02

some sign, two dark figures skunk past
her like the procession in a hideous
dream, and vanished through cellar
door, which she could have sworn she
had safely secured early in the evening.
Recovering her senses as fast as she
could, she hurried through the log
wet grass to the rescue of the two help
less girls in the old house.
II always knowed it would be SO"
she thought. "Oh, dear-oh, dear; it
seems as if my feet was weighted with
leadp'
Finally she stumbled in the tangled
Aower-beds; once she caught her ankle
in the down-hanging loop of an old
grapevine and nearly wrenched it out
of joint. But at last she reached the
green space in front Of the door, just as
it flew open and the two midnight ma
rauders came stumbling out, dropping
their lantern in their frantic haste.
"You foolv muttered the man who
had carried the light, "why didn't you
tell me there was man about the
place great, burly sailor, with cut
lass half as long as himself? You told
me the coast was clear!"
GAS I live and breathe,' whined
Mifton's hired man, II never knew of
the fellow; don't know how he came
there; 1 can't understand it at all;I-"
"Don't stand here foolingw savagely
uttered the other. 1.-THE whole neigh
borhood will be in an uproar directly.
Clear out! Through the shed is the
best placer
But Salina was too prompt for them,
Before they could escape she had Sc
curely locked and bolted both the shed
doors on the outside and fastened the
solid timber shutters of its solitary
window. And then she rushed to the
house and ran shrieking up the stair
way to where Abby and Fanny, with
streaming hair and shawls wrapped
around their shivering forms, stood on
the landing.
"Salina, what is it?" cried Fanny.
"What is it, Salina?" reiterated
Abby.
"We're all robbed and murderedw
screamed Salina. "That is, we would
have been, if it hadn't been for that
sailor with the cutlass. And how he
ever made his way into the house it
beats me to telll"
Abby and Fanny burst into hysteri-
cal laughter.
"It's the model" said Fanny.
"The lay figure dressed up as
sailor in old Deodatus Mifton's Sunday
clothes, with the rusty sword that be-
longed to the suit of armor," breathed
Abby, down in the library! We ar
ranged him tonight so that we could
begin to sketch him for our naval bat
tie scene early tomorrow"
"Well, never!" said Salina. al do
b'lieve he's saved our lives; they
thought he was alive and was half
scared to death. Now I'm agoin' to
ring the big bell for help"
And rusted bell, which had hung
out of the window for half a hundred
years, ready to be rung in some such
possible emergency as this, presently
flung forth its deep-toned warning in
the silence of the November night,
pulled by Salinas energetic arms.
Aid arrived in a marvelously short
period of time. The two burglars were
arrested and put in safe keeping until
they could be committed to prison.
Old Squire Milton, who was more
amazed than any one else at the novel
accomplishment developed by his hired
man, remained at the lonely house all
night to protect the two young artists,
and laughed very heartily when he
saw the naval dummy which had
served SO good turn in frightening
off the cowardly thieves.
George Clifford resolved not to leave
his sisters alone again until the re-
moval to the New FORK fiat was an &C.
complished fact. AS for Salina, she
had now valid excuse to traverse the
whole house with lantern two or
three times night whenever she
pleased, and to set up Watchdog and
burglar alarm.
at was very narrow escape" said
Salina, "and there's no tellin' when it
may happen again"
HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
On every farm there are some poor
a.nAC Of .rro,,nd n al, x,,o,,IJ 10 l.,