Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-19
"Howdy" fur him, though ye be'fghtin

o'i tias LIS Ia n conversational
a. WnnJ tha nvai Tennesseans
var 'vonIo,. IN Nybite Coiintv y
III IL Siarit al He thrmIS nva, bis sboulder
,.y,n,J and nno ~ tho man said that
meSuw 1 " n.,o Duo ot u,.e ,aei, o,,'
III. i'' tar nnV I,,nt ;, '''ioo az
,,ea .trai,,od unnatural, tone Jocl, Rrveo
Iohnr;o,siy read IN
i". :, n III ittIa' pon NAV. At niyht fur Won
bo rrnvod some fast niuht ontin his own |
he p'aStuIu SLY n'3 9ra,sd ,ba ',ona ord
,rn,,id dai;Ser d ND ~ from MI harm y
The ,nan's nvee were ulisteninu He
loI,trbod hmrr;ediv Int he coughed foo,
.nif ~ ni,',,rnda ,,bn knn,v Jerrv Mt so
minntn n sic seemed also acouainted with |
little Rem and said a "penrter younp one" |
had never stenned lie prnypd the GOOD |
Lord =, mid AK cr ,ddv from nil harm. ="
TocL nrvnc s1icrnnIv roicotnd ns he fold !
od tha iSttor Aud eilence foil unon the !
gronn
NH, .tr,r,,alv .oftenod vvos rising
ba ,,.n, ,n,inf1,, .li,,,ino a,vnv from The
window when no hernme suddenly aware
tbat there ,vern othnr stanithv figures in
th the sr,,oro tJo cow thrnugb TIC frosty
names The scored face Of The sentry, burst
mo into tho doorway with n tnrdv alarm.
There vyns rusb from the souare pistol
sbntS ron va" ot shnrn on tbe chill air and
the n,nimed man, conscious of his HELPLESS
nlipht. Unframed into the melee. fled as
host he MIGHT through the familiar in
tricocies Of The old h0tel-up the stairs,
throurh echoinp halls and rooms. and
down n long corridor till he pnused pant
inc md hroot biess in the door Of the old
hn7l roam
The rude. upholstered. whitewashed
walls wore iIlnmined nv the moonlight
for all down one side OF the long apart
ment the windows overlooking the gorge
were full Of the white radiance. and In
glittaring rhomboids il law upon the
iloor
lie remamberod sudfenlv that there WAS
no other means of egress' TO he found
here was certain cantIlre As he turned
to ref rnca His yynv he heard swift stems an
rrnrchin ''s MI by ih. sonnd IF his
tIipht one of thr surprised partv had fol
lu1yed him lurrd nv the hone of escnpe
There was evideniIy "A NOT pursuit in the
rear, Now and then the long halls rever-
berated with pistol shots. and a bullet
buried itself in the door as Jack bryce
burst into the room He stared aphast at
his old c0mr.de for an Instant Then as
he heard the ronid fnutfnlls the iinTle If
spurs. the clnlnor OF voices behind. him he
ran to one of the windows. He drew back
dismnyed by the sight OF the depth Of the
gorrc helny he was rnuvht ns in n
tran
Dick Scott could never account for the
insDiration Of the moment
At right angles with the loftier main
building n one.storv wing iutted ont and
the space within its gable roof and above
its ceiling which was on i, leyel with the
door Of H.. hal. room. wa. senorated from
that ,nortmcnt only Inv n ru,ln screen OF
boards
Dick burst one of these rough boards
loose nj the lower end and held If hack
with the left hand spared him, ~ - '''' =
"Tumn through. lack ~ he cried ont 10
his old enemy. lump through the plas-
ter o. the cciin' right hvar. The counter
i'm the bar-rOon down thar will baeak yer
fail y
Jack Bryce sprang through the dark ap-
erture. There was a crash within as the
plaster fell.
The next moment n bullet vhizyed
| through Dicks hat and tho ballroom was
astir with armed men md among them
Dick recognized other mOuutnineers old
friends and neighbors who had Joined the
"Ioyal Tennesspans -
II never would hev thaupbt We would
hey let Jack Bryce nit past We nrter the
way no treated We - one If thn,n roIn,rl nd
when the search had proved fntile
"Waal.n said Dick misernblv. ~ hain't
he'd much grit nohows srnre The surgeon
took Off nv arm -
HIS interlocutor looked curiously Mt the
| hole in his hat, pierced while he stood his
ground that another man might escaDe
Dick mad no nice sense of DISCRIMINATION.
| Hi. idea of courage was the onslaught.
He fingered among them iii they mount-
l
| the valley.
| Then rs he plodded Along the lonely
| viutry WAYS honlewarl he was dismnyed
! TO reflect upon his own useless. mai,ncd
| fe,-upon what he had suffered and what
| he had done
What allied me fer LET him off -, he ok
claimed in amaze. What allied me ter
help him Git away.-irs' account a. the
| word o. a Iyuthless brat. Fur me ter let
him Off when he'd my chance ter pay my
grudge SO slick"
| He paused ON the iapprd verge Of n Graz
and looked absenfIy aver the vast dim
landscape, bounded by the snowy ranges
about the horizon. Here and there mists
lowered above the valley. but the lonu
slant Of the moonbeaIns peryaded The
scene and fingered unon ita lonelinps.
with luminous melancholy. The translu.
cent amber sphere was sinking low in the
vaguely violet sky, and already the dark
SUBMITS Of the westward pines showed
HDr0us Sllilimer.
In the east great star was .quvering
most radlaht, most pellucld. lie gazed al
u Win sudden Wlstiulhess. Christina,
dawn was near,-and this was the herald
OF redemption. So well 1t was for him
that science had never invaded these skies
ms slhiPle Iaith Dehelu the star OF Beth
ienail lhat the wise men saw when they
iell down ana worshlpped. lie BROKE
rom ms moody regrets,-ah, surely, OF al
| the year this was the time when a child s
prayer should meet most gracious heed II
heaven shoulu most prevail on earth
His heart was stirred with n strange ant
, solemn thrill, and he blessed the impuls,
OF forgiveness for the sake of little
child.
a roseate haze had gathered about tn,
star deepening and glowing till the SUI
was in the east, and the splendid day
charged with the sanctities OF commend
ration with the fufilment Of prophecy
! with the promises of all futurity, cam,
ghttering over the mountains.
, But the sun was long way off, and it
| brilliancy made scant impression on thu
: intense cold Thus it was he noticed, a
he came in sight of home, that the cabiI
| door was ajar 1t moved uncertainty, We
E no wind stirred.
"Thnr's somobodv ,hint tho door ~ ba,
D seen me a-comin' m mir vain tnr ketcl
t me 'Chris'mus elf y he argnad ost,to
] " ''''''''
t No ,o..u .,i.,.
thra ioieS ~ uiil9 ne tooh devious pau
4 ~, thhaosn n Wy piusii, spIhiiR suu1ehiy upol
w.. Puivn' .hrus, III ms arm ana elutche'
E ~ Jne "I""rS purity aiiiouscaueu pehlhd IN
"ouri
tHTls mas ulIl ne shouted n