Wichita eagle., 1889-05-14

hOe teI- DuI one night she were 10 Deu1
and she heard some I'm come into the room
next; her room were but lean-to, and
they slept in the big room. And she heard
deal oi whispering, and then they took
to drinking, and their voices gets louder
and louder, and she hears Kemp's name,
and the night after next named, and
back from Weyhill Fair and 'a-nigh his
gate and ten on u.s. and the rest will
be there tomorrow, we four and they six,
that's ten And then they gets noisier,
and Dick, who always kept his head,
hushcd some one on 'em up, and turned
him out into the she'd and all was still.
| Nancy knew now what was brewing But
how to get at Jim? how TO ADVERTISED He
would be off to Weyhil long afore she
could get to he, and she couldn't get out
without going through the room with Dick
in it, or through the window into the shed
with the stranger there. Not that they
was strangers, for she know'd their voices
they was of the Portsmouth crew.
what should she do. how should she
save her lover! for he was her lover, and
she knOwd it. She know'd that, though
she could never wed with he, she could
never love another. Mayhap there was
1 s0m'at strange in her manner for all she
made as though she was cheerful like, or
|
was coming; anyhow Dick looked sharply
after Nance ali next day, and the day after,
too. 1t were a hot, dry summer, and the
days were long, and there was full moon
that night, and no doubt that was the
more convenient; not but what the Ded-
/ mans could make their way bllndfOld any
/ where over the country road, and all their
I crew
'Dick went off somewhere to seven, and
said, careless ike, as Nancy had best not
wait, for he aud the old man had business
/ away, and would not be back till very late,
mayhap, mayhap earlier. Nancy waited till
he was gone, then she took her flint and
! steel and fastened the door and went to the
shed and took the nag (they had only left
/ the old mare;) she didna' wait to bride
she, but off she went as fast as the wind
for Holder Hill, over to the sou'west from
here. And she rode and rode and went up
the hill, up TO the Beacon Point and there
was the bonfire all laid ready, as dry as tin
der. and she struck and struck, and the
third time she got fame, and soon the bea-
con was blazing and no mistake; and she
rode and she rode toward Blackdown until
the poor beast could go no longer, so she
got off and let her 60 And Nance walked
and walked until all on a sudden the light
T oAAO
sure as if she saw him that her trap had
taken, that Jim had seen the fire on Holder,
and instead of going home had turned off
10 light up Breakdown.
1T was the war time, you see, and he
were keen for the cause, and was the first
once before to help light the signal And
she hurried on and came up to he, and he
turned round and cried: Why, Nancy,
love is it you There's been some VIC
tory, you may dependp And she, she were
out of breath and could scarce speak; but
she knew sure fate her brother and
. his crew would come after their pray. Y on
see they had worked so long together,
these Dedmans, one seemed To guess the
others thoughts like; and she knew as
when the time went by and Jim did not
come home, and they saw the light on HOl-
der Hill and sudden the light on Black
down. they would guess as how it We're
Nancy; OF may be only think Jim was there
instead of coming home However it be,
she felt they would follow up there, so she
cried: Fly, jim! fly! as quick as you can,
down that way. Mol not home! Be Off!
be off away as far as you can 60 Take
your horse and go They're after We to
murder We, and L lit the fire on Holder
to keep you from going home. They
y
be following you up there. Give me
your coat and hat, Jinl-see, Ive none. Pm
cold. And go, Jim-go; l can't go with
you, Jim. Good, bye, lad! o, lad, ] love
you, lad!D And the stupid, thick headed
fellow as he was, he took off his long rid
ing-coat and his SLOUGH hat and puts them
on her, and takes her in his arms, and she
gives him one kiss and sends him Off He
steals down as quiet as mouse, untethers
his nag, and on ne goes London way. And
Nance. She stood with her arms folded,
her face to the fire, and her back to the
path, so as her figure is seen up against the
flames in an uncertain kind of way. She
was as tall as young Kemp; and she waited
there 10 gain time for he-a decoy, We'll
say. She were half dazed with what she'd
gone through and strange sort of await
ing feeling as KEEP her very still. At last
she hears them coming, and she never stirs.
And Dick, from behind, without waiting a
minute, or taking SO much as a step for'ard-
er, fires straight at her back and she falls
forward, and he fires again, and then they
walked away, satisfied it were Jim Kemp,
for they seed the coat and they never
thought of Nancy.
''Weu, morning came, and as they went
back and found the house empty they
laughed as how they had served her right;
they little knew how they had served her.
They wasn't long a-laughing; the fires had
made a bestrment and there they'd found
Nancy Dedman-dead, shot twice through
the back. And when they brought her in
the old man fell down in fit, but Dick he
said naught only when they said: Had
jim Kemp done this foul deed!' for his pa
pers was in his pockets. Dick said: How
should he know! He had aIlays told
Nance to have naught to do with that devil
Kemp.
There was an inquiry. but naught came
of it. Old Dednan had another fit and
died. and Dick went over the seas, they
said. Farmer Kemp, young Jim as was,
never come back to settle. He sold up,
and nobody would have know'd word
about it only he come once, when he was
getting in years, to look at Nancy's grave
10 Haslemere.
He told all as he know'd 10 the sexton,
Mr. Keeling, and years after Dick came as
a stranger and asked for the grave of one
Nancy Dedman, as he had a fancy TO see. D.,
Though he was an old gray man much be-
shaken, and with naught about he TO speak
of murder, Mr.. Keeling, as was always one
with two pair of eyes, determined on see
ing justice done, and he tracks the man to
the inn aud brings the parson, who was
magistrate into the bargain. But the par
son found broken-down old man, and he
would not make any 0estir; it were too
long ago, he said. And afore Dick Dedman
died he and the parson were the best Of
friends, and from Dick the parson had il
all After Dick died be telIed Mr.. Keeling,