The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-18

An hour later, while sitting before the fire
mendipg a coat belonging TO one OF the men,
Miss Sfllicent suddenly threw aside her work
and said:
There, IL | haven't entirely forgotten to
Give Mr. Vance that list OF things | want
fiom down in Crystal City, and he's going to
start for there before breakfast in the morn
ing and breakfast at the stage Office. III
lust run down to the shaft house and hand
the list TO Tom Dolan and he can give it to
| Mr.. Vance in the morning
Tom Dolan was the engineer OF the Little
| Christabel. The shaft house was but a short
| distance from the boarding house. Throwing
n shawl over her liead Miss Millicent went out
hurriedly. stepping lightly down the trail
made in the deep snow. Tn night was
cloudless and made wondrous fair by a full
moon and thousands Of shining stars.
She reached the sliaf, house door. The
engineer and iother man, unaware OF her
approach, were talking. A name they spoke
caused her to stop suddenly, with her hand to
her heart aud u strange look in her face.
Il feel sure it is Silas Hover" the engineer
was saving. He changes his name bout
ev'ry camp he goes to, and ! reckon Doc.
| LIlBNpu NultNAt MINI D'"N
Other name while he was here"
"Well, he won't change it again very soon,"
said the other man with a short laugh. The
next time the rolls called he'll answer up to
his own name, In thinkin.'
Hover may he MS real name, the engineer
said. He swore it was when | knowed him
two years ago over in Paradise Gulch. But
he was a scoundrel there aud just got away
with his neck. knowed him SOON as / see
him down in Crystal City one day last fall.
But | never told anybody his name wasn't
Grigson. Where did you say the boys in
tended fixing himf
Down the gulch here bout two miles, at
that place where the big bowlder is that they
call Hanging Rock | reckon they'll make
short work of him"
ooh, sure" said the engineer with a laugh,
"theyll hang him, as lie deserves, without
hardly time for his prayers"
The other man glanced carelessly at bis
watch and said
"AEd its almost time they went at it. Ten
| o'clock was the hour agreed on, and it's after
nine now
Neither of them heard the h~alf-suppressed
cry Of the woman standing just outside Of the
| engine room door. Could they have seen her
face in the moonlight they would have seen
it drawn and old and CHASTITY in its terror and
agony. Her limbs trembled under her, and
her bloodless lips moved in silent prayer.
For a moment she stood SO, and then, still
praying for courage and strength, she ran
! silently but with all speed down the trail lead
ing from the camp and toward the gulch. The
| ,u,a1 mae .orul mud cha CftntllaI an1 foil
again and again. She ran with all speed
when she could 90 50, and the fear that she
might be too late caused her heart 10 almos'
stop its furious beating.
She could see the Hanging Rock ahead OF
her some moments before she reached it.
Dark forms were moving around, going to
aud from the mighty rock, and the pines a
few yards from 1t.
The light of one or two lanterns flashed In
the dark depths Of the forest. She heard the
shouts Of the men as they assembled from
all directions, fendish shouts they seemed to
her.
When near enough to make her voice
heard it rang out in loud, sharp tones of en-
treaty and command:
wait! wait! waltz
A moment later she stood in their midst,
gasping fol- breath, white and terrified.
1T is :" she SAID; Miss Millicent."
YES" said one OF the men gravely, "but
what do you want herel This is no place for
q woman
Her answe was:
Where is he-that manf'
"What mani7 said one of the men eva
sively.
The man whose life you were going to take
here to-nigltF
A groan from the edge CT the pines came in
reply to her ears. She ran toward the spot
from whence the sound came, the mon seek
| ing to detain her. Among a little group OF
men there stood one, trembling and ghastly,
q rope already around his neck and the other
end of it thrown over the branches Of tree.
The man was moaning and protesting pitt
fully.
Going close to him she said in a choked and
fearful voice:
LET him 60"
There was a murmur of %disapproval and
| refusal among the men
Come, come, Miss Millicent, this Is no
place for you" said one of the men. Let
me help you back to the camp"
"No," she said, going close TO the trembling
culprit, and laying her hand on his arm. He
grasped her hand and said hoarsely:
"Save me, woman, whoever you are. save
me il you can"
She took q lantern from the ground and
held it up to her white face. She threw the
shawl back from her head, and said:
"Don't you know me, Silasf"
He lifted his bowed head quickly, gave one
glance at her face and covered bis own guilty
face with his hands, crying out:
"Milly! Millicent!"
The men looked Oh in amazement; an angry
murmur Of disapproval was heard when the
man spoke Miss Millicents name in tones that
seemed endearing.
She turned toward them and said slowly
and distinctly with painful effort:
"Let him go. He is my husband"
There was dead silence fora moment. Then
the leader Of the mob stepped softly into the
moonlight and started In silence down the
gulch In the direction Of Little Cbristabel.
One by one the men followed him in ST.
lence. In ten minutes Mil icent was alone
with her husband. he turned toward her
and said in a choked and broken voice:
"Millicent."
well, Silas."
Che b.ld ort opa hand toward him III