The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-04-18

they shall meet again. There was path,
in his very hope-hOping, as it was,
against absolute certainly.
When he reached the abrupt ending
of the letter. the reader again shook his
fis' at the imaginary listener. Two
hundred dollars fer me, an nOthin fer
this man-this hero !" he half shouted.
Suddenly thought seemed to strike
him, and he brought one hard fit down
on the table with sound thump.
"I'll do it, l will He shall have his
sweetheart, an that too, mighty quick.
1t was after midnight when the
pi eacher returned, and 1t seemed TO the
other that he looked paler and limped
more painfully than usual.
"My friend" the preacher said, pres-
emily, Il am glad to have you so nearly
recovered, for this house can shelter you
but few days longer"
"W'y?" asked the invalid; AIR ye get.
ting tired of me ?"
Certainly not, but the owner of this
house has warned me to leave because /
am unable to pay the rent, and"
"What'll ye do now p
81 do not know. Doubtless I'll see
my way cut of it all, but do not now.
IL"
"Pdrson, will yer do me a favor-one
more on top O. all you've done for me p
"Gladly, if can" the young preacher
replied.
Take this note to the leader of the
Protective Association -"
Amos Huddin ?"
"1'hat's him He's partic lar friend
o mine, an II be mighty glad to see me.
d. this right now, an it'll be the last
thing I'll ask Nv ye,"
When the young preacher had limped
YEARLY away in the darkness, the other
thumped the table with one hard ist,
and chuckled audibly ''Oh, you bet yer
life Amos Hidden III be glad to see me !!
Soil all the balance of the viRlantes.
Two hundred dollars reward for me, an
nuthin' fer the preacher Wal. hell
have the two hundred fer givin' me up,
an the vigi'antes II have me-" Then he
sat silently thinking. II could skin out
yit, an give em the sip" he muttered
presently. This means penitentiary or
lynch; most likely lynch" He picked
up the letteI from the preachers sweet
heart, and read it again in his stumbling
way.
1.-Two hundred dollars II make them
pore souls happy" he mustd This
yere means lynching for me, l reckon
Wal, let 'em lyrch !
The door opened softly, and half a
dozen men with weapons in their hands
entered without a word. Not a move
ment of the ipvaid's face showed that
he understood the errand that had
brought these stern, silent me to the
cabin.
"Howdyr' he saluted, Take cheers,
gentlemen"
Jack Harri1," said the leader of the
v'gila tee, I'VE want you !"
wal. a'int you got me ~ asked the
other quietly.
Yes" muttered the leader, ''and we
are a-goin to keep ye y
oval, | don't reckon blame ye,
Harris answered Its been long time
since We got chance at me, an l don't
wonder ye want to keep me. Did the
preacher give ye information z"
Yes
Has he got the reward yit p
"No, of course not. We amt gOin' to
do no cash-in-advance business"
There was the sounj OF struggle at
the door and voice crying
| Let me IN VIII 70 III
Its the preacher" some one said.
Bills a-hOlding him outside"
A pistol cleaned from beneath the ta
Bile. and Jack Harris's hard hand leveled
it at the leaders, head.
"Let him in he said sternly.
The preachers white face was flushed
and there were tears in his eyes as he
Iimped across the room to Jack Harrls's
side
Oh, my friend, he cried, what have
l done? What have done "
Delivered my note, l reckon
Yes; and sold your liberty for money
But God knows am innocent OF any
intent to do so r. He buried his face in
his hands.
Now" said Harris, ,terniy, "Hudden,
give the paIson his reward. Wen the
moneys in his hand I'll drop this gun.
While it's up you know how safe your
life is ~
The Wig lantes conferred together for
u moment Then each produced his
pocketbook and dropped sum of money
intu the leaders slOuch hat. AS the
money was poured on the table, Harris
laid the pi til beside it.
Thar" he said. lake me-
Then, as handouts were quickly
snapped OH to his wrsta, he turned TO
the young preacher. 'Parson, he said,
'that'll make you and the leetle gal In
the East happy. Good bye"
The young preacher spranR tnrwaid.
"Men," he cried, 'one moment! Then
in tones that thrilled the hearts OF the
listeners, he told the story of the horse
thiei's sacrifice. The little group
shuffl ed about uneasily when he had
finIsht d.
Boys" said the leader, suddenly,
'Pm hoes o. this yere Association, amt
II?'
"You air, they answered,
"Au' what say goes 7"
"It does, jist that /"
"An' hors, -stealin' means hangin' y
1T does ~
"Wal, sentence the prisoner, Jack
Harris, TO be hung this day week. In
the meantime place him in the keepin'
Nv Shorty Meyers, the leellest man in
the crowd, an if he let's the prisoner es-
cape I'll fine him two dollars and u
half"
Shorty Meyers extracted two dollars
and half from his pocket and hand d
the money to the leader.
"Yere's my fine," he said.
"An the preacher keeps the reward =
Jack Hsrris asked of the leader.
"He does !" chorused the viRilantes.
"WaI, anyhow, I'll git my rent now,
l recon-" saiu the mop-headed vigilant.
Two weeks later, when the ceremony
was over that made the young preacher
and the bright-faced Eastern gIl man
and wife, the bride looked fondly into
her husbands eyes as she said
How much these people seem to
think Of you, and how generous they
are toward you Have they been 30
ever since you came out here 2
"No; the change took place only few
weeks ago"
And who were those stern, rough
looking men who shouted 80 when the
ceremony was done Z"
They are the vigilantes."
"A entered the State" the young
wife said, presently, lust such rough
looking man asked my name, and when
l told him, he said, Tell the parson ye
saw Jack Harris, an tell him hope he'll
be happy Then he disappeared.
Heroic Jack r. the young wife ex-
claimed, when the minister had told her
the story Petdlumd Courier.
Frederick T. Roberts, NJ. D., Physi-
| .;an - tko Doyol Tolia1a nf Sur0apng