The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-08-16

the lonely land, the lonely larn-nouSo'
and the two lonely women, the old man
appeared again at the kitchen door. ne
was old and chilleo and hungry. ALI
cia's heart smote her so hard this tlme
that she opened the door. She babe the
old man enter. She gave him 1000.
| She sent him up the ladder to the attic,
| for. in spite of the cous ms in Beacon
street, this was the simple g lift in
the country house, and then she and
| Hetty took away the ladder in prlue
/ and security. The old man was safe,
thank Heaven, and so were she and
Hetty and the money-box.
But the thought of the money-box
worried her. She looked under the bed
to see if it were all right. There is
something in the mere actof looking
under the bed that is dtsorganlz1ng to
the feminine mind. After Alicia had
! looked, she began to feel trifie tim
orous. She went out and listened at
the ladder-hole. The old man snored.
That sound should certa. My have en-
Outraged her, but it didn't
The combination of q snoring man in
the house, stranger, even though
manned and halt and a money-boX
under the bed, of all places, and
dlO cblebNh ebfASt NitNos :"
broken promise to ones husband; this
i combination was very disagreeable.
4 Moved by an irresistible impulse,
| Alicia took from a drawer a pistol be-
/ longing to her husband She had found
it accidentally but few days before in
an old trunk of his filled with bachelor
belongings. She was glad now that
she had moved it down from the attic,
Z where the old trunk stood in one corner
and the old man snored in another. The
sight of the pistol did not perhaps re-
store her courage, as she had hoped it
would, for she put it back with a
shudder, threw hasty glance around
the rooms, and with shrug at her own
fears went to the window, pulled up
the shade, and looked out. The moon
!, was struggling through the clouds; the
long line of roads leading past the
house up to distant mill shone out
white from between the dark fences on
either side Up on the hill, a quarter
of a mile distant, there was a moving
spot-some belated neighbor ON his
I way home t. the village probably.
! Alicia felt comforted. She wondered,
idly, who it might be. Squire Roberts,
! perhaps, coming from Widow Hobart's.
There was little doubt that that would
be match. though how widow could
! ever remarry! She shuddered, Their
! thought of Nathan, and smiled.
: Alicia stood at the window to watch
!, the neighbor pass. She had taker
down her hair, and 1t fell in long ie
I braid down her back. She looked very
. Young and girlish, and as she stood she
q hummed to herself-partly by way o
v keeping up her rising courage, dare
4 say-the quaint words of the old Scotch
e English, and which Nathan, being
# Scotch himself, was fond of:
n He rave his bridle-rein a shake,
n And turned him on the shore
With, Adeu for evermore, my love,
Adieu for evermore.
y BY the way, the spot on the hillsid
u was growing nearer and clearer.
y was not Squire Roberts, after all, bu
~ men on orse-baek three of them
:, The woman's country curiosity wa
!, piqued. Equestrians on a Massachu
7 sets highway at nine p. m. were an un
7; usual a sight as hobgoblins. As tn
y riders came nearer she saw they wer
y muffled in long black cloaks. A stra9
y cling moonbeam struck across thei
u faces. Great heavens! They wer
u masked.
!, ~ For second there was wild cor
3 fusion in Alicia's mind. The money
y box. the lonely housed These men ha
u come to rob the county in her hu'
y bands absence. Could she resist them
~ All!
10 Adieu for evermore, my love,
- Adieu for evermore.
he But then her thoughts grew calme
n she watched the men turn in at IL
It gate. They did not speak or look
I'D right or left. They rode in; they di
Lss mounted.
30 Alicia flew, first for Hetty, and the
ed both of them-women to the last-f
IT. the one man within reach. 1t was 8
le. the work of moment. Down can
at the old forlorn bit of male humanit
ia. To him appeals the young, live woma
IS; His BRAN seemed alive at least. I
ria grasps the situation. Daring thiev
are knowing of the husbands absence ha
he come fer tine strong box full of coun
rer money. There are three of them.
on Says the old man; "Have you
ian pistol"
is Yes" replies Alicia.
Nv. "Give it to me. Is that the box u
the der your bed?"
The eyes" replies Alicia again.
hat stAll this time the men have beat
sst, the door, but no word has been spok
aw by them.
"You must trust me- says the {
,rs' man.
nly YES replies Alicia bravely. It
/ or all she can do, even though he shol
ell, play her false.
yes. Light candle and bring me
md cartridges l will keep them and
lor- load your pistol if necessary. Sta
real here at the top of the stairs, so.
lust behind you. Blow out you cand
he'd Soon they will speak and ask to be
TO in. You must not reply They '
ned beat in the door, They will breal
IS open. There will be one man who '
Inc dart ahead up the stairs-the ri
and leader, you know. Wait until this n
ned, is within three steps of you. Wait a
rate | say Fire. then pull the trigger. I
.ia's man will fall. The others will run
ing that is, they may. 1t is our Q
ned chance. Do you understand itg"
iicia Eyes" replies Alicia again, in cl'
Sbe firm tone. All fear has vanished.