Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-01-27

Instead of the man she expected to
face, Hero, drenched with rain,
darted past her and crouched before
her on the broad stone hearth. Miss
Moore swiftly relocked the door and
knelt beside the dog, which looked
up at her mutely, with that express
sion of affection only seen in the
eyes of faithful animals.
You knew needed you, Hero !;
/ so you came back to me through all
this terrible storm"
The truth was that Tom Telford,
observing him following him, order
ed him to return. Hero stood up
and the rain dripping from him
made little pool on the white
hearth. Suddenly Hero's ears were
erected. He snuffed the air suspi-
ciously, while his mistress looked
curiously at him. Then he faced the
door leading into the hall. Without
IA word his mistress opened 1t. He
walked along the hall, his mistress
following with the lamp, until 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. She could
hear the scraping of a mans foot.
AS she looked at Hero, who now
stood erect,a creature with a mouth
and form as formidable as any lions,
his tremendous size increasing as he
bristled with anger, her mind was
made up instantly. Hero obeyed her
implicitly as she whispered to him:
"Lie there; don't let him in, He
70. Watch while l go for help"
Then Miss Moore thought quickly.
Could she go to Alton and return in
time =? Plummer was six miles away.
Alton but three. With Miss Moore,
to decide was to do. There was a
lull in the storm.
Catching up shawl she stepped
lightly into the rain, locked the door
behind her, put the key in her peck
ct, climbed over the rail Of the back
porch, and speed 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 less 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 compressed her lips as she tho't
of the girl she had left in Mooreland
House, and urged the mare on the
faster. The rain sprays, flying
against hor by ftfnl gusts. soaked
her shawl, over her hair; it fell down
in masses about her cheeks, almost
binding her, but her grasp on the
rein only frightened, and she encour-
aged her mare to do her best.
Through pools of water; through
mud, with lumpy sand, pebbles fly
ing as the mares heels spurned them
in her headlong course, thorough
bred mare and thoroughbred woman
defied the storm king, speeding on,
on to Alton, where help lay.
Meanwhile Hero stared steadily at
the door, which he could scarcely 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 understanding the delay, pro-
ceeded to force his way into the
house. He felt carefully for the key
hole, tried the knob, inserted a
SHELTON key, and after one or two
trials turned the bolt. Another mo-
ment, and he stood on the threshold.
That moment sealed his fate. He
was recoiling in dumb horror from
the Goals of fire that cleaned upon
him, when, with a bound like that
of tiger, Hero was on him, bearing
him INTERESTINGLY to the floor. In
In vain the robber strove to rise.
The dogs paw pressed upon his
breast, suffocating him. The brute
AYE, the brute was uppermost now
the brute's fangs were meeting in
his throat, his flawing breath over
powered and sickened the poor