Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-22


happened? What was he stopping for"
And he would answer that was all.
Nothing happened. There was no more
to tell.
An unexpected cynical denouement of
this sort was quite to Cecil's taste. He
smiled in advance over the picture.
Meanwhile Ally, with q detected face,
was lettering the horses.
'iEasier getting along without them ~
he muttered. Essay, CHS, wonder how
'twould do to let Mig loose? he'd maybe
git home of his own notion, and maybe
we could send word home where we
were.''
$50 we could, to be sure, - said Cecil +,
cycling Ally with a certain establishment.
Why hadu t he thought of the plan in
stead of stupid Ally? Well, he WASH It
as sure as he had been that Ally was so
stupid.
Meanwhile, poor Ally looked anything
but cheerful. He had ffshed q lead
pencil out of his pocket and was writing
his note on the back of letter. His
pale eyebrows were knitted, he bit his
tongue in the dangerous and improper
fashion which he had whenever he be-
came excited. He wiped his heated
brow with very soiIed handkerchief and
sighed deeply.
Celn took the note handed to him and
read: "Dear Sis-We are in a mighty
bad scrape fixing to go to the hantid
store; please come quick and help us. Get
Mr.. Markham. 1 reckon the hants will
kill US if you don't. I'm sorry treated
you so mean. If I'm killed you can
have my horse and my books; please
| give mamma and papa my love and
Cobbs too and my five-dollar gold piece
and my silver watch. Your loving
| brother, ALAN. -
Cecil for once did not feel inclined to
smile at Alan's great sprawling hand
and original spelling. He was touched.
| Lightly as he viewed the peril from
| ghosts, it was q real and most dreadful
| peril to the Southern boy; yet Ally did
not finch or dream of deserving him.
''He Is Drawer than 1 - thought CHS,
and felt ashamed of his supercIlious
treatment of the simple hearted boy.
| Yet he couldn't quite bring himself to
abandon his gorgeous visions of shining
as q speoter tanner. He handed back the
note, only saying: 'That is just the
| thing"
And Ally carefully (his tongue still
between his teeth) tied it on to Nlg's
bride with bit of Irvine. Almost as if
he could understand and would speak,
the horse arched his neck, looked stead
lily at Ally with his liquid eye, and then,
turning composedly, trotted off into the
darkening wood. Rasmus limped after
him.
The two boys watched the horses out of
sight.
Neither spoke, but each was conscious
of lonesome, chilly sensation, like the
night air.
Involuntarily, both looked at the red
ball sinking behind the black trees.
Ally spoke, "we better make haste, -
said he, gruffly, eff we want to get to
the store before dark. -
With that he struck into the wood
underbrush.
Cecil followed him, saying nothing.
There was clearing about the store.
When the boys came out in the open,
they could see the black and battered
shape outlined against dim, steel sky.
Once 1t must have been a substan tial
building; but the roof had settled away,
doors and windows gaped, the shingles
had peeled. from the roof, the bricks
were tumbling from the chimneys, and
the floor of the porch on one side had
sunken away from its supporting column
which, bv consequence, was poised
crookedly In the air. giving the whole
porch the appearance of just stepping off
from the house.
Ally had come to full halt. 'There's
a right smart of room under that piaz-
"a " said he. ''What you say to camp
ing under there? We could be right
snug and comfortable. -
"Aud not go into the house?''
"There amt nothing to see in the
house,
"But we could build fire "a sudden
clutch of his arm cut the words short.
Ally pointed to the store. They both
saw it: long, thin torch like flame that
leaped athwart the black square, once a
window, quivered and sank.
They both heard it; the tap-tap of q
hammer.
"Let's run, Cisl'' whispered Ally.
He did run little space; but when he
was aware that Cts wasn't with him, he
came back.
Cts stood, rather white, examining his
revolver.
The house was dark and still. A harsh,
wailing cry made Cecil present his pis-
toll.
"That amt nothing but an owl, ="
said Ally, he was quite out of breath;
but he did not look as pale as Cecil.
- IN gong up 10 LnaI mouse,
said Cecil, firmly, ga fine story wen
have to tell tomorrow if we hear noise
and rum"
"Cobbs says faint no disgrace to run
when there amt nothing to be got by
staying - said Alan, the cautious.
''But there is something urged
Cecil, fmaybe we II find the ghostI''
Strange to say Ally did not appear to
be tempted by this prospect.
81 don't believe its anything but
tramps," said Cecil putting on a bold
front which, to tell the truth, he
was far from feeling, "and if 1t is, per-
haps, they'll have something to eat.
Anyhow, I'M going to find out.
He would have run across the clearing
had not Ally detained him.
''If your going,'' said Ally, "you
might as well go quiet-like round by the
trees. II it's hants it won't do any
good, but If it's moonshiners it Will.
Hush, now. Do like do
Very cautiously, in Indian fashion,
skirting along the trees in the shadow of
an overgrown hedge, the lads crept up
to the house.
Certainly sounds came from the house,
and no starlight or sunset ever lighted up
l,n tie &R--k