Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-08-13


lead to the cabin of the cripple 10 see
for himself what manner Of man =
was. 1t is quite possible that he VS.
aided in this decision by the knowledge
that Alexia's return trip on the mo--
row would also bring her to the same
cabin, and at about the same hour he
proposed for his visit. He had whira
to compel those dark. contemptuors
eyes beneath the sheltering visor, 10
glance at him once with something less
of indifference in their depths.
His plan promised well. t.e found
the Hermit a man whose roughnes
was a top-coat for a native refinement;
who had spent his youth in Eastern CIV
ilzation, and, like many another pio-
neer, had won his 'sheepskin' at a lead
ing college. They talked of many
things, and drifted at last to geology,
and TO Boothroyd's delight, the lonely
old cripple could render him inestima-
bic service in the business which had
brought him to the locality.
up yender, fin Dragons Canon,
you'll find some o. the purtiest speci-
mems they is In all Ameriky,' he said
to his eager listener, in the perverted
English which had been acquired on
the frontier.
Boothroyd pulled out his watch.
oh! you'll have time to get back to
dinner and-lowering his voice and
looking cautiously around-I hope you
won't forget il. IL suppose you've
heern tell o. AIexy Rae?'
With an admirable air of Indifference
Willis believed that he had Where
upon his host launched into a panegyrIc
of that remarkable young woman, and
ended with the explanations; I'm kind
o. suspectin' trouble. They IS ben a
gang scoutin' round these digging IS
fer nigh onter a week, au' they've sot
here an qulZzei me an saSsed me till,
If t hadn't ben It l was no count
cripple, they'd a-b'en somebody S
blood runnin' loose. Ye see, oil man
Rae, he's got habit o. sendin' money
down ter HeIrick's ter his pardner
thar, and onct i'll Willie it don't git
thar-ner the carrier neither. That's
what happened ter me. l was shot an
left fer dead not fur away In the road
thar, an the money took. Then the
grizzlies nigh took me, but was headed
off in time What's left o. me >
'bleeged ter stay ter hum the heft o.
the season'-puinting amuSedly 10 his
stump of leg and his one helpless arm
but l alters did live alone, an that
1 don't mind. I'm too poor ter be
robbed nowadays, an Pm too oil an
tough ter be eat. 'Taln't so with purity
Alexy, an-stranger, ye've got an HON
est face. | sh'd sent word to some o. the
boys at Crimminses, but ther amt ben
a soul this way sence L seen them scaly
cattle, nigh onter a week back, 'cept
an savin' AleXy herself. An l wouldn t
tell her, in course. An so-we-all,
hope We won't be late ter dinner
Booihroyd did not intend to be. He
had been forcibly struck by the appar-
ent foolhardins IS of Miss i;ae's life anu
undertaking, u view of the matter
which seemed not In the least to have
suggested itself to her stanch admirers
of Crimmins's Station. Why, who and
what could hurt herr Her fame had
spread the country through, and there
could be no man so vile as to moleSt
her. That would have been foolhardi-
ness indeed. Aud the villain would
have lived but few hours to regret his
crime.
The man who sets out to crack the
earth TO pieces with his little geological
hammer generally loses his head. Dame
Nature IS the most fascinating of wom-
en-, and Willis Boothroyd did not es-
cape the common fate of those who
test her charms She yielded him SO
many gems from her bosom, and so
bewilderel him 10y her beauty, that one
result was inevitable. lie forgot every
thing else but hcr-and he was late 10
dinner.
Deep IN the heart OF the canon a sud-
den sense of being wanted elsewhere
came over him. He paused-hammer
IN hand-and pulled out his watch.
Ten minutes past one! He was to have
been at the 'Hermit's' cabin before
twelve In the next quarter of an hour
he did some of the fastest travelling OF
his life, and came out upon the plain
beside the post-rOad spent with fatigue
and overcome with heat. He dropped
upon the ground to rally, but was al
most Immediately oppressed by sense
of impending danger. From whence
it would come he did not guess, but he
rose and pressed forward TO the cabin.
He fancied he heard the neighing of
a horse from distant clump of trees
but the only one which he expected 10
see was AleXia Rae's mustang, and that
was nowhere in sight.
turned TO enter, he stopped, rooted
with horror upon the threshold.
The old Hermit lay under his own
dinner table, apparently dead; while
the beautiful mail-carrier sat strapped
10 chair in the centre of the room,
bound and gagged, and staring help
lessly before her.
Even yet there was more OF indigna-
fhan in rE
blood flowed in a fury to her blaEched
cheek as he sprang TO her relief and sci
her free.
Yet she neither spoke nor moved til
the last cut and she tried to rise but
could not for the tremor which seized
her.
Water she whispered; and Booth.
royd held it to her lips. Then sht
motioned to the cripple upon the floor
and Willis was forced TO turn and dc
her bidding.
But tell me first, are you wounded
in any way?'
'No-no-but poor old Jobs dying
Quick! 1t was a gang of thieves
Even in her weakness her glance
flashed, and her tone thrilled with
anger.
Yes, know. He told me-
Her eyes opened in amaZement.
'He-told-youp He knew
Not what You imagine. He ONLY
feared. l promised to return long ago
Why did / notl'
He had lifted the poor Hermit and
laid him on his rude couch, and now
bent over him, examining him anx
iously. The gravity on his face grew
deeper. and when Alexia moved to hi
side, questioning him eagerly, Does b,
still live?' he could only shake his head
in mournful answer.
1T canuot be thai he is deadl If so
he died defending me poor cripple tha
he wash