Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-04-24

corner See! There's % man under
the hedge looking up at the window.
There he moves. We must be after
him. Hello! Stop he crosses the
lane. He's coming into this very
house, Isl
T certainly did see a figure silently
steal across the road and disappear
under the doorway of the buildings
we were IN. But we had no light,
and we knew nothing of the arrange
ment}of the rooms. Another quarter
thrown off from the old church clock
warned us that the night was rapidly
passing away. We had almost resolv-
ed to retrace our steps ifpossible, and
get back to where we had left our I'M
fortunate horse, when I was again
nudged by my friends elbow. "Tell ye
what" he whispered, something's
going on; and he pointed to feeble
glimmer on the rafters Of the roof
above US. The light proceeded from
the next room, which had not been
built shove the height of the ceiling
ioists, so that the roof was common
to both chambers-the adjoining one
and that in which we were--the par
tition wall being only seven or eight
feet high. VS. could have heard
anything that was said, but we listen
ed in vain for the slightest sound.
The light, however, continued to
burn, We saw it Pickering across the top
of the habitation, and dimly playing far
up among the dark thatch Of che roof.
TELL ye what" said Tom. IF we
could get up to these old joists, we
could see into the next room. Hold my
pistol till I get up and--tell ye what
then I can shoot em easy"
"For heavens sake, Toni" I said,
'be careful. Let me see whether it is
the man." "Come up, then," said
Tom, who now bestrode one of the
main beams and gave me q hand to aid
me ascend. We were both on the level
of the wall, and by placing our heads
little forward, could see every portion
of the neighboring room. A miserable
room it was. There was small round
table, there were couple Of old chairs,
but utter Indebtedness was the charac-
teristic Of the cherries and fireless
apartment. There was person, appar-
emily regardless Of the cold, seated at
table and readin a book. The little Ia
per which had been lighted without any
noise, was only sufficient to throw its Il
| Elimination on the features and figure of
the reader, and on the palli1 features
but she was young and very pretty or the
! Is,fr nf fhn1 y,o1 am
threw such an interest around her that
I thought so. Her dress was very
scanty, and shawl wrapped closely
around her shoulders perhaps displayed,
rather than concealed, the deficiency Of
her clothing in other respects. Sud
denly we saw at the farther end Of the
room figure emerge from the darkness.
Tom grasped his pistol more firmly and
put the cock back, preventing it from
making any noise with has thnmb. Tae
man stood in the doorway, 80 if uncer-
tain whether to enter or not.
He looked for long time at the wom~
an, who still continued her reading, and
then silently advanced. She heard q
step, and lifted up her head, and looked
in his face without saying word. Such
face, so pale, so agitated, I never in
my life saw.
awe shall go tomorrow, he said; II
have got some money-as I expected. l"
And with these words he laid three
golden guineas on the table before her.
Still she said nothing watched his
countenance with her lips apart.
"Tell ye what" said Tom, "that's the
| r. IL
II don't know yet, till I see his eyes. !"
In the meantime the conversation went
on below.
1T borrowed these pieces from a
FRIEND" continued the man, as if in an
swer to the look she bent on him; "a
friend. I tell you. I might have had
more, but I would take only three.
They are enough to carry us to Liver
| pool, and once there, we are sure of a
passage to the west"
"Once in the west, the world is be-
fore us, can work, Mary. We are
young-a poor man has no chance here,
but we can go to America with fresh
hopes---"
"And good conscience?" said the
woman in a whisper like Lady Mac
beth's. The man was silent. At last
he seemed to grow angry at the steadi-
ness Of her gaze.
"Why do you look st me in that man
ner? I tell you we shall start to-mor.
row."
! "And the money!" said the wo.
man?"
II will send it back to my friend from
whom I borrowed it out of my first
earnings. I took only three in case it
should incommode him to lend me
more"
II must see that friend myself" said
Mary, "before I touch the money"
''Tell ye what! Is 1t the man?" asked
Tom. HUSH" J said; Hlet us listen I"
II recognized afriend Of mine in one
Of the clerks in the Melfeld bank. I
give you my word, + got the coins from
| him."
Tell ye what. He confesses," said
Tom. "Let us spring on him by sur
| prise-an ugly ruffian as I ever saw"
"And with that sum-" he continued,
! see what we can do. It will relieve us
from our distress, which has come upon
us-Mary, you know speak the truth
in this-from no other fault Of mine than
| too much confidence in treacherous
friend. can't see you starye. / can't
see the baby reduced from our comfort
able keeping to lie on straw at the end
of q barn like this. I can't do i'll
wontl"' he went on; getting more i'm
FASHIONED in his words. -.. -.5i.
AT whatever cost, I will give you a
chance of comfort and independence.