Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-01-25

fection only seen in the eyes of faith


fection only seen in the eyes of faith
full animals.
"You knew I needed you. Hero; so
you came back to me through all the
terrible Storm"
The truth was that Tom Telford,
observing him following him, ordered
him to return. Hero stood up and the
rain dripping from him made a little
pool on the white hearth. Suddenly
Hero's ears were erected. lie shifted
the air suspiciously, while his mistress
looked curiously at him. Then he
faced the door leading into the hall.
Without a word his mistress opened
it. He walked along the hall, his mis-
tress following him with the lamp, un-
til they stood opposite the door leading
to the kitchen, the door of small
apartment, seldom used, and then
Miss Moore paused. Hero's eyes
glowed like Goals Of fire. There was
some one in the room. Shecould hear
the scraping of mans foot. AS she
looked at Hero, who now stood erect,
creature with mouth and form as
formidable as any lions. his tremen-
dous size increasing as hebristled with
anger, her mind was made up instant
ly- Hero obeyed her implicitly as she
whispered to him:
"Lie there; don't let him in, Hero.
Watch while 60 for help"
Then Miss Moore thought quickly
Could she 60 to Alton and return in
time? Plummer was six miles away;
Alton but three. With Miss Moore,
to decide was to do. There was lull
in the storm.
Catching up a shawl, she stepped
lightly out into the rain, locked the
door behind her, put the key in her
pocket, climbed over the rail Of the
back porch and sped noiselessly to the
stable. To her practiced hand there
was nothing difficult in saddling her
mare in the dark. The next minute
her voice was soothing her mare. In
lest than three minutes she was on the
mares back and ready. Then away
through the darkness and rain to
Alton. The wind sobbed and moaned
over The hills; the rain blinded her
eyes. but Marian Moore only COM
pressed her lips as she thought OF the
| girl she left in Mooreland house and
urged her mare the faster. The rain
sprays, flung against her by fitful
| gusts, soaked her shawl, her hair: it
fell down in masses about her cheeks,
almost binding her, but her grasp on
the reins only frightened as she encour-
aged her mare to do her best.
Through pools Of water; through
mud, with lumpy sand pebbles flying
as the mares heels spurned them in
her headlong course, thoroughbred
mare and thoroughbred woman defed
the storm-king, speeding on, on to At
ton, where help lay.
Meanwhile Hero stared steadily at
the door, which he could barely see in
the dim light that CLEANED from the
dying embers of the wood fire. Then
his ears pricked at the sound outside.
The man outside the house, not under
standing the delay, proceeded to force
his way into the house. He felt care
fully for the key-hole, tried the knob,
inserted skeleton key, and, after one
or two trials, turEei the bolt. An
other moment and he stood on the
threshold. That moment sealed his
fate. He was recoiling in DUN b horror
from the Goals Of fire that cleaned upon
him, when, with bound like that of
a tiger, Hero was on him, bearing him
INCREASINGLY to the floor. In vain the
robber strove to rise. The dogs paws
pressed upon his breast, suffocating
him. The brute fangs were meeting in
his throat, his flaming breath over
powered and sickened the poor wretch
ben cath him, who knew that death
was nigh, yet the Pickering hope that
waits on the last breath animated him.
Bleeding, torn, mangled, he gathered
his wandering strength and made one
last effort to hurl the dog from him.
He grappled the beast by the throat,
managed somehow to draw forth a
slender blade, with which he aimed a
blow blindly at the dog. When Hero
lifted him up slowly from the floor
and. as his blazing eyes shone fullupon
! his victim, he shook him slowly. AS
the man felt himself moved from side
to side with the dogs fangs in his neck
and heard that awful crunching, he
beat the floor wildly with his hands.
| AS for Hero, lie continued to move
his huge head slowly from side to
side, backward and forward, draw
ing his victim hither and thither at
! will.
On the edge Of Alton. at the foot Of
the hill, lighting the way for travellers,
stood the village inn. The villagers
to this day tell how, while Tom Tel
ford sat beside blazing fire, talking
to the landlord, surrounded by the vii
lagc blacksmith, the village doctor and