Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-06-20

a loaf, the half OF a cold pie ana basket
holding three dozen eggs All these prizes l
fcbed one by one, with infinite caution.
/ was gently pulling the basket through
the window hole, when l heard one Of the
crew yawn and stretch himself in his sleep.
So, determining to risk no more, quickly
packed the basket, slung it on my right arm,
and with tho ham grasped by the knuckle in
my left, made my way up the stream.
Twas thus laden that l entered the dingle,
and came on the sad sight therein set down
the ham as a thing to be ashaped of, and
barred my head The girl lifted her face, and
turning, all white and tragical, saw me.
my father is dead, sir"
l stopped and piled heap Of fresh snow
over the blood stains. There was no intent
in this but to hide the pity that cholsed me-
She had still to hear about her brother, An
thony. Turning, as by sudden thought,
took her hand. She looked into my eyes, and
her own filled with tears Twas the human
touch that loosened their flow, think and
sinking down again beside her father she
wept her fill.
mistress Kiligrew," said, as soon as the
first violence of her tears was abated, II have
still some news that is Ill hearing. Your
enemies are encamped in the woods about a
half mile below this"-and with that told
my story.
They have done their worst, sir"
"No."
She looked at me with a question on her
| lip.
Said I, "You must believe me yet short
while without questioning"
| Considering for a moment, she nodded.
"You have u right sir, to be trusted, though
/ know not so much as your name. Then we
must stay cSse in hiding" she added, very
sensibly, though with the last word her voice
trailed OFF, and she began again to weep
But in time, having covered the dead baro-
nets body with sprays of the withered brack-
en-, / drew her to little distance and pre-
vailed on her to nibble a crust Of the loaf.
| Now, all this while it must be remembered
| was in my shirt sleeves and the weather
bitter cold. Which at length her sorrow al
| lowed her to notice.
| "Why, you are shivering sorel" she said,
and, running, drew my buff coat from her
| fathers body, and held it out to me.
Indeed" answered, 81 was thinking Of
another expedition to warm my blood" And
promising to be back in half an hour I fol-
lowed down my former tracks towards the
stream.
Within twenty minutes l was back, run
ming and well nigh shouting with joy.
"Comei" l cried to her, come and see for
yourselfl'
What had happened was this; Wading
cautiously down the brook, had cause sud-
denly to prick up my ears and come to halt,
Twas the muffied tramp Of hoofs that
heard, and, creeping a bit farther, caught a
glimpse, beyond the hut of horse and rider
disappearing down the woods. He was the
last of the party, as guessed from the sound
Of voices and jingling of bits farther down
the slope. Advancing on the hut with more
boldness, | found it deserted | scrambled up
on the bank and round to the entrance. The
snow before it was trampled and sullied by
the footmarks of men and horses; and as
noted this, came Settles voice calling up the
slope:
"Jerry-Jerry Toy!"
nearer voice hailed in answer.
"Where's Reubenp
"Coming, captain-close behind"
Course him for lettering IDIOT We've
wasted time enough, as It's" called back the
captain. How in thunder is man to fine
the road out of this cursed woodP
Straight on, cap'n-you can't miss 1t,
shouted another voice, not two gunshots be
low.
A volcano of oaths poured up from Settle
did not wait for the end of them, but raj
back for Mistress Della
Together we descended to the hut By thi
time the voices had faded away in distance
Yet to make sure that the rascals had really
departed we followed their tracks for som
way, beside the stream; and suddenly cam
to halt with cries of joyful surprise.
The brook had led us to a point where, owe
a stony fall yelled with brown bracken,
plunged into a narrow ravine. Standing o.
the lip, where the water took a smoothe
glide before leaping, we saw the line o
the ravine marked by rift in the pines
and through this slice of the countr
that lay below Twas a level plain, we
watered and dotted here and there wit
houses range of wooded hills closed tn
view, and towards them a broad road woun
gently, till the eye lost it at their base. a
this was plain enough, in spite Of the sno,
| that covered the landscape. For the sun ha
. burst out above, and the few flakes that sti
, fell looked black against his brilliance an
, the dazzling country below
But what caused our joy was to see, alon
, the road, small cavalcade moving ava
from us, with many bright glances of ligh
and color, US their steel caps and sashes too
, the sunshine-a pretty sight, and the prettie
, because it meant our deiiverance
T The girl beside me gave a cry Of delgh
then sighed and after a minute began I
!. walk back towards the hut, where left bel
a and ran up hill for the basket and ham. o
: my return found her examining heap c
a rusty tools that, it seemed, she had found c
: shelf of the building. Twas no light bel
to the good fellowship that afterwards unite
US that from the first l could read ht
y thoughts often without words and for til
: reason, that her eyes Were as candid as II
, monday.
! So now answered her aloud:
A This afternoon we may venture down
q tho plain, where no doubt we shall find
clergyman to sell us patch Of holy ground
, "Holy groundl" She looked at me awhi
- and shook her head. Il am not Of your r
a hgion, she said,
a "And your fatherT
% 81 think no man ever discovered my father
Is religion. Perhaps there was none to dlscove
y but he was no bad father She steadit
# her voice and went on: "l1e would prefer Il
N hillside to your holy ground"
:. So, an hour later, delved his grave in d
IA frosty EARTH close by the spot where he la
Somehow, i shivered all the while, and had
Ill, in in hot w