Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-02-13

it contained bed, a dressing tureaI
two chairs, and handsome writing
desk.
Placing the lamp on the bureau, She
held out little hand, saying: Il W ST.
to shake hands with you, sir, before l
go. and may Heaven bless you and
shield you from harm te-nightl'
L dare not FAIL replied, holding
her hand for an instant. Now go,
and remember that you, too, have a
part to act
She left the room, and l was alonn.
Seating myself in a rocking-chair, my
gun lying across my knees, l sat and
unused:
There will be two against one, and
that is big odds, but have my gan
and it ought TO cut great figure. BY
George, though. II l capture these
villains, as 1 mean to do, it will de-
vOlve upon me to sit up all night and
watch them. 1 don't believe that
thought struck me before, but it's
quite too late now TO alter plans. What
a fine looking woman Mrs. Anderson
isl She doesn't look twenty, but she
is older than that, and a widow. Old
boy, the time was when those pretty
eyes might have altered your life, but
enough L am only a cotton picker
nowp
Time passed very slowly, and Decem-
ber nights are not remarkably balmy in
Arkansas. Fighting both fatigue and
hunger, hours seemet heightened INTO
days, and when my ear caught the
sound of suppressed voices below, fol
lowed by the sound of stealthy footsteps
drawing gradually nearer, L eXpe-
rienced a sense of genuine relief.
Shielding myself behind the dressing
bureau, with gun cooked ami light
burning dim, awaited further devel
opmeuts. The door opened softly and
closed with sharp click, and L realized
that the moment for action had arrived.
For a moment chill numbed me, and
then l turned up the light with flash,
and pair of more completely surprised
villains l don't think ever existed than
those before me.
Gentlemen 1 exclaimed politely
my gun is ready for instant use, you
will please remove your masks and bt
! seated there on the Ted.
They obeyed In a dazed sort of way.
Now fold your arms across your
breast commanded.
Again they obeyed, and seating my
self, | rested my gun over the back oi
] d CDdlT, dIla CdlUlll went OH
so far have never killed a man,
but if either one OF you changes hi,
| position without my consent L Wi
shoot you both
could plainly see that they believed
me to be thoroughly IN earnest, and
/ they sat as immovable as rocks. Then
| faces were not cruel, The older of lii,
twain might have been termed tougi
! hut hn dT1 nnt lA,k fin.
bold robber by any means His cCm
panion was sailow and slckly looking
and he trembled visibly.
The silence was beginning to grow
oppressive, when the older man spoke
Mister he SAID in a husky voice, =
s'pOse thar's 10 use axing fur marcy
and it's to prison you'll send US; bu
We amt all bad, my pard and me. "
uaycu-G Deen living cAdCLIy Un III
| square, / know, but we was coax,
into coming here. fore God. To
youngun down stairs said as how w
could do this job and go back to ol,
MlssOury and be gents. and we wa
starvI z here It's awful TO 90 L
prison, Mister, and if you could let u
of this time, we would do better an
thank you all our lives
l shook my head.
We'll then let my pard 60, Mister
hes younge q han be, and he's most
ling. l coaxed him into coming here
and
'HushI l exclaimed
There was a scream down stairs, al
the rush of feet. The door few Unrn
and Mrs. Anderson rushed into IA
room, closely followed by her nephew
A pistol CLEANED in his right haId
and he fired it fuII at my breast. eX
claiming:
Die, for id spyl'
1T is my turn nowp / cried, raisln
my gun, but turning like tash Il
ledped through window, carrying tn
sash with him.
l knew his bullet had struck N
hard, and | could plainly feel the no
blood oozlng from my right side. Fear
full that the two men, who still Occu
pied their position on the Ted, wUul
notice my condition and take adyani
age of it, 1 pulled myself together an
said, as calmly as possible:
You asked Tor mercy a few minute
ago. l refused it then, but since IN
greater villain has escaped. / hav
decided 10 lei you 90. But you mus
q st pr IN Sc ia 1t you Will leave tai
neighDOrhood at once
They both solemnly swore to do sC
and left the house as quickly as possi
be. None too soon, either, for II
sound of their footsteps had scarcel
died away when | sank to the foo
unconscious.
Wnen L opened my eyes again 1 wa
i'll bed, and oh, 50 weakl But, OWN
to the skill Of my doctor and the sole
tute of the most wonderful OF nurses
my recovery was rapid and complete
in fact, / deemed my nurse such a rdr
UUis that / married her. OF course, Z
YOU have already anticipated, she WI
no other than the Widow Anderson.
What became of the villains of n
storyP Sure enough! How very car,
less / am. My honorable nephew-fC
such he became after my maTridge-hs
never been heard from since maxim
his escape thro Igh the window. tt
other two gentle en- disappeared Vel
nysteriously the same M gut. Bu
wherever they may roam, 1 cam
suppress a kindly feeling for them, f
II was through their Instrumental
that l won wife and changed my CO
ditiOn IN life from d cotton picker
that of A DlanteT