The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-11-15

Gnu VI al UillS.
In the meanwhile Selenda herself hat
shyly run out of the back door to watch
her lovers departure down the gler
path. There was an old fir-tree on the
heights from which she could look some
distance down the gorge. Beneath its
dropping boughs she herself was hidden
and, as she stood there waiting, hel
black shawl blown backward by the
strong gusts, the sound of deep, sup
pressed voices come up from the narrow
pathway under the cliff.
"There's corpse in the house! Old
Mother Griffin is lying there dead! l
tell you, wouldn't go there for twice
the money"
"Shut up, you fool'' returned shril-
ler accent. "She was buried this morn
ing"
'She WARMTH
"She was. Sim Dollard says sol"
"Sim's liar! He can't tell the truth
if he was to try"
''He's told it this time, you'll see.
Fifteen hundred dollars in gold! Think
of that Pierre! Such find don't come
our way every day in the week. And
nobody in the house but a girl!'
More muttering-more sullen growl-
ing-and then the tones died away.
Selenda stood there very pale, with
clasped hands.
81 must hide myself and the money
some where in the woods" said she to
herself. But haven't time. They're
not the people to lose secondhand be-
sides they would track me at once! Oh,
what shall do?"
Selenda Griffin. brought up in those
widernesses, was not girl to ask ques-
tions or depend on the opinions of other
people in an emergency. She was quite
used to making up her own mind, and
this occasion was no exception to the
general rule. She was determined to
guard the gold, even if it should be at
the expense of her own life-and she
was well aware of the idiotic super
stitions common to these ignorant
Canadian Frenchmen. Even to make
themselves rich they would not invade
the dreaded presence of death.
Over the frozen snow she fled swiftly
back to the cabin, from whose window
her mothers sweet, pallid face would
never more smile greeting TO her, and
rushing in, she caught up piece of
black crepe, with which she had been
trying to trim bonnet, and knotted it
around the porch pillar-mute emblem
of death. Then, with the strength of
mountaineers daughter, she dragged
the heavy, cherry-wood coffin, which her
fathers whim had kept stand ing in the
angle of the bedroom wall all these
years, into the little front room, mount
ed it on two wooden benches instead of
trestles, and, lighting pair of candles
in lead sconces. placed them at the
head and foot on homemade pine
stands. She wrapped the tin box in
towel and put it under pillow in the
coffin head, and then, hurriedly envel-
oping herself in sheet of homespun
linen, coarse and worn, but beautifully
white, deliberately got into the grisly
receptacle and stretched herself out
there straight and stiff as any corpse.
Her head, covered with one of her
mothers close-ftting caps, lay on the
precious treasure; her hands were
folded on her bosom, and her eyes were
closed.
81 think they will scarcely disturb
me here" she thought, strange thrill
creeping through her veins. But have
nerve enough to keep this up? must
have! / will have! Once the very
thought of such horrible masquerade
as this would have driven me wild with
terror; now / think only of guarding
the money which Abram Ayres has
committed to my charge"
Hush! Voices were sounding outside
in the winter dusk.
Hang it, there's Grape on the doorl
You told me she was buried"
That was the tone Of Pierre Subiton. |
$50 she is. Vokes told me the fu-
neral was this morning." growled
Simon Dollard.
''Vokes is liar. Look for yourself"
'Thats nothing! Knock at the door;
they've forgotten TO take the Grape off,"
"Knock yourself; III have nothing to
10 with 1t. don't rob dead people!"
low-muttered imprecation suc-
,eeded.
dead or alive!" growled old Michael
Oindeau, "Pve commenced this thing,
md mean to go through with it,"
Selenda lay quite still, but even
through her closed eyelids she was con-
cious of the stealthy flash of dark
antern. The cabin door had been
pened-the little band was crowding
oiselessly in. Suddenly Pierre Subj
on's voice sounded through the room
n terrific yell as he beheld the oblong
bject in its center. Hs turned and
ed. Dindeau and Dollard, shrinking 1
ack, exchanged hurried whispers, dur |
ig which Selenda's heart seemed 70 /
tapd still with horror. Q
''He never left it bere.' said Dollard.
Mike VoSes' last drinking bout un- !
,ttled his brain. This girl has gone I
ith her father. There's nobody but a c
)rpse in the horse. just let me get
rip on Mike and I'll teach him to put O
ich pack Of lies down our tbroatsl" Il
"But thaee's room upstairs Let's d
,aroh that"
''Sesfch where you please; 1t won't
, no good. don't blieve ,hero was 5
} money to begin with; and any way, Q
amt here" =