Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-02-14

caused her to start TO her feet.
Come here an let me kiss you, pretty, y
uttered the man.
Then he began TO move toward her. II
was at this moment that she gave utter
ance to the cry of alarm that opens our
story.
The man was stranger to Grace Penroy,
and his forbidding aspect quite frightened
her, even aside from his threatening words.
Don't touch me, sir" pleaded Grace. IN
a low voice. She was too deeply terrified
now TO speak loudly or TO cry out as she had
done at the outset
Go fur her, Bill. III stand yer back.
Kiss her, and then We'll see what's next to
be did,
And then second man, far worse-look-
ing than the first, pushed into view. He
was ragged, dirty and blear-eyed, his sandy
hair and beard not having made the &C
quaintance Of comb or brush in months, APP
parently, They were certainly as ill-look-
ing o pair of tramps as one would meet
within thousand miles journey.
Grace Penroy was now too frightened to
utter word. Her blood seemed TO freeze
in her veins, and chill stole over every
nerve, rendering her rigid and motionless
as statue.
A grunt of satisfaction fell from the lips
Of the man addressed as Bill, and with q
quick stride he stood at the side Of the
startled girl.
"Help!'i
A cry did come to the pallid lips, but this
only served to enrage the vicious tramp.
He grated his teeth and shook her fiercely.
"rll l'arn ye," he Kissed, at the same time
drawing the paralyzed girl toward him.
That moment was an awful one to poor
Grace Penroy A fate worse than death
stared her in the face. She remembered
then the prophesy Of an old gypsy that the
family of Penroy was destined TO go down
in woe to final extinction. She could see
the wrinkled, hideous face of the bag proph-
etess, and it took on the outlines of the
tramp's wicked countenance.
"Don't yell if you don't want to dicr'
Kissed the rufian, drawing her, unresist-
ing now, toward him. His hyenica grin
was repulsive. His breath famed her
cheek She was ready to faint with fright
when an interruption came that was both
startling and unexpected.
A sullen thud, awful in it's distinctness,
fell on the ear of Grace Penroy. The clutch
on her arm suddenly relaxed and the giant
tramp sank, limp as dishrag, at her feet.
Grace reeled and clutched a small sapLng
for support At her feet lay the ruffian,
with blood upon his black countenance A
heavy object had shot from a tree-top upon
his head, that object now lying beside him
"a short, silver-mounted rifle, the butt of
which had done deadly work.
The second tramp was startled.
He glanced about in evident alarm, but,
seeing no one, made sudden move to seize
the rifle. He was not quick enough to nc
complish his design, however. A dark form
shot through the leaves and stood beside tho
PROSTATE tramp-a youth of slender form,
who snatched the rife from its resting
place and presented the muzzle at the breast
Of the discounted tramp.
"If you don't care to die, you will move
Off"
There was low sternness in the voice
that was effective. Tramps are proverbially
towards, and this one was no exception.
He retreated suddenly, and began to beg
for mercy.
"Don't stop TO beg,n cried the boy, sneer.
ingly. "The country has no use for such
vermin, and had as lief shoot you as not.
Eot"
The scoundrel waited TO hear no more
but wheeled and fed at the top of his
speed Then the rescuer of female limo.
cence faced Grace Penroy.
He was a handsome youth of apparently
twenty. His face was dark, his black hair
hanging in Ion &, wavy masses to his shout
iers His upper lip was adorned with a
black mustache His dress was plain, yet
Of fine cloth, and his rather small feet were
encased in heavy shoes.
One of his hands had blood-stain across
Il where it had been scratched by twig
Miss. Penroy, believe, SAID the young
man, lifting his gray cap with smile that
revealed rows of even white teeth.
Eyes, sir" she answered, opening her
honest gray eyes wide with establishment
You are a stranger to me- she con-
eluded after a moment.
Il suppose so. But few people in and
about Stonefield, or Lone Hollow, know
Louis Fingal; even you never heard the
name venture to say
II never did until this moment ad-
mitted Grace, blushng prettily under his
earnest gaze.
"You may learn more o1SSe in the
future" he said, leaning thoughtfuly on
his handsome rife.
81 hope so. owe you much. Will you
not come to the housel Grandfather will
be pleased to see one who has befriended
his pet grandchild. 1t all seems strange to
me. You were up in tree. do not fully
understand it even now
She shuddered and chung more tightly to
the sapling for support, while her honest
gray eyes regarded mis- handsome face
questionlngly.
II was in the woods cunning, looking for
deer l know that old hunters some
Il a. oil
waited perch-my brother always did, and
he was one of the most successful Nimrods
in the West
"And were you perched up there watch
ing for a DEERE questioned innocent Grace.
'That's about the truth Of it, he adj
mitted.
" But there hasn't been deer in these
woods in years. and she laughed for the
first time.
~ must begleave todiffer with you there
Miss Penroy."
"But l know" affirmed the girl -
have lived at Lone Hollow for years anS
years ~
And never saw deerr
(" Never
/" Yet have been here but one day, and
have seen as pretty a one as | could wish 4
tooh on sat enLtauctu watching tu'
beautiful creature, consequently forgot al
about my rife.
There was qulzzical smile on his face
while mischievous CLINT sparlxled in nj
eyes.
Her long lashes dropped. covering he
gray orbs. She bit her lip in some confu
sion. His full meaning dawned on he
brain, and she did feel annoyed, and Ger
tainly would have been offended had not sh
owed so much to the youth before her.
Never mind, Miss Penroy,r ard hi
merry laugh rang out pleasantly. Il di'
not mean to give offense, see that thi
fellow is stirring Shall bind him anl
turn him over to the authorities for punish
ment, or do you prefer TO overlook hi
rascalityin
Grace regarded the fallen tramp with
little tremor of disgust and fear. :
al think will not punish him further
If he RECEIVERS he win not forget the blow
1 and
"of course. We will leave him to III
tortures Of an outraged Conscience intel
{upted Fingsl. lightly. s-.>sg .@-s.--e !.