Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-17

"Ab can hold his tongue, and there Is no one here who cares to hear of me-" he remarked refiectively. "Ab is shy of strangers"
 The girl laughed.
 "You need never fault father for talkin' to strangers. You haven't promised, though, to do good en' faithful by me" But her lover had opened the door, and both went in.
 Heathe slung his gun upon two gnarled roots, nailed to log not over an arms length from the seat in the chimney corner which he invariably occupied. Not once in the six months since he had stopped at the cabin, one dark rainy night, and asked for 1 shelter, had Dr. Heathe forgotten to hang his firearms within reach, and never had the restless vigilance of his eyes ceased or rested. Alb Sagsby had prefxed doctor to the strangers name. Dunno but he has the look of doctor" he had said, and perhaps some innate respect which forbade the familiarity of "Johu," or even of simple ''Heathe," " had induced him to adopt "doctor' as an easy way out of perplexity. Heathe himself made no revelations, only staid on from week to month-abroad all day, but at night a welcome inmate of the cabin. There is no curiosity among the denizens of the noun tain ridges in Southwest Virginia. Nobody asked who he was, or why man like Heathe buried himself in the unknown remoteness of the mountains The fact of his being under the roof of the wary old moonshiner, Alb Sagsby, was sufficient warranty for abSo- lute oblivion of what might be going on around him, if indeed any thing ever did go on.
 "Mirry kin tie ter whomst she pleases," her father said when Heathe taking advan- | tage of Miriam's absence in the shed. told him of his hopes. Hits good leetle gal es you'll git, en she's a smart gal, Mirry is -h'ain't afreed O nothin'. She'll stick ter you, spite O ole Nick hisself, lessn you go back on her; 'twouldn't be overly safe fur you then" and Alb chuckled, while the great Quid of tobacco oscillated in his check.
 "She says that she will, and l suppose there are people who are true and can be trusted, though have never had the good 1 fortune to meet them," replied the stranger, a bitter smile fitting over his countenance. "Jes' so; they be skurce, en' powful good 1 ter come across W on shurf en' pack O Guv'- mentors kem at yo' heels. The gal knows 1 hit-Mirry knows, she do." The escapes of memory perhaps amused l Alb, now that time had shorn them of dan ger. The allusion, however, seemed to have something terribly realistic in the picture | it limned to the man sitting in the shadow of the chimney corner, with his gun slung on the rests, in convenient reach. The alert eyes involuntarily swept every corner andcrevioe of the apartment and the visible portion of the shed room beyond. The in tent look of one straining his hearing to catch faintest stir deepened into a pained anxiety.
 "Yqu hev' mo- lsrnin' than we'uns, doctor" resumed Alb, with an abrupt change of manner. "You mebbe wa'n't fetched up like we-uns, en' I'm a-gwine ter say es you mought think yo'sef better'n me en' Mirry -N
 Miriam is better than am-that is what Ithink-and you have been my best friend," Interrupted Heathe, speaking hurriedly, a hot impatience, almost desperation in his manner. Old Alb looked pleased.
 "Then you won't be 'shamed O Mirry UT me, whenst you luck tuns, en' you han't 'hleeged ter hug ter tho mountiugs!"
 You are my only friends. There Is no turn of luck can help me, no chance what ever that 1 may wish to quit the noun tains," was the deliberate assurance.
 Hits all right, then. 1 h'ain't much tried in my mind long O wher you be foolin UT no. Mirry's ebil to that ar; hits her To, kout"
 sAbner relapsed into his moody enjoyment ofsthe huge cracking blaze. Grandmother Sagsby came in, and soon dozed over her knitting Miriam sat on the hearth opposite Heathe. The firelight glowed over her
 
 figure. Utter repose and the delightful warmth conduced to that half-drowsy hazi- ness and abandon of perfect rest The one exception was the stranger. Apparently he never rested. The watChful listening, wide awake look seemed never beguiled away by any charm whatsoever. Two or three dogs, that slept on the floor near Ab became somewhat restless. An old hound opened his eyes, and pushed himself nearer the n or,f rlitYbf o1,A v,Nico less, but Miriam sat up and noted the ami nal for an instant, then left her seat and stepped slowly past him to the shed-room. The dog followed her into the chilly star light beyond Then she stopped short and observed the hound. Lifting his nose high, he sniffed suspiciously and gave low growl.
 What is it, Miriamr'
 The girl started. Heathe was besideoher, an agony of apprehension in his counten- ancs even as he grasped his gun and held it ready to fire.
 "Sommutstrange is around. Leader never mistakes" she whispered, creeping closer to him. ''Do you think they arc hunting for youH
 "Yes, know it. They are on my track at last They are hunting for me if they are hunting for any body, but I'll never be taken, Miriam-neverw
 Taken? no. It's not many get taken in | the nountingS, was the Scornful reply. "Leader'n give tongue time enough; and remember the big hollow tree back O the clearing-the ropeis always there to let you down in it." she directed, in quick, low tone.
 Miriam" he whispered, don't believe their black story of me-don't believe 1t. was there-I saw it-but I didn't do it. never intended the worst. I can't prove my innocence; but solemnly tell you, an innocent of the worst-the very worst you will hear"
 Miriam laid her hand gently on his arm her face grew tender-her voice soft and tremulous.
 "Icare for you, John, whether it were true or not. Go-now; Leader sniffs lower quiet there, Leader-sommit's clOseri"
 The girls startled, suppressed voice be came suddenly shrill in it's terror Heathe sprang forward with an agile, chsmois-like bound and vanished in the pines. The dogs inside the cabin as well as out, set up 8 simultaneous howl. There was no doubt oi an alien presence near at hand. Miriam rushed into the house and fastened the door behind her.
 "We know he's in there t shouted rough voice.