The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-27

ssNatty is not a meddler," sale
Hannah. "Natty won't touch th'
grizzly"
"Your father aint come home yet,
s'pose" said Best, on the threshold.
"He isn't coming home tonight, sale
Hannah. s'He's gone to Wolf Hollow
to see about hiring man for the spring
work"
'sNot coming home to-night2"
Hannah shook her head.
Best stood O moment with preoccH
pied eyes and contracted brows, then hs
departed.
Hannah went on cooking supper
little Natty, after indulging himsel:
with a prolonged stare at the shaggy
thing in the bedroom, returned to hi:
sums in arithmetic, and the eager
audience at Stokes's store were sorely
discomitcd.
The stage driver was not communica'
tive at the best of times, and Billy Best
allowed the host of loungers to believe
that the grizzly had been shipped of by
wagon at the crossroads below, direct
to Parkersdale.
"Wal, that is too mean," said Zenas
Powell. 81 never seen q grizzly"
While Leander Stokes, disappointed
in his hopes of money-making. relieved
his mind by putting an extra penny on
the next round of cheese. which he sold
to little girl, and selling the second
grade of shag tobacco at first grade
prices to two red-shirted miners.
When o'clock came, Hannah Perry
went quietly to her room, as usual.
"Sistcr," said Natty, scan 1 leave the
door between our two rooms open2 l.,
somehow, can't help thinking of that
stuffed bear"
'But the bear can't hurt us, Natty."
"No; but his glass eyes shone so, and
he looked so ferce!"
"That's nonsense, Natty," said the
brave little elder sister. But if you like,
I'll go down and and lock the door on
kitchen side"
"Not yet, Hannah, ".pleaded the child:
''I'd rather you'd stay here. Wait until
after I'm asleep
"What little goose it isl" said Han
nah, laughing.
But she sat some time at the glass,
putting her hair into crimping pins, and
then read her nightly chapter, so that
Natty's even, regular breathing at last
convinced her that he had forgotten all
his apprehensions in slumber.
81 don't think it's really necessary for
me to go down. thought she. ''But
still, since I promised Natty-"
And taking the candlestick in her
hand, she glided noiselessly down the
stars.
To her surprise the kitchen, which she
had left dark and silent, was lighted
from the bedroom, whose door was ajar.
A man sat on the side of Uncle Silas's
bed, ravenously eating bread and meat.
Beside him stood Billy Best, with fat,
wicker covered bottle in his hand.
At the sound of Hannah's footsteps
they both started.
The strange nun would have made for
the door, but Best detained him.
"Stop," said he, in suppressed voice.
s'Don't be afraid. She's game-game to
the backbone. You've found out our Sc
cret, Hannah" he added, "but we aren't
afraid to trust you. It's Royal Bensley,
the defaulter-the best friend Pve got
in the world, barring no man, and the
worst used. The bank president was in
the scheme, and half the mealy -mouthed
directors; and the minute things went
wrong, they all backed out, and left him
to suffer, singl e-handed, for it. But he
won't, not if I can get him safe across
the Canada line, eh, old boy2 Yes" Gas
he saw Hannah's startled glance turn to-
ward the heap of fur in the corner),
"that's the way he came, all packed
around with hay, and no breathing
place but the hole in the beasts red
mouth, and one or two air-holcs we
made where nobody would suspect what
they were for. And pretty hard siege
he's had Of it, too, poor fellow! And
now, my girl, is the time to show your
pluck, and l know you've got plenty Of
it. Trust everything to me; only keep
silent. Go back to bed, and leave me
to manage"
Without q word of remonstrance,
Hannah obeyed.
Once back in the drowsy atmosphere
of little Natty's serene breathing, it
seemed as if the scene down stairs must
have been the fragment of q fevered
dream. But the sound Of mutiled steps,
the occasional murmur of suppressed
voices the careful opening and closing
of windows below, forbade this conclu-
sion.
Not a wink did Hannah Perry sleep
all that April night. She lay there wide
awake, listening and wondering, her
heart beating at fevered pace, while
she repeated. ever and anon, to herself !:
"Will Best is there. I can trust Will
Best"
Soon after midnight, however, the
furtive noises subsidized into silence; and
when in the morning Hannah descended
with Natty trotting close at her heels,
the farmhouse kitchen bore no signs OF
last nights invasion.
"Sister," said Natty, "can I peep in
at the grizzly! Just once before go
to school2"
eyes," said Hannah. "pll open the
door for you"
There, to her amazement, was the
grizzly bear, upright in his corner,
glassy-cyed and portly as ever.
"Ain't he funny" chuckled Natty,
poking his finger into the fur sides of
the creature, and wondering how he
ever could have been so timid of him the
night before.
And Hannah looked at the grizzly as
if she half believed the whole thing was
vision of the night.