The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-08

4
checked motion began again, and turned
her horses head toward home.
! If Miss Allison lives hundred years,
she will never forget that drive. Now
that she was free from the companion
ship of desperate character, and behind
pair of thoroughly broken, swift paced
horses, with TOMS revolver really loaded
beside her, and not one chance in ten
thousand of wanting it, she was fright
ened. The air was full of starshine; in
the east faint white glow just indicated
the coming dawn. The awfulness of the
night oppressed her beyond endurance.
She cried all the way home, sobbing con-
vulsively while she embarrassed her
ponies and restored everything to order;
after which, with her cold little feet in
the stove-oven, she drank cup of still
hot coffee, and then went to bed and to
sleep, where Tom found her at o o'clock
the next morning.
A month later Tom wanted that coat
and hat, and failing to find them, raised
the usual masculine whirlwind about
their disappearance.
molly Allison, you're responsiblel If
the country produced image-venders, l
should say you had been making a
tradel"
She shook her head, but with the color
mounting in her face.
"Trampsl" he said, accusingly; and
poor Molly shuddered to think how
much, much worse it really was. "You
wouldn't like it, I dare say, if / should
frocks and things" he grumbled, trying
to
He came back from the station that
night with news.
Visitors coming, Molly"
"Who and when?"
"Rob Mckenzie. You don't know
Rob. He was classmate of mine. He's
coming next week to spy out the land.
haven't heard of him since came out
here"
Rob Mckenzie alighting at the small
sunny signal station one day in the next
week, found stylish apparition in white
dress and pretty garden hat waiting on
the platform.
you are Mr.. McKenzie?" pleasant
voice said. Il am Mary Allison. Tom
sprained his ankle last night and couldn't
come"
Mr.. Mckenzie seemed rather a quiet
young man. Miss Allison drove her
ponies and chartered away in the umre-
strained delight of having stranger to
talE with-or rather to-and some one
fresh from the good times that seemed
dcubly good in recollection.
IT suppose everybody here shoots more
or less. Are you an expert with fire
arms, Miss AlIison?"
They were sitting within-doors in the
slight chill of the October evening. Tom
answered for her.
Molly says she can, but 1 don't be-
heve it. An awful little coward Is
Molly"
as sheY' quietly. 1 shouldn't think
it."
Somebody opened door incautiously,
and in the strong draft the light went
out. 1t was Mckenzie who relighted
it, and in the faint glow he bent over re-
kindled lamp his face came out with an
odd effect against the dark background.
"Oh, my?" in a gasp from Molly's cor
ner.
Mckenzie turned toward her as the
lamp famed up. She was staring at him
with wide eyes full of perplexity.
"Are you civilized beyond lynch law
YETI" he asked, irrelevantly.
why? A private grudge against any
oneT'
"One likes to see all the peculiar insti-
tutions of the country. Do you ever
hang horse thieves, for instance?"
"We don't always catch them,'
drily.
GT1;5 -o,, o-ov ,,,;, n ooo+ o,,J [o+
Tom?'
molly gave them to tramp" in slow
wonder at his companions drift. And
then, catching his sisters blank face,
What have you been telling, Mary Alli- |
SOM"
"Oh, Tom, II gave them to horse |
thief, and believe it was Mr.. McKen-
zie."
Tom sat staring.
"Truth, Allison" And then came the |
story. There were two of us taken to-
gether. 1 don't know who they mistook |
us for. 1 lodged the mob and took to
the timber never knew what becameof |
the other man."
Il suspect he is the one 1 helped out |
of the state the night 1 left you alone,
Molly"
Some weeks later Rob Mckenzie was
going through the ceremony of fitting a
diamond solitaire on Miss Allison's left
hand index finger.
"Oh, the beauty! Where did you get
it?"
Il brought it with me, " coolly.
upon my word, Rob Mckenzie! And
you took this for granted?"
Il made up my mind, one night in
between here and the Missis,
sippi river, that 1 would marry Molly
Allison if 1 could get her, and did my
l. 7